UT Austin Pysch Professor Fired For “Ideological Differences”

[Therapist4Chnge]

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You know, totally normal stuff happening in academia.

UT Austin professor dismissed from administrative duties for 'ideological differences'

Gov. Greg Abbott said Art Markman was dismissed from his role as senior vice provost for academic affairs for "ideological differences."

www.kut.org

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.

So for any students wondering about academia, maybe not for now?

 

[cara susanna]

Or at least be particular about which state.

 

[Ollie123]

At least retained his faculty appointment (for now). To my knowledge, his entire body of academic work is pretty non-controversial stuff (cognition, decision-making). I'm left wondering what the heck happened.

This is a scary time to be in academia anywhere - I think its going to be another couple years before the impact of this is truly felt (and much depends on what is/is not allowed to happen by the courts RE changes to indirects, etc.).

 

[PsyDr]

At least retained his faculty appointment (for now). To my knowledge, his entire body of academic work is pretty non-controversial stuff (cognition, decision-making). I'm left wondering what the heck happened.

This is a scary time to be in academia anywhere - I think its going to be another couple years before the impact of this is truly felt (and much depends on what is/is not allowed to happen by the courts RE changes to indirects, etc.).

Dude had a twitter account, where he didn’t agree with the administration.

Because free speech and stuff.

 

[jdawg2017]

At least retained his faculty appointment (for now). To my knowledge, his entire body of academic work is pretty non-controversial stuff (cognition, decision-making). I'm left wondering what the heck happened.

This is a scary time to be in academia anywhere - I think its going to be another couple years before the impact of this is truly felt (and much depends on what is/is not allowed to happen by the courts RE changes to indirects, etc.).

The most recent president of Texas A&M, Mark Welsh, was basically fired (resigned before the Greg Abbott cronies came after him) because of a private conversation with a disgruntled student related to a professor talking about children’s literature with LGBT themes. In a private meeting that was recorded he essentially told this student that LGBT+ people exist and that students have the right to learn about that content if they want to be informed educators in Texas (the course I think was for education majors IIRC). He also basically was going to let her have an A for the class without doing any work if she would just calm down, but she decided to go nuclear on social media for her 15 seconds of fame/relevance.

GOP politicians in states like Texas have essentially unchecked power and are enabled to regulate public education by their majorities, which is ironic (or not?) since higher education is inversely correlated with being conservative. People ask me all the time why I took a clinical gig in an AMC as someone with a fairly strong research dossier from grad school and post-doc; this is why. I want to be able to put food on the table for my family without sycophants coming after me for “saying the wrong thing.”

 

[Justanothergrad]

Yeh. Its. Bad.

 

[futureapppsy2]

I was recently interviewed for an article on mental health in the context of this administration and asked not be quoted even though my quote was pretty bland and vaguely both-sides’ing it, because it just wasn’t worth the risk.

 

[Ollie123]

The most recent president of Texas A&M, Mark Welsh, was basically fired (resigned before the Greg Abbott cronies came after him) because of a private conversation with a disgruntled student related to a professor talking about children’s literature with LGBT themes. In a private meeting that was recorded he essentially told this student that LGBT+ people exist and that students have the right to learn about that content if they want to be informed educators in Texas (the course I think was for educator majors IIRC). He also basically was going to let her have an A for the class without doing any work if she would just calm down, but she decided to go nuclear on social media for her 15 seconds of fame/relevance.

GOP politicians in states like Texas have essentially unchecked power and are enabled to regulate public education by their majorities, which is ironic (or not?) since higher education is inversely correlated with being conservative. People ask me all the time why I took a clinical gig in an AMC as someone with a fairly strong research dossier from grad school and post-doc; this is why. I want to be able to put food on the table for my family without sycophants coming after me for “saying the wrong thing.”

I have tenure and don't actually need a license any more, but am considering getting one just as a fallback. I feel like I have literally no idea what things are going to look like ~2-3 years from now. I'm also in a red state and so far have been insulated. None of my research should be targeted, but I have tangential involvement in a few projects that got cut by this admin. Sadly, the one thing I am confident about is that depression & anxiety will still be booming. Little desire to return to clinical practice, but could at least bridge me through a career pivot. Now whether anyone will be able to afford mental health care with sky high unemployment, drastic medicaid cuts, etc. is another matter...

 

[cara susanna]

The most recent president of Texas A&M, Mark Welsh, was basically fired (resigned before the Greg Abbott cronies came after him) because of a private conversation with a disgruntled student related to a professor talking about children’s literature with LGBT themes. In a private meeting that was recorded he essentially told this student that LGBT+ people exist and that students have the right to learn about that content if they want to be informed educators in Texas (the course I think was for educator majors IIRC). He also basically was going to let her have an A for the class without doing any work if she would just calm down, but she decided to go nuclear on social media for her 15 seconds of fame/relevance.

GOP politicians in states like Texas have essentially unchecked power and are enabled to regulate public education by their majorities, which is ironic (or not?) since higher education is inversely correlated with being conservative. People ask me all the time why I took a clinical gig in an AMC as someone with a fairly strong research dossier from grad school and post-doc; this is why. I want to be able to put food on the table for my family without sycophants coming after me for “saying the wrong thing.”

I saw the video and it was just so aggravating. That girl thought she was soooo smart and had this "gotcha!" but she was saying 100% inaccurate information.

I wonder if there's a way for universities to prevent students from taking classes just to film and try to fire the professor. Or at least filming in class.

 

[Justanothergrad]

I saw the video and it was just so aggravating. That girl thought she was soooo smart and had this "gotcha!" but she was saying 100% inaccurate information.

I wonder if there's a way for universities to prevent students from taking classes just to film and try to fire the professor. Or at least filming in class.

I mean. They tell them not to and its against policy. Its not illegal though, 1 party consent state in a public forum like class or even a 1:1 meeting in a public space makes it not private. It also just doesnt matter because once it hits social media, facts dont matter. Or reason.

 

[Mama Bear]

I have tenure and don't actually need a license any more, but am considering getting one just as a fallback. I feel like I have literally no idea what things are going to look like ~2-3 years from now. I'm also in a red state and so far have been insulated. None of my research should be targeted, but I have tangential involvement in a few projects that got cut by this admin. Sadly, the one thing I am confident about is that depression & anxiety will still be booming. Little desire to return to clinical practice, but could at least bridge me through a career pivot. Now whether anyone will be able to afford mental health care with sky high unemployment, drastic medicaid cuts, etc. is another matter...

The license thing. 100%. I’m tenure track and feeling comfy, but I hang onto licenses in two states in case I need to bail.

 

[psych.meout]

I saw the video and it was just so aggravating. That girl thought she was soooo smart and had this "gotcha!" but she was saying 100% inaccurate information.

Yes, that was the point all along, to have a headline-grabbing video that is lacking if you watch it. Amongst those that agree with her who have watched it, they completely agree with her and don't think she's incorrect or will rationalize it in some way (e.g., that these topics should not be allowed to be discussed at any level of education, so it doesn't matter if she's wrong).

As has been pointed out in other articles and discussions, the syllabus was available well before the course began, so the students could see the description and what texts would be used. This would allow a reasonable student to self-select in or out. She disingenuously self-selected in because of the syllabus becasue she wanted the opportunity to make the gotcha video.

I wonder if there's a way for universities to prevent students from taking classes just to film and try to fire the professor. Or at least filming in class.

I don't think that they can prevent it or punish them unless they blanket require students to turn in their phones before class starts and get them back when it's over. Anything else that they try will be twisted into some kind of persecution or discrimination again conservative beliefs.

Just look at the phrasing used in the article:

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.

WTF is "violence against conservative ideas?"

When you consider criticism and derision of ideas to be "violence," there's no reasoning or discussion possible.

 

[WisNeuro]

Yes, that was the point all along, to have a headline-grabbing video that is lacking if you watch it. Amongst those that agree with her who have watched it, they completely agree with her and don't think she's incorrect or will rationalize it in some way (e.g., that these topics should not be allowed to be discussed at any level of education, so it doesn't matter if she's wrong).

As has been pointed out in other articles and discussions, the syllabus was available well before the course began, so the students could see the description and what texts would be used. This would allow a reasonable student to self-select in or out. She disingenuously self-selected in because of the syllabus becasue she wanted the opportunity to make the gotcha video.

I don't think that they can prevent it or punish them unless they blanket require students to turn in their phones before class starts and get them back when it's over. Anything else that they try will be twisted into some kind of persecution or discrimination again conservative beliefs.

Just look at the phrasing used in the article:


WTF is "violence against conservative ideas?"

When you consider criticism and derision of ideas to be "violence," there's no reasoning or discussion possible.

Unfortunately, just the world we live in now. The idea that ideas, words, criticism, discomfort equals violence is not the sole domain of right wing politics. They're just better at using these types of rhetorical cudgels to effect.

 

[Justanothergrad]

Unfortunately, just the world we live in now. The idea that ideas, words, criticism, discomfort equals violence is not the sole domain of right wing politics. They're just better at using these types of rhetorical cudgels to effect.

The rate of violence is not similar. Im not sure the equally guilty thought process is the same here. And especially what is being classified. It is the times. They effective rhetorical argues but this comment misses context to me because of the whataboutism

 

[WisNeuro]

The rate of violence is not similar. Im not sure the equally guilty thought process is the same here. And especially what is being classified. It is the times. They effective rhetorical argues but this comment misses context to me because of the whataboutism

I was referring to the notion that ideas, criticisms, etc that make one uncomfortable are violence, not legitimate violence. This creep has been happening for some time. As for the "whataboutism," I'd disagree there, if you don't care about it in one context because it's people you agree with politically, its disingenuous to get up in arms about the same thing in other, similar contexts.

 

[PsynofTimes]

The rate of violence is not similar. Im not sure the equally guilty thought process is the same here. And especially what is being classified. It is the times. They effective rhetorical argues but this comment misses context to me because of the whataboutism

I recognize that I am an N of 1, but my graduate program was extremely limiting on what ideas were allowed to be discussed and what ideas were not. The atmosphere was poisonous to say the least. It wasn't "official" but it was a powerful deterrent to open discussion. My view is that civility and decorum in debate are important, and that should have been a ground rule from the start.

Also, I was considering an academic position as I work to leave the VA. Seems like every avenue is not a good one right now.