Texans can now report public universities to the state over legal violationsPublic universities found in violation of state laws could lose state funding until compliance is certified.By Lily Kepner,Staff WriterJan 9, 2026 Members of the public can now submit complaints against public universities and colleges to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s new Office of Ombudsman, according to a new website launched by the agency Friday. The website, “Students First,” allows anyone to submit a complaint through a portal, with separate sections for feedback and student complaints. The coordinating board said Brandon Simmons, former Chairman of the Texas Southern University Board of Regents and leader of the office, has already begun meeting with university leaders and chancellors. The creation of the new oversight office was authorized through Senate Bill 37, a law that took effect Jan. 1. It comes after a fall during which conservative lawmakers and activists attempted vigilante enforcement online to rid gender ideology from public universities. New policies now restrict how race and gender can be taught at Texas A&M University System and Texas Tech University System. Professors lost their jobs this September after videos went viral online: one showed a professor speaking at a revolutionary socialism conference, and the other showed a children’s literature professor talking about gender identity in her course. The new statewide office serves “as an intermediary between the legislature and the public and institutions of higher education,” the website states, with the purpose of investigating complaints regarding violations of Senate Bill 37’s provisions on faculty governance, curriculum, grievances, hiring and decision-making authority provisions, and the 2023 law Senate Bill 17, which banned diversity, equity and inclusion offices and practices. Per Senate Bill 37, the office has five days to notify the institution named in a complaint, and the institution has 175 days to respond. The office has the power to recommend the Legislature withhold funding from the institution if it is found to be in violation of state law — until compliance is certified. Each year, the governor, lieutenant governor, state auditor and higher education chairs of the Texas House and Senate will receive a report on the complaints and findings. Those who willingly submit a false report may be subject to fees associated with the investigation, the law states. The announcement did not discuss guidance for course or degree audits, which are also mandated through the law. That process is left up to each university system. The law also restricts faculty influence in university decision-making while expanding the power of politically appointed regents to regulate degrees, core curriculum and hiring of leaders. Sen. Brandon Creighton, Senate Bill 37's author, said his legislation restores the balance of power at universities and holds them more accountable to the public. Faculty who advocated against the law say it replaces subject matter expertise with political influence. The Texas Tech University System, which Creighton now leads, banned courses that advocate for race or gender “ideology” or contain LGBTQ content. Multiple university systems have already launched audits into courses for gender identity following conservative criticism of “gender indoctrination” at universities. No law bans teaching in those subjects. Simmons said he looks forward to engaging more with university leaders and the public to ensure universities remain excellent. “Through a user-friendly website and engagement on campuses across Texas, I look forward to a collaborative, productive partnership with our institutional leaders and students,” said Simmons in a statement. “Texas leads the nation with top-ranked, rapidly ascending universities, and our office is here to support these great institutions in serving the next generation of Texas students.” Jan 9, 2026