(Texas Scorecard) – A series of course syllabi at Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government & Public Service contain diversity, equity, and inclusion statements, despite efforts by state lawmakers to eradicate the practice.
An investigation by Texas Scorecard has uncovered at least 12 courses with syllabi that contain these sorts of statements. Of these, seven were part of the Bush School’s Washington, D.C. program, while five were taught in College Station.
All courses were taught in Fall of 2024 or later. The state law prohibiting DEI in hiring practices, admissions, and training took effect in January of that year.
For example, the syllabus for “POLS 213: Intro to World Politics” contained the following “Diversity, equity and inclusion statement”:
The Department of International Affairs is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environment for all students, staff, and faculty. We welcome individuals of all ages, backgrounds, citizenships, disabilities, ethnicities, family statuses, genders, gender identities, geographical locations, languages, military experiences, political views, races, religions, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, and/or work experiences see, http://diversity.tamu.edu/.
The statement went on to “recognize a special responsibility to undertake particular efforts to include the participation and voices of those from historically underrepresented groups.”
While the statement acknowledged that “diversity alone is not the only goal,” it emphasized that “embracing and supporting new perspectives, individuals, and ideas invigorates academic excellence and pushes our entire community forward.”
“As a department of international affairs, within a university dedicated to the public good, a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is critical for preparing and ensuring the success of the next generation of leaders,” concluded the statement.
All of the course syllabi in question use similar, though not necessarily identical, language.
Texas Scorecard found related material in the course syllabi for the following classes:
- POLS 200: Foundations of Political Science (College Station)
- POLS 206: American National Government (CS)
- POLS 207: State and Local Politics (CS)
- POLS 309: Polymetrics (CS)
- INTA 605: American Foreign Policy (Washington, D.C.)
- INTA 608: Global Economy (DC)
- INTA 623: Grand Strategy (DC)
- INTA 689: Disinformation and Information Warfare: From World War I to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
- INTA 689: Energy, Climate, and National Security (DC)
- INTA 689: National Security: Policy to Program (DC)
- INTA 689: “Private Sector Intelligence and Insider Risk: The Last Pieces of the Puzzle” (DC)
This list is not comprehensive.
The Bush School’s usage of this language follows several years of discussion about the role of DEI materials in state-subsidized higher education.
In 2023, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 17, which banned many types of DEI initiatives in higher education. However, this measure contained an exemption for “academic course instruction.” Course syllabi likely fall under this exemption.
Texas A&M did not reply to requests for comment before publication.