500+ faculty members sign letter of no confidence against UT president over protests, DEI

More than 500 University of Texas faculty members have signed a letter of no confidence against President Jay Hartzell after the school's police response to a peaceful pro-Palestinian protest on campus Wednesday and the April 2 termination of 49 staff members in former diversity, equity and inclusion positions.

"The President has shown himself to be unresponsive to urgent faculty, staff, and student concerns. He has violated our trust," the letter said. "The University is no longer a safe and welcoming place for the diverse community of students and scholars who until now have called this campus home."

There were more than 3,200 teaching faculty members as of the fall 2022 semester, according to the university's website, meaning about 16% of UT faculty members have signed a declaration of no confidence in Hartzell.

The idea for the letter, authored and circulated by the UT chapter of the American Association of University Professors, came as police were still on campus Wednesday — when the Palestine Solidarity Committee, a registered student group, held a rally — said Pauline Strong, president of the chapter.

"We are pleased with the number of signatures. It's an action that many faculty perceive as possibly risky," Strong told the American-Statesman in an interview. "Students, staff and faculty love the University of Texas, and the critiques that we are mentioning stem from our desire for the university to prosper."

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More than 160 faculty members have also signed a letter specifically condemning UT for the police response to the protest, accusing the university of violating demonstrators' First Amendment rights.

Hundreds of people marched at UT in a peaceful protest Wednesday to demand that the university divest from Israeli weapons manufacturers and to call for a cease-fire in Gaza, in solidarity with other protesters holding similar events at universities across the country. Protesters at UT were met Wednesday with an immediate, significant police response, including Department of Public Safety officers in riot gear. The officers broke up the protest and threatened to make arrests about 40 minutes after its start.

Police — sent in by both Hartzell and Gov. Greg Abbott — remained on campus, indiscriminately arresting people from the crowd, for more than five hours after the first arrest. In total, 57 people were arrested Wednesday and charged with criminal trespassing. All charges were dropped by the end of the week.

The faculty's letter of no confidence also cited the April 2 terminations of dozens of former DEI staff members.

"The firings came as a complete surprise and contradicted what we were led to believe" about compliance with Senate Bill 17, Strong said, adding that some of the people who were fired had worked there for a decade.

AAUP members began collecting signatures at a rally Thursday held by UT faculty members in support of those who were arrested and the Palestine Solidarity Committee.

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"We demand that the University, beginning now, respect the First Amendment free speech rights of students and faculty on our campus," the letter said. "This is a time for the University to establish its reputation as an institution that respects free speech, academic freedom, shared governance, due process, and its own students and faculty."

For several days since Wednesday, pro-Palestinian students and supporters have peacefully gathered on the UT South Mall for a series of teach-ins and community gatherings. PSC members said this was the plan Wednesday as well ― to gather peacefully on the South Mall and lead educational events.

PSC, for which UT issued an interim suspension Thursday after the protests, has also demanded Hartzell's resignation as well as full amnesty for students who were arrested and for itself.

"We demand full accountability for the abuse of power conducted by UT police and ordered by the UT administration," Ammer Qaddumi, the first person arrested Wednesday and a member of PSC, said at a news conference at the Capitol on Monday morning.

UT Austin Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine held a rally Thursday and also stated its lack of confidence in the president.

Strong said an official vote of no confidence can only be called by the Faculty Council.

"Academic freedom includes the right to protest when we think that the leadership is taking the university in the wrong direction," Strong said.

UT did not respond to Statesman requests for comment about the letter.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: More than 500 faculty sign letter of no confidence in UT president