UT Austin graduate here. Nowhere in this article does the word "censorship" appear. But that is the only way to describe this new policy. In recent years, UT Austin has suppressed peaceful protests and demonstrations on campus concerning the war in Gaza. Now the university is censoring "unnecessary controversial subjects," and although the new rule does not define what qualifies as “controversial,” it should be obvious to everyone what is prohibited.

Ironically, the state of Texas in 2019 enacted a law aimed at protecting free speech on public university campuses, a measure that was ostensibly intended to reinforce the First Amendment rights of students and faculty. The law designated common outdoor areas as traditional public forums and required policies for disciplining those who interfere with free speech. Back then, conservative legislators were trying to ensure that so-called "woke" or "politically correct" instructors and administrators did not suppress the articulation of conservative opinions.

It is time to change the school motto for UT Austin from "Disciplina Praesidium Civitatis" to something more appropriate for the institution: "All Students and Faculty Are Equal, but Some Students and Faculty Are More Equal Than Others."