The University of Houston has canceled a required graduate-level course titled “Confronting Oppression and Injustice,” citing upcoming curriculum changes, according to Inside Higher Education. The decision was announced on Oct. 10, despite faculty opposition and has drawn national attention from academic freedom groups and faculty associations.
The course was required for students in the Master of Social Work program at UH’s Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW). The classwork focused on systemic oppression, intersectional justice, and power structures. The syllabus incorporated topics such as critical race theory, intersectionality, classism, gender, and anti-oppressive practice.
Alan Dettlaff, a professor of social work, was scheduled to teach the course and was suddenly informed “without discussion or faculty vote,” according to his LinkedIn post.
Students received an email on Oct. 10 from student affairs officials stating that the course will not be offered due to upcoming changes in the degree plan. No explanations were given for the changes underway, and UH spokespeople declined to comment further, according to Insider Higher Ed.
The Texas Senate Bill 37, signed by Governor Greg Abbott, required all Texas public universities to review general education curricula every five years to ensure alignment with state standards. The implementation deadline was set on Sept. 1, 2025, and curriculum standards by Jan. 1, 2026. Critics, including PEN America, a nonprofit organization that advocates for free expression, argue that SB 37 will impose political control over university curricula and reduce faculty autonomy. In tandem with earlier initiatives, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 17, which bans diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and requirements at public universities. Together, the new laws have led universities, including the University of Houston System, to reexamine DEI statements, hiring practices, and course content.
The responses and reactions from different stakeholders vary, with PEN America calling the move “government censorship plain and simple,” and UH’s AAUP chapter remarking that the cancellation reflects “intense political pressure” and warning that it could lead to censorship of ideas and viewpoints. As of now, the University of Houston has not issued an official statement sharing its collective reasoning.
Faculty and academic groups continue to call for transparency and shared governance in curricular decisions.
