Tenured UT Austin liberal arts professor Art Markman was fired last week over alleged ideological differences — personal choices that supposedly reflect the quality of his instruction and expertise. Some Republicans, namely, President Donald Trump’s administration, liken universities to temples of “wokeness,” striving to rewrite what is taught in classrooms.
Nine universities were offered Trump’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education on Oct. 1. The agreement asked universities to revise governance structures to preserve conservative ideals, curb international undergraduate enrollment, define gender based on biology and bar political speech for priority funding. UT Austin, which already lost $47 million in research funding to Trump’s federal cuts earlier this year, expressed enthusiasm toward its selection, stating it “looks forward to engaging with university officials.” The institution is one of only two yet to decide on the compact.
As the Trump administration attempts to seize control of outlets of free speech, the rising number of dismissed professors across the nation is frightening. According to the Tennessean, legal experts across the political spectrum describe this compact as “blatantly illegal,” “overreaching government coercion” and even “extortion.” Meanwhile, the Steady State — a coalition of more than 330 former national security and law enforcement professionals — condemned the act as “a direct assault on the rule of law,” warning universities that comply risk becoming “instruments of authoritarian control.”
Functioning as spaces of critical thinking, investigative skills and the prioritized pursuit of the truth allows universities to serve as democracy’s laboratories. The administration’s sustained endeavor to coerce institutions into silence is not only alarming but glaringly insulting to the foundations of education and integrity — independent, curious and free — the same principles grounding this nation.
Speech-based dismissals such as Markman’s, the firing of a Texas A&M professor who lectured on gender identity and a Texas State University professor who spoke at an online socialist event send a chilling message. Abbott said it himself: “Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies,” in an effort to end the “indoctrination” of the south. Yet, the conservative pipeline remains encouraged — perhaps the real indoctrination lies elsewhere.
The compact endangers the mission of higher education nationwide, especially within the University of Texas System headed by the governor-appointed Board of Regents. As UT Austin remains undecided, its uncertainty ripples across Texas and its eight sister schools, including UT San Antonio. The community must safeguard UT San Antonio’s education, integrity and rising success — amplifying the voices of students, professors and anyone who contributes to the continued prosperity of this institution.
UT San Antonio should not yield to the censorship or oppression of a disgraced administration — it must continue to preserve the legacy, culture and community built on UTSA Circle. That is the Roadrunner way.
