UT System Dissolves Faculty Senates Amid Rising Control
AUSTIN, TX - August 21, 2025 The University of Texas System has formally dissolved faculty senates across its institutions effective September 1, 2025, in compliance with Texas Senate Bill 37. This move ends longstanding shared governance models and replaces them with streamlined “faculty advisory groups,” which will be limited in size and structure and require approval from executive vice chancellors. Faculty leaders have expressed concern that these groups will dilute academic oversight and autonomy.
Under SB 37, regents now have enhanced authority over academic and hiring decisions and must livestream advisory meetings while enforcing membership caps. The legislation further establishes an Office of Ombudsman to oversee compliance with these new protocols and existing anti‑DEI measures, raising alarm about increased political oversight.
Despite similar transformations across other institutions—such as Houston and Houston Community College adapting rather than ending their senates - UT faculty are especially uneasy. Some have responded with satirical “Faux Faculty Senates” to highlight the reduction of faculty voices and perceived erosion of academic freedom.
The changes mark a significant shift in how governance functions at Texas’ flagship institutions, underscoring a broader trend of increasing state control over university decision-making and campus policies.