Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed Sunday that UT Austin professor Art Markman has been dismissed from his administrative role as senior vice provost for academic affairs because of "ideological differences."
Markman shared the news of his dismissal in a social media post Wednesday. He has worked for UT Austin for 27 years as a psychology professor and had been part of UT Austin's provost's office since 2021. He is also the co-host of the Two Guys on Your Head podcast which airs on KUT News.
Gov. Abbott said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that "Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation."
The move comes after Texas State professor Tom Alter was fired for talking at an online socialist conference. Texas A&M professor Melissa McCoul's employment was also terminated earlier this year after a video of her discussing gender identities with a student went viral.
Markman's dismissal from his administrative role is also happening after UT Austin was among nine universities asked by the White House to sign a compact in exchange for an advantage in accessing federal funds. The compact asks universities to revise governance structures to create an environment where there is no violence against conservative ideas, among other requests. UT System officials said they were "enthusiastically" reviewing the compact.
Students and faculty at UT Austin have also expressed concerns over academic freedom after the UT system announced an audit on courses related to gender studies. Students in Austin and Dallas have filed a lawsuit against the UT System to prevent the enforcement of a new state law that they argue restricts their constitutional right to free speech on campus.
Markman confirmed with KUT he is still a faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts. He told KUT he's focusing on gratitude throughout this process and would rather not "get caught up in these political discussions." A UT Austin spokesperson said the university doesn't comment on personnel matters.
Juan M Dominguez, another professor in the Psychology Department, was named interim senior vice provost for academic affairs.
Disclaimer: Markman is co-host of the podcast Two Guys on Your Head which airs on KUT News. He is not an employee of the news organization.
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