Campus Freedom Initiative™
Free expression is the necessary precondition for the unfettered search for truth on the college campus.
Texas A&M University
An ACTA Report Card on Free Expression
ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ (CFI) has evaluated universities in several states against our Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™, a 20-point action plan for reestablishing higher education’s commitment to excellence and open inquiry. Below we present the Texas A&M University Gold Standard evaluation. Texas A&M University receives credit for six out of twenty Gold Standard measures. Our research highlights Texas A&M University strengths in protecting free expression and identifies areas it must work on to improve the student experience. Explore the full Texas A&M University Gold Standard evaluation to learn more.
ACTA Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™| COMMIT TO A CULTURE OF FREE EXPRESSION | Texas A&M |
|---|---|
| Adopt the Chicago Principles on Freedom of Expression or a similarly strong statement. | No evidence of Texas A&M University adopting the Chicago Principles or a similar statement could be found. |
| Establish clear expectations regarding free expression in student and faculty handbooks and codes of conduct. | Recent revisions to policies 08.01 and 12.01 contain elements likely to chill free expression for faculty. |
| Include a free expression unit in new-student orientations. | No materials showing Texas A&M University meets this measure could be found. Requests to university officials for such materials remain unanswered. |
| Protect the diversity of political viewpoints by adopting an institutional neutrality policy such as the Kalven Report. | No evidence of Texas A&M University adopting an institutional neutrality policy could be found. |
| FOSTER CIVIL DISCOURSE | Texas A&M |
| Sponsor campus debates that model civil discourse. | |
| Promote free expression by encouraging the establishment of student groups devoted to free expression, civil discourse, or representing a plurality of perspectives. | |
| Establish policies that protect free expression rights on campus and set clear consequences for disruption of sponsored speakers, events, and classes. | |
| Enforce policies that protect free expression rights on campus and apply clear consequences for disruption of sponsored speakers, events, and classes. | Evidence indicates that Texas A&M University failed to enforce its free expression policies for a student-run event in February 2025. |
| Cultivate Intellectual Diversity | Texas A&M |
| Encourage presidents, provosts, and deans to model respect for a broad range of viewpoints. | Evidence that Texas A&M University meets this measure is insufficient. |
| Guarantee that viewpoint diversity is reflected in student life policies and practices. | Student Rules 26 and 27 lack guarantees for free expression, which could undermine viewpoint diversity. |
| Support academic centers dedicated to free inquiry and intellectual diversity. | No materials showing that Texas A&M University meets this measure could be found. |
| Ensure faculty hiring, evaluation, and promotion processes are based on merit and make clear that the institution is open to intellectual diversity. | Texas A&M University has banned the use of diversity statements in faculty hiring, but its job postings do not make it clear that the institution is open to intellectual diversity. |
| Break Down Barriers to Free Expression | Texas A&M |
| Eliminate speech and IT policies that have a chilling effect on free expression. | However, Texas A&M University complies with Texas Senate Bill 12, which may be ruled unconstitutional for having a chilling effect on free expression. |
| Ensure that enforcement of Title VI, Title VII, and Title IX does not infringe on free expression. | |
| Disband bias response teams. | Texas A&M University’s “Tell Somebody “report form allows students to report incidents of hate or bias. |
| Review student government policies to ensure viewpoint neutrality in student group recognition and funding. | |
| Advance Leadership Accountability | Texas A&M |
| Include commitments to free expression in mission statements, values statements, strategic plans, and other key institutional documents. | Evidence that Texas A&M University meets this measure is insufficient. |
| Include a commitment to free expression as a criterion in searches and evaluations for presidents, provosts, and deans. | A presidential search profile we reviewed did not contain commitments to free expression. |
| Require free expression and viewpoint diversity training for administrative staff. | No materials showing Texas A&M University meets this measure could be found. Requests to university officials for such materials remain unanswered. |
| Conduct regular surveys or other quantitative studies of students and faculty to assess the state of free expression and intellectual diversity on campus. | No materials showing Texas A&M University meets this measure could be found. Requests to university officials for such materials remain unanswered. |
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