Kamal Ghorui
Texas officials have launched a new online portal designed to make it easier for students, staff and the public to report alleged legal violations at public colleges, including breaches of state bans on DEI activity and limits placed on faculty senates.The platform, known as Students First, sits within the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s newly created Office of the Ombudsman and allows complaints to be filed directly with the state, bypassing internal college processes, according to information published by Higher Ed Dive.A new route for complaintsThe Students First portal provides what the board described as “easy access to file complaints and provide feedback” about higher education institutions, a statement highlighted by Higher Ed Dive. College students and employees may submit formal complaints without first approaching their institution, while members of the public may submit informal feedback.Texas officials are encouraging use of the portal to flag potential violations of two major state laws governing higher education: Senate Bill 17 and Senate Bill 37. Both laws reshaped the oversight and governance of public colleges and universities across the state.Laws underpinning the portalSB 17, passed in 2023, prohibited public colleges from operating diversity offices or employing staff to carry out DEI-focused work. It also banned mandatory DEI training for students and employees. Higher Ed Dive noted that the law effectively eliminated DEI programmes at Texas public institutions, placing the state among the first to enact such restrictions.SB 37, passed in 2025, focused on academic governance. The legislation stripped faculty senates of significant authority and shifted power to boards of regents, whose members are appointed by the governor. The same law established the Office of the Ombudsman within the coordinating board.Republican state senator Brandon Creighton, who authored both bills, said the legislation aimed to reaffirm that authority over public colleges rests with regents rather than faculty, a position he articulated in remarks referenced by Higher Ed Dive.Oversight process and leadershipEarlier this month, Republican governor Greg Abbott appointed Brandon Simmons, chair of the Texas Southern University Board of Regents, to lead the ombudsman office. Simmons said he aimed to build a “collaborative, productive partnership with our institutional leaders and students” through the new portal and campus engagement, a comment quoted by Higher Ed Dive.If the office opens an investigation, it must notify the institution within five days. Colleges then have 175 days to respond, with possible extensions, and 30 days to answer additional written requests. Institutions found out of compliance have 180 days to resolve issues or face a formal report to the state auditor.Political backdrop and oppositionThe launch follows intensified scrutiny of higher education in Texas. Abbott previously said the state was “targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation”, a remark cited by Higher Ed Dive. Faculty groups and higher education advocates opposed SB 37, warning of threats to academic freedom and increased political influence on campuses.
