Texas A&M pays scuttled journalism instructor a million dollars following advice from conservatives, Lt. Govenor.
Posted by
Qale
Aug 3 '23, 19:31
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The Texas A&M University System reached a $1 million settlement with Kathleen McElroy and made a public admission that then-President M. Katherine Banks derailed the potential journalism director’s hiring after alumni, including a conservative-leaning group called The Rudder Association, voiced concerns about McElroy’s experience in diversity, equity and inclusion.
The system’s Office of General Counsel released a lengthy report about its internal investigation Thursday, following mounting pressure from faculty who fear that outside interference at the university has infringed on their rights in the hiring and promotion process and chilled their speech in the classroom. The report also contains a separate review related to A&M professor Joy Alonzo, who had been placed on administrative leave after she was accused of making personal attacks against Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during a guest lecture.
Texas A&M University is now at the center of national discourse about increasing political involvement in public higher education institutions, following both high-profile accusations of catering to conservative external influences at the College Station campus.
At issue is faculty’s “academic freedom” — the right to research or /teach the topics they choose — and the issue has gotten more complicated at public universities that rely on the state for money, higher education experts have told the Chronicle. The Texas A&M System, whose flagship holds the largest enrollment of any public university in the nation, received $1.19 billion in new spending this legislative session. The system’s board members are also appointed by the governor.
The report issued Sunday was far-reaching. A memo with the McElroy investigation’s findings concludes that several top administrators recognize significant mistakes were made due to a “failure to follow established policies and procedures that govern faculty hiring.”
Interim President Mark Welsh III has also directed the Office for Faculty Affairs to create a task force for recommendations on appropriate protections for faculty in matters of hiring and academic freedom, officials state in the report. And all faculty offer letters will now require a signature of the vice president of faculty affairs to ensure compliance.
A&M’s review uncovered that José Luis Bermúdez, then-interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, commented on McElroy’s race twice but found no other evidence of race or gender as a factor in the hiring process.
“Texas A&M acknowledges that mistakes were made during the hiring process relating to Dr. McElroy,” a statement reads. “The leadership of Texas A&M apologizes to Dr. McElroy for the way her employment application was handled, has learned from its mistakes and will strive to ensure similar mistakes are not repeated in the future.”
The fallout was swift in both cases: Bermúdez and Banks resigned last month in the wake of McElroy’s bungled hiring. Faculty also raised concerns about A&M’s administrative leave policy following news of Alonzo’s investigation, and Welsh pledged more transparency during a Wednesday news conference — saying that he believes the university should establish clear guidelines to handle allegations against professors, the Texas Tribune reported.
The settlement likely closes the door on McElroy’s case — she never filed a lawsuit. She will remain at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is a tenured professor.Texas A&M University is now at the center of national discourse about increasing political involvement in public higher education institutions, following both high-profile accusations of catering to conservative external influences at the College Station campus.
At issue is faculty’s “academic freedom” — the right to research or /teach the topics they choose — and the issue has gotten more complicated at public universities that rely on the state for money, higher education experts have told the Chronicle. The Texas A&M System, whose flagship holds the largest enrollment of any public university in the nation, received $1.19 billion in new spending this legislative session. The system’s board members are also appointed by the governor.
The report issued Sunday was far-reaching. A memo with the McElroy investigation’s findings concludes that several top administrators recognize significant mistakes were made due to a “failure to follow established policies and procedures that govern faculty hiring.”
Interim President Mark Welsh III has also directed the Office for Faculty Affairs to create a task force for recommendations on appropriate protections for faculty in matters of hiring and academic freedom, officials state in the report. And all faculty offer letters will now require a signature of the vice president of faculty affairs to ensure compliance.
A&M’s review uncovered that José Luis Bermúdez, then-interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, commented on McElroy’s race twice but found no other evidence of race or gender as a factor in the hiring process.
“Texas A&M acknowledges that mistakes were made during the hiring process relating to Dr. McElroy,” a statement reads. “The leadership of Texas A&M apologizes to Dr. McElroy for the way her employment application was handled, has learned from its mistakes and will strive to ensure similar mistakes are not repeated in the future.”
The fallout was swift in both cases: Bermúdez and Banks resigned last month in the wake of McElroy’s bungled hiring. Faculty also raised concerns about A&M’s administrative leave policy following news of Alonzo’s investigation, and Welsh pledged more transparency during a Wednesday news conference — saying that he believes the university should establish clear guidelines to handle allegations against professors, the Texas Tribune reported.
The settlement likely closes the door on McElroy’s case — she never filed a lawsuit. She will remain at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is a tenured professor.Texas A&M University is now at the center of national discourse about increasing political involvement in public higher education institutions, following both high-profile accusations of catering to conservative external influences at the College Station campus.
At issue is faculty’s “academic freedom” — the right to research or /teach the topics they choose — and the issue has gotten more complicated at public universities that rely on the state for money, higher education experts have told the Chronicle. The Texas A&M System, whose flagship holds the largest enrollment of any public university in the nation, received $1.19 billion in new spending this legislative session. The system’s board members are also appointed by the governor.
The report issued Sunday was far-reaching. A memo with the McElroy investigation’s findings concludes that several top administrators recognize significant mistakes were made due to a “failure to follow established policies and procedures that govern faculty hiring.”
Interim President Mark Welsh III has also directed the Office for Faculty Affairs to create a task force for recommendations on appropriate protections for faculty in matters of hiring and academic freedom, officials state in the report. And all faculty offer letters will now require a signature of the vice president of faculty affairs to ensure compliance.
A&M’s review uncovered that José Luis Bermúdez, then-interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, commented on McElroy’s race twice but found no other evidence of race or gender as a factor in the hiring process.
“Texas A&M acknowledges that mistakes were made during the hiring process relating to Dr. McElroy,” a statement reads. “The leadership of Texas A&M apologizes to Dr. McElroy for the way her employment application was handled, has learned from its mistakes and will strive to ensure similar mistakes are not repeated in the future.”
The fallout was swift in both cases: Bermúdez and Banks resigned last month in the wake of McElroy’s bungled hiring. Faculty also raised concerns about A&M’s administrative leave policy following news of Alonzo’s investigation, and Welsh pledged more transparency during a Wednesday news conference — saying that he believes the university should establish clear guidelines to handle allegations against professors, the Texas Tribune reported.
The settlement likely closes the door on McElroy’s case — she never filed a lawsuit. She will remain at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is a tenured professor.Texas A&M University is now at the center of national discourse about increasing political involvement in public higher education institutions, following both high-profile accusations of catering to conservative external influences at the College Station campus.
At issue is faculty’s “academic freedom” — the right to research or /teach the topics they choose — and the issue has gotten more complicated at public universities that rely on the state for money, higher education experts have told the Chronicle. The Texas A&M System, whose flagship holds the largest enrollment of any public university in the nation, received $1.19 billion in new spending this legislative session. The system’s board members are also appointed by the governor.
The report issued Sunday was far-reaching. A memo with the McElroy investigation’s findings concludes that several top administrators recognize significant mistakes were made due to a “failure to follow established policies and procedures that govern faculty hiring.”
Interim President Mark Welsh III has also directed the Office for Faculty Affairs to create a task force for recommendations on appropriate protections for faculty in matters of hiring and academic freedom, officials state in the report. And all faculty offer letters will now require a signature of the vice president of faculty affairs to ensure compliance.
A&M’s review uncovered that José Luis Bermúdez, then-interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, commented on McElroy’s race twice but found no other evidence of race or gender as a factor in the hiring process.
“Texas A&M acknowledges that mistakes were made during the hiring process relating to Dr. McElroy,” a statement reads. “The leadership of Texas A&M apologizes to Dr. McElroy for the way her employment application was handled, has learned from its mistakes and will strive to ensure similar mistakes are not repeated in the future.”
The fallout was swift in both cases: Bermúdez and Banks resigned last month in the wake of McElroy’s bungled hiring. Faculty also raised concerns about A&M’s administrative leave policy following news of Alonzo’s investigation, and Welsh pledged more transparency during a Wednesday news conference — saying that he believes the university should establish clear guidelines to handle allegations against professors, the Texas Tribune reported.
The settlement likely closes the door on McElroy’s case — she never filed a lawsuit. She will remain at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is a tenured professor.
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