The Texas Legislature has concluded its regular session, and we anticipate that some of the new legislation will directly impact Texas’ university campuses, including ours. We are working in close coordination with The University of Texas System to establish policies and procedures that would allow us to implement new legislation affecting UTA, in particular Senate Bill 17 (regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion) and Senate Bill 18 (regarding faculty tenure).

Please note both that the governor has until June 18 to sign into law or veto any legislation and that many of the potential laws take effect later this year and beyond. That gives us time to continue thoughtfully planning for implementation.

UTA will work with our UT System partners in reviewing our existing practices to ensure we comply with any new laws. What won’t change is our support for our vibrant Maverick community and our commitment to attract faculty, staff, and students to one of the nation’s most diverse universities, one that will always provide learning opportunities to students from all backgrounds.

Throughout this planning and implementation process, we will continue collaborating and sharing updates with campus stakeholders. We want you to know how these potential new laws will impact our University and how your leadership team continues to advocate in support of our Maverick community.