The Chancellor's Directive: A New Era for TTU System Curriculum

The Texas Tech University System (TTU System), comprising five public universities primarily in West Texas, has initiated a significant shift in its academic offerings. On April 9, 2026, Chancellor Brandon Creighton, a former Texas state senator who authored the state's landmark anti-DEI legislation Senate Bill 17 (SB 17), issued a comprehensive memorandum directing provosts to phase out all academic programs 'centered on' sexual orientation and gender identity, collectively referred to as SOGI. This move builds on ongoing curriculum reviews and aims to align programs with what the chancellor describes as 'rigorous, relevant' education focused on high-demand career fields.

Creighton, who assumed the chancellorship in November 2025 after nearly two decades in the Texas Legislature, emphasized institutional objectivity by mandating recognition of only 'two human sexes' across system policies, hiring, and instruction. Faculty are prohibited from endorsing 'a gender spectrum or fluid gender identities as empirical biological science.' The policy also extends to research priorities in future faculty hires, though current faculty retain freedom to pursue SOGI-related scholarship.

Specific Programs Targeted for Elimination

While provosts must finalize lists by June 15, 2026, several programs have been highlighted as likely affected. At the flagship Texas Tech University in Lubbock, the Women's and Gender Studies (WGS) undergraduate minor and graduate certificate are prime candidates. These interdisciplinary programs, which require 18 credit hours including courses like Introduction to Women's & Gender Studies (WGS 2300) and Feminist Thought and Theories (WGS 4310), draw students interested in analyzing gender roles across social, historical, and cultural contexts.

Similar minors exist at other system institutions: Angelo State University and Midwestern State University also offer women's and gender studies minors. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso may see impacts on related certificates or clinical training modules if deemed SOGI-centered. No majors in these fields were previously offered system-wide, reflecting their niche status—nationally, women's and gender studies programs often serve as minors or certificates with modest enrollment, averaging around 269 students per department in 2023.

Exact enrollment figures for TTU's WGS minor remain undisclosed, but such programs typically attract a small fraction of the system's 40,000+ undergraduates, many pairing it with majors in psychology, sociology, or education.

Phase-Out Timeline and Protections for Current Students

The process is methodical: an immediate freeze on admissions and new major declarations for identified programs, followed by teach-out plans allowing enrolled students to complete degrees without disruption. Graduate theses and dissertations on SOGI topics receive temporary exceptions for current candidates only. Provosts report to the chancellor's office by mid-June, with full closure targeted post-teach-out.

• Immediate Actions: Admissions freeze and halt on new declarations.
• June 15, 2026: Provosts submit program lists.
• Ongoing: Teach-out for enrolled students; no mid-stream disruptions.
• Future: No new SOGI-centered credentials system-wide.

Curriculum and Teaching Restrictions Explained

Beyond programs, the memo imposes content guidelines, particularly stringent for core and lower-division undergraduate courses. Materials 'centered on' SOGI—where these topics form the primary subject, theoretical framework, or pedagogical purpose—are banned. Even incidental inclusions as 'background context or demographic data points' cannot be highlighted, tested, or discussed in class time. Industry-standard textbooks need not be altered but must skip SOGI sections.

Exceptions apply to upper-level and graduate courses analyzing public policy, legal cases (e.g., Obergefell v. Hodges), historical events (e.g., AIDS crisis), datasets, or clinical/psychological training. Biology instruction on chromosomal variations or intersex conditions is permitted but cannot validate 'sociological frameworks of fluid gender identities.' Faculty must avoid presenting as 'absolute truth' that individuals are inherently racist/sexist or bear collective guilt by race/sex.

Photo by Ivan Lom on Unsplash

Preceding Course Reviews and SB 17 Context

This stems from a December 2025 protocol reviewing course content on race, sex, gender identity, and SOGI. An AI-assisted scan flagged 1,403 courses; 299 were proactively modified, 688 cleared as over-reports, 324 exempted for licensure/patient care, and 92 regent-reviewed (fewer than 60 needing changes). SB 17, effective 2024, banned DEI offices/programs, prompting closures like TTU's DEI office, Black Cultural Center, and planned intercultural centers in 2023.

For deeper reading on the memo, see the official TTU System memorandum. Detailed coverage appears in the Texas Tribune.

Faculty Reactions: Concerns Over Betrayal and Freedom

Faculty voices dominate criticism. English Prof. Jen Shelton, with 25 years at TTU, called it a 'betrayal' after provost assurances. Psychological Sciences Assoc. Prof. Paul Ingram reported student regrets, dropouts, and dissertation halts, noting 'the grass is looking pretty dead.' The TTU AAUP chapter decried it as 'brazen disregard' for truthful education, harming AAU aspirations.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund's Antonio Ingram flagged viewpoint discrimination and vagueness chilling speech on racism/reparations history.

Student and Advocate Perspectives

Students like junior Cailyn Green lament an 'honest education' loss, impairing her human development studies. PRIDE Alumni Network and PFLAG Lubbock warn of mental health risks, erasing LGBTQ+ history. Conversely, Turning Point USA's Preston Parsons welcomes limits, arguing classrooms suit facts, not activism.

Texas-Wide Trend: A&M, UT-Austin Follow Suit

TTU joins a pattern: Texas A&M ended WGS programs in January 2026; UT-Austin merged race/ethnic/gender studies in February; UTSA dissolved similar units. SB 17's ripple effects include event cancellations and LGBTQ+ service cuts, amid debates on equity vs. merit. See Inside Higher Ed analysis.

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Implications for Academic Freedom, Research, and Hiring

Critics fear chilled discourse, faculty exodus, and narrowed perspectives. Supporters tout job-aligned curricula—gender studies grads often enter nonprofits/advocacy (median salary ~$50k), vs. TTU's engineering focus ($80k+). Future hires prioritize non-SOGI research, potentially diversifying but homogenizing views.

Read the Inside Higher Ed quick take.

Future Outlook: National Model or Cautionary Tale?

Creighton envisions a 'national model' curriculum. Nationally, gender studies enrollment grows despite attacks, but Texas leads retrenchment. Impacts may include lawsuits, enrollment shifts, and policy emulation in red states. For higher ed professionals, this underscores adaptability in volatile landscapes.