UT Austin will no longer require students to complete “Flag” courses — including a class on U.S. cultural diversity — to graduate. The move follows efforts by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) to rein in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at public universities across Texas.
The University of Texas at Austin has eliminated its contentious “Flag” course requirement, which included the compulsory class on cultural diversity in the United States. This decision comes in response to increasing pressure from state officials, notably Sen. Brandon Creighton of Conroe, who has been instrumental in Texas’ efforts to restrict DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives in higher education.
UT Austin Provost David Bout has announced that students will no longer be required to complete any Flag courses for graduation, a decision that affects thousands of undergraduates. Flag courses were initially created to enhance skills in ethics, critical thinking, and social responsibility, featuring one course that examines explicitly race, privilege, and marginalization within American society.
The removal occurs as lawmakers, spearheaded by Creighton, persist in examining public universities for what they characterize as integrating political ideology into academic programs.
Creighton wrote Senate Bill 17, which was passed in the most recent legislative session and prohibits DEI offices at all public universities in Texas. In February, Creighton and fellow Senator Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) voiced their frustration, claiming universities avoided the law by renaming or rebranding DEI-related offices. The state has decided to halt funding increases for all public institutions until there is complete transparency and adherence to regulations.
“We enacted SB 17 to guarantee that public funds are not utilized to advance political agendas masquerading as diversity initiatives,” Creighton stated. “Universities ought to prioritize academic excellence over activism.”
The pressure reflects a broader transformation occurring across campuses in Texas. During hearings with the House Higher Education Committee, officials from the UT System, including Archie Wilson, faced challenges in pinpointing the specific programs that had been discontinued under SB 17, leading to increased scrutiny from lawmakers.
At the same time, Rep. Andy Hopper (R-Decatur) has introduced an amendment to the state budget aimed at eliminating funding for UT Austin, specifically targeting LGBTQ+ studies and other DEI-related programs, expressing concerns regarding curriculum content that he believes does not conform to “biological reality.”
Although the university claims it is working to modernize and simplify the graduation process, critics perceive this change as part of a broader effort to reverse inclusive education.
Nonetheless, the decision might resonate positively with constituents in more conservative regions, such as Conroe, where worries regarding DEI have increasingly taken center stage in discussions about education and taxpayer accountability.
Amid ongoing discussions, UT Austin asserts that its core curriculum is preserved, allowing individual colleges within the university greater freedom to tailor course offerings that correspond with their unique fields and objectives.
