Unions' Blueprint for Higher Ed Reform

Two major professors unions, the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers, just dropped a nationwide, blueprint to fix higher education.

Launched on April 13th, it pushes lawmakers for more affordable tuition, bigger research budgets, stronger worker protections and safeguards, for academic freedom.

The idea is to get these ideas into laws during the next sessions across the country.

In Texas, this comes amid heat from Senate Bill 37, which forces universities to review and tweak their core curriculum.

Schools like Texas A&M have already canceled classes and revised syllabi to comply.

Hitting everything from ethics courses to general ed, requirements, other systems, like the University of Texas, worn props to tread light on hot button issues, while Texas Tech outright bans certain race and gender.

Professors are fired up, calling out how these changes choke re-expression and hurt students learning.

Leaders say higher ed builds communities, trains pros and nursing, engineering, even astronauts, but laws like this threaten it all.

One-proff losses ethics and public policy grad class, right after it started, sparking real pushback.

Now, state reps are eyeing interim hearings before the 2027 session to dig into Senate Bill 37's vagueness and fallout.

These meetings will pull in testimony from faculty, students, and admins, potentially shaping fixes or new bills to protect campuses.

As this blueprint rolls out, expect more noise from educators fighting to keep colleges as hubs of open ideas, not restricted zones.

Stay tuned for how lawmakers respond. Stay informed with El Paso News today, AI-powered updates. I'm Corey, with the story.