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The Texas Tribune has been reporting on Texas elected officials’ pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at state universities and student speech and protests in solidarity with Palestinians.
In 2023, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 17, which bans DEI initiatives in public universities. It has led universities such as the University of Houston to close down an LGBTQ resource center and for leaders at the University of Texas at Austin to fire dozens of employees in DEI-related roles. State lawmakers have also scheduled a May hearing to examine how universities are implementing the law.
More recently, Gov. Greg Abbott also ordered universities to revise their free speech policies and singled out pro-Palestine student groups, saying they should be subject to discipline.
We want to continue reporting on the ramifications of these policy moves, and want to hear from current and prospective Texas university students, their parents and faculty and staff. We also want to hear from former students and staff involved in or affected by past DEI initiatives or campus efforts to bring awareness to the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
We are aware of some of the privacy and discipline concerns with publicly speaking out about these topics for current students and staff and will not publish any information without first contacting you. Fill out the form below if you would like to share your experience or thoughts around these issues.
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