Professors dependent on government subsidies in Texas are complaining about a new law there that forces them to let their students know what is in their courses before they are trapped in their classrooms. “When University of Texas at Austin junior Taurie Randermann complained to her boss that her course titled ‘Communication and Religion’ was actually about fringe cults like Wiccans and Heaven’s Gate, she kicked off a major change in how much information Texas colleges and universities provide students about course offerings,” The Education Reporter reported in the September 2010 issue of the newsletter. “Randermann’s boss, Texas Republican State Representative Lois Kolkhorst, was already seeking ways to make state higher education more transparent, and Randermann’s experience led her to draft a bill requiring public, online access to course information.”
“Texas House Bill 2504 sailed through the Texas legislature with unanimous bipartisan support, and Governor Rick Perry signed it into law in June of 2009.” The Education Reporter is published by the Eagle Forum [1], a group founded by conservative attorney, author and activist Phyllis Schlafly.
Of course, the state chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP [2]) was indignant. They usually like to exercise their academic freedom behind closed doors where they can deny everyone else’s.
Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia [3].
If you would like to comment on this article, e-mail mal.kline@academia.org [4]