Several community colleges in Texas have begun comprehensive reviews of their academic courses, leading to restrictions on discussions about gender identity and sexual orientation. The changes primarily affect fast-growing dual credit programs, which enroll high school students, as institutions cite new state laws and seek to maintain partnerships with local school districts.
Key Takeaways
- At least three Texas community colleges—Alvin, Blinn, and San Jacinto—are reviewing and removing course content related to gender identity.
- The changes are heavily influenced by new state laws aimed at K-12 schools, particularly Senate Bill 12 and Senate Bill 412.
- Faculty members report receiving verbal instructions in private meetings to alter lectures, remove textbook chapters, and avoid certain topics.
- Dual credit programs, a major financial component for community colleges, are at the center of the issue as colleges aim to align with K-12 district expectations.
Course Content Under Review Across Texas
A growing number of higher education institutions in Texas are scrutinizing their course materials following recent political developments. The trend gained momentum after a viral video showing a student-professor confrontation over gender identity at Texas A&M University led to significant administrative changes there.
Now, community colleges are implementing their own reviews. Alvin Community College, Blinn College, and San Jacinto College are among the institutions where faculty have been instructed to modify their teaching materials. According to instructors who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fear of professional repercussions, the directives have created a climate of uncertainty and concern.
At San Jacinto College, located near Houston, administrators reportedly held small, private meetings with department faculty. In these meetings, instructors were told that course content should not reference gender beyond the male and female binary. Amanda Fenwick, a spokesperson for the college, stated that the review ensures content aligns with state-required student growth goals, but did not specify which laws prompted the changes.
Broader Trend in Higher Education
The actions at community colleges mirror those at larger universities. Angelo State University recently prohibited professors from discussing transgender and nonbinary identities, citing a federal executive order and state law. Similarly, the Texas Tech University System issued guidance restricting instruction on gender identity, referencing a state law on vital statistics and a presidential executive order.
Dual Credit Programs Drive Policy Changes
A significant factor behind these curriculum reviews is the expansion of dual credit programs, where high school students take college-level classes. Officials at Alvin Community College and Blinn College have explicitly linked their new content restrictions to the need to comply with laws affecting minors.
New State Laws Cited
Two new Texas laws are frequently mentioned as the basis for these changes:
- Senate Bill 12: This law prohibits K-12 schools from providing instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Senate Bill 412: This legislation strengthens an existing ban on providing "obscene" material to minors.
Faculty at Alvin Community College said they were told these laws apply to their dual credit courses because they serve high school students. An instructor noted, "At Alvin, they're telling us, we have to do this so that we can make our ISD partners happy."
The Financial Importance of Dual Credit
In 2023, Texas lawmakers altered the funding model for community colleges, creating new financial incentives for dual credit enrollment. Colleges now receive state funding when high school students complete at least 15 college credit hours, making these programs a critical revenue source.
Trey Miller, an economics professor at the University of Texas at Dallas who studies these programs, explained the pressure colleges face. "A big K-12 school district can [make up] a large number of the students attending a community college these days. They can't lose those students," Miller said. He added that colleges will adapt to keep their school district partners satisfied.
Impact on Classroom Instruction
The directives are having a direct effect on what is taught in the classroom. Instructors at multiple colleges described having to remove or significantly alter established lesson plans, assignments, and lectures to comply with the new, often unwritten, rules.
"It was like cutting off a limb," a San Jacinto instructor said about the adjustments. "Because for some professors, they have assignments, they have projects they've invested their time in making and creating."
At Alvin Community College, a social sciences instructor reported skipping an entire introductory chapter of a textbook and removing PowerPoint presentations to avoid topics of gender identity and homosexuality. The department is also reportedly considering adding an age requirement to at least one course to limit enrollment to adults.
Another instructor at San Jacinto College explained they had to edit lecture slides about family structures to remove any mention of gender identities beyond male and female. This direct intervention in academic content has left many faculty members feeling constrained and worried about academic freedom.
Lack of Clear Guidance Creates Confusion
A common complaint among faculty is the lack of formal, written policies from their administrations. Many instructors reported that the new restrictions were communicated verbally in closed-door meetings, leaving them without clear documentation to follow.
At Blinn College, about 100 miles from Houston, professors were ordered to review their dual credit courses for compliance with SB 412. However, they were given no specific guidance on what the college considers "obscene material" or how to handle discussions of gender identity.
This ambiguity has caused significant anxiety. "They're making us go through the motions of, ‘well, you need to go through all of your classes and make sure that you are in compliance.’ Well, compliance with what?" one Blinn College instructor asked. "I just saw myself as the person that's going to get their head on a chopping block."
The challenge is compounded by the difficulty of identifying which classes contain minors, as dual credit students are often integrated into general courses. As a result, many instructors feel compelled to apply the most restrictive standards to all their classes to avoid potential violations.
When asked to provide copies of the guidance given to faculty, officials from Alvin, Blinn, and San Jacinto colleges did not supply any documents. This lack of transparency has further fueled the uncertainty and fear among educators trying to navigate the new landscape.
