Even after repeated efforts by state leaders and the legislature to rid Texas universities of so-called Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, it seems many schools just can't stop going back to the woke well. The latest example is Texas A&M-Victoria, where regents unanimously approved Christian Hardigree as the new president, despite her background championing DEI. This as the flagship A&M campus in College Station is still without a permanent president following last month's resignation of President Mark Welsh after a professor was caught pushing trans ideology in the classroom. Regents have since appointed former State Senator Tommy Williams as interim president.
Christian Collins, founder of Texas Youth Summit, says the episode that led to Welsh resigning should have been a wake-up call for the entire system. "These professors are being empowered by the presidents, they're being empowered by the deans and the leadership of these schools," says Collins. "So it's important that we have conservatives at every level...because I feel like our professors here in Texas are mostly liberal, and they're getting their paychecks from our tax dollars, and that's just not fair."
State lawmakers tried to address this issue by passing a law that bans DEI programs, policies, and curriculum in public schools. But the law does not restrict who regents can hire and select for leadership positions. "That's why it's so important that the Board of Regents are selected very carefully," says Collins. "I just encourage that we have the right people at every level, even the regents level, because they are ultimately making the determination of who the president of these schools is going to be."
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