Texas bill increases university oversight and governance control

Texas lawmakers have introduced a bill to increase oversight of universities, creating a new office to investigate compliance with state laws, particularly regarding diversity programs. This office would require universities to respond to inquiries within 30 days. The bill also empowers university governing boards to hire more administrators and oversee curricula, which were previously managed by the institutions themselves. Boards would need to ensure courses align with workforce needs and do not promote specific ideologies. Additionally, the bill mandates that faculty councils can only be established by governing boards, limiting faculty input in academic matters. This follows previous efforts to reduce faculty influence, raising concerns about potential impacts on university accreditation and governance.