Over 650 UT faculty sign no-confidence letter against President Hartzell

[Della]

"Over 650 faculty members at the University of Texas at Austin have signed a letter saying they "no longer have confidence" in UT Austin President Jay Hartzell following a series of major events on campus.

Formed by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) at UT Austin, the letter was sent to Hartzell's office on Monday, April 29, with 539 signatures but has garnered 657 from teaching faculty as of Friday, May 3. The letter began circulating April 25, a day after nearly 60 arrests were made on campus during a pro-Palestine walk-out organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC).

It addresses two main concerns, Hartzell's decision to deploy state troopers in riot gear to disperse protestors and the university cutting nearly 60 jobs due to Senate Bill 17."

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"We demand that the University, beginning now, respect the first Amendment free speech rights of students and faculty on our campus," faculty said. "This is a time for the University to re-establish its reputation as an institution that respects free speech, academic freedom, shared governance, due process, and its own students and faculty."

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