Dear UT Faculty and Staff,

I am pleased to announce a new initiative, inspired by conversations with faculty, that reaffirms our commitment to the enduring values of academic freedom and responsibility, and our shared calling to present our students with intellectually honest discussions of broad and varied perspectives in the classroom. Today, we are establishing a Faculty Working Group on Academic Integrity at The University of Texas at Austin.

The group’s charge is to develop a statement on academic integrity that affirms both the importance of academic freedom and its responsible exercise in teaching at UT.

We all recognize that higher education in general is under scrutiny. Some question whether our University has strayed from our duty to steward curiosity, open inquiry, and productive debate, while others worry that we have narrowed or even excluded opportunities for dialogue or dissent. This is not the Texas way.

We must define our character, or it will be defined by others. And how we live out that character in our classrooms will reveal our commitment. As the flagship university of our state and one of the world’s greatest universities, UT holds a critical position of public trust. That trust can be earned and sustained through a renewed commitment to academic integrity.

To guide this effort, I have invited a select group of faculty leaders, representing a broad range of academic units, to serve on the Working Group:

  • Scott Aaronson (College of Natural Sciences)
  • Keffrelyn Brown (College of Education)
  • Noël Busch-Armendariz (School of Social Work)
  • Courtney Byrd (Moody College of Communication)
  • Steve Collis (School of Law)
  • Michael Drew (College of Natural Sciences)
  • Janet Dukerich (McCombs School of Business)
  • Zach Elkins (College of Liberal Arts)
  • Patricio Fernandez (College of Liberal Arts and School of Civic Leadership)
  • Sheena Greitens (LBJ School of Public Affairs)
  • David Leal (College of Liberal Arts)
  • Cristine Legare (College of Liberal Arts)
  • David Mohrig (Jackson School of Geosciences)
  • Mary Neuburger (College of Liberal Arts)
  • Richard Reddick (College of Education)
  • Mark Regnerus (College of Liberal Arts)
  • Ryan Russell (Cockrell School of Engineering)
  • Mukul Sharma (Cockrell School of Engineering)
  • Sheridan Titman (McCombs School of Business)
  • Karen Willcox (Cockrell School of Engineering)
  • Cara Young (School of Nursing)

The Working Group will be chaired by Provost William Inboden.

I want to express my gratitude to the members of this Working Group for offering their time and expertise to this important initiative. The future of our University is incredibly bright, and the establishment of our statement on academic integrity will serve our academic mission well for years to come.

Sincerely,

Jim Davis
President