UNT cites Texas DEI ban to deny funding 11 professors’ memberships to professional groups

The University of North Texas has denied 11 professors funding for memberships to professional organizations it says violate the state’s DEI ban — a move some faculty members describe as unjustified and warn could undercut their career development. 

Professors generally join national associations tied to their academic discipline to network with peers and elevate their scholarly reputation. Some of the funding requests UNT denied include a group for journalism educators and a society of clinical psychologists. 

UNT’s chief compliance officer Clay Simmons described the groups as expecting members to engage in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts based on their mission statements, codes of ethics and awards and scholarships, according to emails between Simmons and professors obtained by The Dallas Morning News.

He cited Texas’ 2024 state law that bans public universities from having DEI offices on campuses or contracting with third parties to operate them. 

Related: Texas colleges risk millions if they break DEI ban, lawmaker says

“This expectation of members is a duty of a DEI office as described in the statute, runs counter to state law and is not permitted in university programs,” Simmons wrote. “Therefore, the university may not enter into a contract … via purchasing a membership for faculty in that organization.” 

Representatives from UNT did not make Simmons available for an interview. 

Some professors believe the law does not require UNT to deny the funding requests. They say the mission of professional organizations do not mirror those of DEI offices. 

Related: Lawmakers call SB 37 a success. Students, professors warn of censorship

“UNT seems to be overcomplying in the way they interpret the law,” said Samuel Spencer, an assistant professor of psychology whose funding request for the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology was denied. “To have any chance of using UNT funds to pay for membership in any professional society within psychology just seems bleak. It seems like that avenue for furthering our professional development is going to be completely cut off.” 

The funding denials come as university leaders across Texas are moving to limit programs and courses related to race, gender and sexuality. Some UNT professors say the denials represent the scrutiny extending beyond the classroom and into other aspects of professors’ work. 

Representatives from UNT refuted allegations the university is stifling career development, noting the school has approved professors’ funding requests for travel, lodging and conference registration fees to “present research, scholarly activity or creative works.” 

“UNT takes seriously its commitment to ensuring our faculty maintain professional competence in their fields while complying with federal and state law,” spokesperson Devynn Case said in a statement. 

Related: UNT professors slam program cuts, demand more cost savings data

Faculty members are allowed to pay for their memberships, some of which cost several hundred dollars, using personal funds, according to Simmons’ emails. 

The university typically funds professors’ memberships to professional associations to further their training, according to UNT’s policies. Some faculty say their requests never received such scrutiny in prior years. 

Tracy Everbach, a journalism professor, has been a member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication since graduate school. The affiliation, she said, has helped her land book deals, present research at conferences and find co-authors for papers. 

Since she started at UNT in 2004, the university has paid for her membership every year. When her request was denied in June, she was bewildered. 

“You’re saying that this organization violates the law. I’m not trying to violate the law,” she said. “I’m just trying to go to a conference and present my research.” 

In a July email to Everbach, Simmons said the education group’s code of ethics calls on members to “work to ensure that racial, gender and cultural inclusiveness are included in curricula” and “considered during hiring decisions.” 

This “expectation of members,” he said, “runs counter to state law.” 

Everbach disagrees with Simmons’ explanation. She said leaders of the education group have described the code of ethics as voluntary. 

Representatives from the education group did not respond to multiple requests for comment. 

“This is not a so-called DEI organization. … There’s some people who look at race and gender and sexuality. But there’s people who look at technology and health and management,” Everbach said. “There’s so many different kinds of research. It’s not the main thrust at all.” 

In a July 21 letter to UNT President Harrison Keller, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression urged him to fund Everbach’s membership, arguing that UNT has “incorrectly applied” the law. 

The free speech group wrote that UNT funding Everbach’s membership with the education group cannot be viewed as a “contract” with a third party to perform DEI efforts because “members have no obligation to perform such duties.” 

“It’s not asking professors to go onto their campuses and be some kind of DEI officer,” said Marie McMullan, student press counsel for FIRE. “It’s giving professors this prestigious opportunity to share their scholarship among peers in the community.” 

Spencer, the psychology professor, hoped to use university funds to join the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology to boost his scholarly reputation. 

As a young professor, Spencer is working toward earning tenure, a status for faculty that ensures job protection and the freedom to conduct research without fear of censorship. Faculty are considered for the distinction based on their teaching and research, as well as their accomplishments, such as the number of invited talks at conferences and published research papers. 

Joining professional organizations to connect with scholars can make achieving those goals easier, Spencer said. 

Simmons denied Spencer’s request in June, saying the organization promotes policies or conducts activities “in reference to race, color or ethnicity.” He did not reference specific activities or policies in his email. 

In a statement to the News, Case, the UNT spokesperson, pointed to the group’s awards for members who make significant DEI contributions in their career, which give preference to “candidates who are part of an underrepresented and minority group.” 

“Both the AEJMC and the SSCP represent that they expect their members to engage in actions that are inconsistent with SB 17,” Case said. 

Spencer said UNT officials’ interpretation of the groups’ activities mischaracterizes membership in a professional association. 

“These memberships don’t compel the members to do anything they don’t choose to do,” he said. “It’s a loose affiliation which gets you access to resources on their website, discounted registration for conferences, listservs to connect with colleagues.”

He added that he was “under no obligation to engage with any of those diversity materials.” 

Spencer isn’t sure whether he can afford to pay for a $140 three-year membership to the organization.  

He’s making room in his budget for other costs. When it comes time to renew his existing $500 membership to two other groups this fall, he fears UNT might deny those too. 

The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas. 

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Judy and Jim Gibbs, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Ron Steinhart, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks, and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.