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What. The university celebrated the new program in a June 2023 press release. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Consider contributing a monthly or annual gift to foster community for former and current LGBTQ+ Aggies.
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The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Thursday unanimously directed its flagship university to disband an LGBTQ+ studies minor, months after conservative lawmakers and websites accused the program of promoting “liberal indoctrination” on campus.
The LGBTQ Studies minor is one of 14 minors and 38 certificate programs that administrators said were “low-producing,” according to a new process developed administrators to identify and eliminate programs with low enrollments.
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“If there were politics, it wasn’t in my office.”
The board of regents also voted Thursday to direct other university presidents in the A&M system to review their minors and certificates to identify low-producing programs that could be eliminated. He said the board has a fiduciary responsibility to eliminate programs with low enrollment.
But faculty say that the reasoning lacks an understanding of how these departments manage enrollment in these minor and certificate programs.
“They either had no information and made a decision on incomplete information or they had a different agenda and the information didn’t matter,” Price said.
The Texas A&M Women and Gender Studies Department introduced the LGBTQ Studies minor in fall of 2022.
Find a complete list of them here.
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Kate McGee is an Austin-based enterprise and investigative reporter. She was a three-time finalist for the Education Writers Association's... “But he did not include the faculty sufficiently, in my view.”
Yet board members and university administrators contend that these minors and certificates should be eliminated because they don’t meet new enrollment thresholds recently established by the university.
At the board meeting Thursday, Board Member Robert Albritton denied accusations that the decision to eliminate the LGBTQ Studies minor was politically motivated.
“We have no precedent for a board to decide [to end academic programs] over the wishes of faculty and the president which they deemed low-performing.”
Dozens of faculty attended the board meeting Thursday to oppose the regents’ decision.
The board’s vote to eliminate these programs came a few days before a Texas Senate subcommittee meeting Monday where lawmakers reviewed the role of faculty senates at Texas public universities.
To put on our events, support on-campus activities (like sponsoring QEC & LGBTQ Aggies events), and offer scholarships, we need the support of committed Aggies like you. The state agency that oversees public higher education does not have a process for reviewing minors.
Using this system, A&M identified 52 minors and certificates to eliminate.
In January, state Rep.
Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, started tweeting about the LGBTQ Studies minor offered at his alma mater. She joined the Tribune in October 2020 as a higher education reporter. Once added, the board would have to approve the amended policy at its February 2025 meeting.
State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, who chairs the Texas Senate’s higher education subcommittee, praised the board’s vote Thursday on social media.
“Proud to see the reforms we passed in the Texas Senate making a real impact at Texas A&M,” he wrote.” More bold reforms are coming for higher ed in the 89th session.”
Disclosure: Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.
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John Gay January 12, 2018 12:16 PM updated: January 12, 2018 12:17 PM
From findagrave.com
John Gordon Gay
Birth: Mar.
8, 1901
Clay County
Alabama, USA
Death: Jun. 11, 1978
Houston
Harris County
Texas, USA
Whereas, in the tragic death on June 11, 1978, of Mr. J. Gordon Gay, Texas A&M University sustained the loss of a highly esteemed and beloved member of its staff, and
Whereas, Mr. Gay was associated with the YMCA at Texas A&M University for more than forty-two years, including sixteen years as General Secretary, and concurrently held the position of Coordinator of Religious Life, and in those capacities provided a highly positive influence on the lives of thousands of young men and women, and
Whereas, Mr.
Gay's diligent work resulted in the start of several truly beneficial programs at Texas A&M University, including the first personal counseling service, Religious Emphasis Week, and the YMCA Fish Camp, the highly successful three-day orientation session for freshmen prior to the start of fall classes, and
Whereas, Mr. Gay was held in the highest regard by students, former students, faculty and staff, as attested by the fact that the "Aggieland," the Texas A&M University yearbook, was dedicated to him in 1969, and he was one of the first recipients of the Distinguished Service Award for Individual Student Relations given by the Association of Former Students, and
Whereas, Mr.
Gay worked tirelessly on behalf of his fellowman generally, long being a leader in his church on both the local and state level, and in later life serving as an effective spokesman for senior citizens, now, therefore, be it
Resolved, by the Board of Regents of the Texas A&M University System, meeting the 25th day of July, 1978, at College Station, Texas, that this Board desires to express its appreciation for the exemplary service rendered to Texas A&M University by the Late Mr.
J. Gordon Gay, and to record its respect for his many contributions, and be it further
Resolved, that this Resolution be spread upon the minutes, and copies thereof, signed by the Chairman of the Board, be sent to Mr. Gay's family, and to the Archives of Texas A&M University, as a permanent mark of the respect of this Board for the life and work of the late Mr.
J. Gordon Gay, and as a token of this Board's sympathy in the family's great loss.
Approved this 25th day of July, 1978.
(signed) Clyde H. Wells, Chairman, Board of Regents
Family links:
Parents:
Joseph Wesley Gay (1866 - 1943)
Martha Ella Ann Ray Gay (1872 - 1952)
Spouse:
Emma Louise Ryan Gay (1904 - 1988)*
Sibling:
John Gordon Gay (1901 - 1978)
Verbon Francis Gay (1904 - 1961)*
*Calculated relationship
Burial:
College Station Cemetery
College Station
Brazos County
Texas, USA
Created by: David E.
R. Gay
Record added: Nov 27, 2009
Find A Grave Memorial# 44846676
This article is visible to the public
The Aggie Pride Former Student Network is the LGBTQ+ and Ally Former Student Network of Texas A&M University.
They also directed Sharp to revise the system policies about low-producing degree programs to include minors and certificate programs. Patrick also asked lawmakers ahead of next year’s legislative session to make recommendations to establish guidelines for what faculty senates’ role on campuses should be.
According to the regents’ resolution to end the programs, their decision ignored a request by Texas A&M University President Mark Welsh III to halt the review process and gather more input from other faculty senates in the A&M system.
The state classifies a bachelor’s degree program as “low-producing” if it awards fewer than five degrees in a year and fewer than 25 degrees in five years. More by Kate McGee