February has been a rather productive month for Jim Davis and the Board of Regents. Since the beginning of the shortest month on the calendar, students have received three emails from the newly inaugurated University President. If you’re like me, you might be wondering: What’s Jim up to? How does it affect me? Why are people so upset about it?
Before we begin, a disclaimer!
What’s this girl gonna say about all this? Earnestly and hopefully nothing! After sitting down with classmates and hearing heated discussions about this in the halls before lecture and at Littlefield Cafe, I figured I ought to read the source material and set the record straight on what’s actually happening without leaving room for assumption. That way, thoughts and feelings can be formed by you!
I’ve also put a few notes at the bottom of the article about who Jim Davis and the Board of Regents are.
The first Email (02/03)
The basics: Things are changing in the way that Campus organizes its security.
UT Police, Emergency Management, and West Campus Ambassadors have all been operating in a somewhat isolated fashion and will now be reporting to a unified campus safety leader. While no one has been given that job formally, former head of Austin PD Jay Swann will be taking over in the interim. No date has been cemented by Davis about when this is happening; however, in the email itself, it was noted that Swann is taking over “while they recruit for a permanent leader,” which suggests the restructuring is already beginning, or will begin very soon.
Why should I care: Because they’re creating a cabinet-level role focused solely on safety.
The goal is to improve threat prevention, accelerate emergency response, strengthen preparedness efforts, and cultivate a campus-wide “safety culture” by elevating student safety within the university’s administrative structure to a higher position.
Why people are upset:
This email hasn’t garnered a significant amount of outrage; however, there are some students interested in what this effectively means. Does it mean a higher police presence around campus? A crack down on the unhoused population on Guad? In this regard, some students are open to this new policy initiative, with one student saying that: “I don’t have an issue with the people experiencing homelessness themselves. Many of them are simply going about their day, and sometimes they’ll even start friendly conversations. A lot of these individuals have faced really difficult circumstances and need support. But I have had a few bad experiences on Guad. I’ve been followed and yelled at unexpectedly at night. Those situations can make you feel unsafe, and I think it’s important to acknowledge both compassion for vulnerable people and concern about behavior that affects students’ sense of safety.”
The second email (02/12)
The basics: Departments in COLA will be consolidating, namely those that deal with cultural studies.
According to the email itself, this change was made after an internal review of departmental organization within the College of Liberal Arts, where Davis and his board found that though there is a 15-to-1 student-faculty ratio, individual departments differ in size and administration. Seven departments will now be two umbrella departments encompassing all of the original majors available. These are as follows: Department of European and Eurasian Studies, which was: French and Italian, Germanic Studies, and Slavic and Eurasian Studies, as well as the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis, which was: African and African Diaspora Studies, American Studies, Mexican American and Latina/Latino Studies, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. In the coming months, there are also plans for a curriculum review to determine how the majors and minors within the program will be structured going forward.
Why should I care?
Because Majors are being consolidated, that might mean changes in the way your department runs if you are a part of said programs. While you don’t have to worry about your degree being derailed completely, some requirements could be adjusted, and some programs might become concentrations within broader majors. Names of majors and or minors may change as well. However, the main point right now is that nothing is disappearing.
Why people are upset:
While some believe that this was the most logical consolidation of departments, others feel the university has divided them into a Eurocentric department and a Minority department. Fear has been expressed that the reason for the sudden grouping is due to an eventual desire to phase out the newly formed “Department of Social and Cultural Analysis” following A&M’s decision to cut its Women’s and Gender Studies program.
The third email (02/19)
The basics: This time, the restructuring moves into STEM.
All the departments relating to computing and the like will be merged into one department aptly named: The Department of Computing. It will be made up of the former departments of Computer Science, the School of Information, and Statistics and Data Sciences. The aim is to organize them in a way that strengthens collaboration between disciplines and gives students in the department of computing a more extensive list of classes they can take to better prepare them for the workforce. This change will go into effect in the Fall of 2026. While the departments are unified, nothing will change in the way students currently enrolled pursue their existing degree programs.
Why should I care?
Because this is another consolidation that may sound scary, but nothing is changing or going away. Unlike the COLA consolidation, the email did not indicate a curriculum review, so nothing will change effectively besides the Department of Computing being created and delegated to the College of Natural Science.
Why are people upset?
In the creation of the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis, it explicitly states that the curriculum will come under review, but not for the Department of Computing. This contrast has garnered attention and outrage as some students interpret the review as not due to a new department being formed, but rather the subject being taught.
Not an email but an announcement nonetheless (02/19)
The basics:
It was announced that the Board of Regents for the UT system voted unanimously without discussion on a policy that would have professors “eschew topics and controversies that are not germane,” or in less jargon-y terms: “Let’s not get into random side drama that has nothing to do with the point,” regarding “controversial topics.”
Further, the Regents commented that “An institution’s offerings in its general education core curriculum must include balanced and broad-based courses that allow students appropriate options to meet the general education requirements without a requirement to study unnecessary controversial subjects (Whitford).”
Why should I care?
Because of how vague that request is. The Board of Regents neglected to specify what “unsettled issues” they were talking about. However, the policy will lead to changes in the ways professors approach teaching coursework.
Why are people upset?
Though many students rejoiced upon the fall of the dreaded flag system, some are now reconsidering their stance due to the board of regents mentioning their goal to not force students to interact with “controversial subjects.” This vagueness, in the opinion of some, creates too much margin for self-censorship, where professors drastically change the way they discuss certain subjects like race, gender, ethnicity, or religious practice.
And now you have the facts! Interpretation of this data now rests with you, and because you have become more informed and can thereby create your own opinions, I have done my job! I hope this article, if anything, helped clear up some of the confusion about what’s happening on Campus. If you have any questions about what this means for you specifically, I highly recommend you seek out your academic advisor, who can help you navigate this consolidation and rebuilding. Because at UT, whether it’s departments or sidewalks, something is always under construction.
* Jim Davis, who is he? He’s the president. He took office in February 2025, when he was named interim president and confirmed later that year. Before assuming the presidential role, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, as well as Vice President for Legal Affairs and Business Strategies. Prior to joining UT, Davis had a career in law and public service, including time as a Texas Deputy Attorney General and as a partner in private practice, after earning his degrees from UT Austin and Harvard Law School.
* What is a Regent, and why is there a board of them? The Board of Regents governs the UT System. There are nine regents appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Texas State Senate. They serve six-year staggered terms. Their role is to provide oversight by approving major policies, budgets, tuition decisions, and hiring university presidents.