A directive from the Texas Tech University System raises questions for Australian universities with exchange links, including around student wellbeing, academic freedom and institutional alignment.
Last month, the Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, Brandon Creighton, issued a memo to the five university presidents in the system outlining new course content guidelines. The memo outlines the phase-out of all academic programs centred on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) and includes a “strict prohibition” on SOGI content in undergraduate courses. Graduate courses are restricted, with some exemptions.
The memo also details a “two human sexes” requirement: “To uphold institutional objectivity, this framework requires the legal recognition of only two human sexes and strictly prohibits the endorsement of a gender spectrum or fluid gender identities as empirical biological science”.
According to the Texas Tech website, it maintains exchange partnerships with several Australian universities, raising broader questions about how institutions assess overseas partnerships and student wellbeing when significant policy changes occur.
Responses to The Koala suggest the Australian links to Texas Tech are more limited or indirect than the website may imply, with some relationships operating through broader exchange consortia rather than standalone bilateral agreements.
Both University of Melbourne and University of Newcastle told The Koala they do not have direct exchange agreements with Texas Tech University, with the connection instead occurring through participation in the Global Engineering Education Exchange (Global E3) consortium.
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Belinda Tynan said the University of Newcastle had no students currently studying at Texas Tech and that the university reviews its international partnerships annually, considering factors including student demand, academic program availability and student support arrangements.
Professor Tynan said students undertaking overseas study are provided guidance on local laws, cultural expectations and safety considerations, and may adjust plans if circumstances arise that could affect their wellbeing or studies.
The University of Melbourne similarly said no students had recently studied at Texas Tech through the program. The University also said it regularly reviews international partnerships and travel guidance and continues to uphold its diversity, equity and inclusion commitments, including support services for LGBTIQA+ and gender diverse students and staff.
The University of New South Wales is also listed as an exchange partner and, unlike Melbourne and Newcastle, is not part of the Global E3 consortium. However, it did not respond to questions prior to publication.
La Trobe University, listed by Texas Tech as an exchange partner for both a general exchange program and a law exchange program advised that its agreement expired in 2022 and there are no plans to renew.
While responses suggest there is no immediate concern about existing arrangements, the situation nevertheless raises broader questions about how universities assess overseas partnerships and student wellbeing when major policy shifts occur. That is particularly the case where student mobility programs operate across very different legal, political and institutional settings.
The Texas Tribune has published a copy of the memorandum.
