Dear UT Community,

As the semester comes to a close, I write to update you on Senate Bill 17 (SB 17) implementation. As many of you know, this is the law that provides new parameters regarding diversity, equity and inclusion activities at Texas public universities. As with all new laws, I fully expect that there will be divided opinions on our campus about both the law itself and its eventual impacts on our University. But it is the law, and with compassion and respect for all of our community members, we will comply. I am confident that through our collective talents, effort and leadership, we will focus on permissible ways to effectively support our students, faculty and staff members’ continued success and sense of belonging.

In the months since its passage, many people across our University have been working to understand the implications of the new law and to ultimately implement it and ensure that we comply. The UT System (UTS) has also been working to develop the policy that will guide all System institutions on how to implement SB 17, and that policy was adopted as UTS 197 by the Board of Regents at its most recent meeting. I greatly appreciate all the time, effort and care of everyone assisting in these processes, as well as the collective patience our campus community has shown as we have awaited the details we needed for the full transition. Although the law reads as simple, the affected operations across the entire UT System are complex, and it has required a big effort to get to the point where we stand today.

It is important to remember that even while we are complying with the new law and policy, many things will not change — including our commitment to attracting, supporting and retaining exceptional talent across diverse backgrounds and perspectives, celebrating the collective strength of our community, and fostering a sense of belonging for all Longhorns. In addition, many activities core to our mission as a top reasearch university are not subject to SB 17’s prohibitions, most notably the topics we teach in academic courses, and our research and creative work. Other areas that are unchanged include our ability to attract guest speakers and performers, outreach to increase the prospective-student pipeline, and the provision of health care to patients.

We will also continue celebrating and participating in state, federal and other widely recognized history events such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Juneteenth, Pride Month and Hispanic Heritage Month, among others. And we will continue to celebrate and recognize community members throughout the year who are making an impact on our campus, in the community, and around the world.

As this work continues across our colleges, schools and units, leaders will communicate as necessary about specific changes within their units. I will follow up with campus in January after the law is in place and will update you then about our changes and outlook. Our institution will also cooperate with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to share data and information as they prepare legislative reports regarding the impacts of SB 17.

Once again, thank you to everyone participating in this process. And thank you to every member of our Longhorn community for the important contributions you make in our steadfast pursuit to be the highest-impact public research university in the world.