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TENURE REFORM IN TEXAS: ANALYZING THE IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS OF SENATE BILL 18

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COLLEGE STATION, TX (November 26, 2025) – A new issue of the Mosbacher White Paper series examines Texas Senate Bill 18 (SB 18), the legislation that formally codifies academic tenure into state law while introducing strengthened performance evaluations and accountability measures for tenured faculty. In Project Tenure: An Analysis of Texas Senate Bill 18, author Payel Nasrin evaluates the bill’s implications for academic freedom, faculty recruitment, and institutional governance, and assesses whether similar reforms may emerge in other states. The paper highlights both the potential benefits of clearer tenure guidelines and regular reviews, as well as concerns about political influence, faculty workload, and long-term research.

Mosbacher Institute White Papers are publications of the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy at the Bush School at Texas A&M University.