Texas’ new public-university watchdog has already logged 73 complaints and opened two investigations, putting a new enforcement arm at the center of a widening fight over campus governance, DEI rules and who gets to police public colleges. For students, faculty and staff, however, the office is not a catch-all complaint desk for every campus frustration.
Brandon Simmons, the office’s first ombudsman, told lawmakers at a Texas Senate higher-education hearing last Tuesday that his team had received 73 complaints since launching in January and opened two investigations. About 20% of the complaints involved classroom instruction, according to The Dallas Morning News, even though classroom content generally falls outside the office’s investigative authority.
What Texas’ New Higher-Education Watchdog Does
The Office of the Ombudsman operates inside the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and is meant to act as an intermediary among universities, the Legislature and the public. The coordinating board says the office accepts statutory complaints involving Senate Bill 17, Texas’ ban on public-campus DEI offices and programs, and Senate Bill 37, the broader law increasing state oversight of higher education, as outlined in an official agency announcement.
Under SB 37, a qualifying complaint must come from a student, faculty member or staff member at a covered institution. The complainant must provide a name and contact information, identify the specific statute allegedly violated, and include relevant facts, dates, people involved and supporting evidence, according to the enrolled law.
The laws under review touch several areas of university operations, including governing-board review of general-education curriculum, the structure and authority of faculty senates, institutional decision-making and compliance with the state’s DEI restrictions. Simmons can also review allegations involving the authority of university presidents and certain hiring, grievance and discipline procedures.
What The Office Cannot Investigate
That legal scope leaves plenty of complaints outside the office’s lane. General feedback from members of the public can be submitted, but it does not automatically trigger an investigation, and complaints focused only on classroom instruction are generally excluded, as The Dallas Morning News reported.
The office also is not a substitute for every existing university grievance process. Questions about grades, exams, housing, dining, student activities, criminal matters or issues already in litigation may be rejected or referred elsewhere, depending on the circumstances.
The Potential Penalty Is Bigger Than A Campus Scolding
SB 37 gives the ombudsman tools that go beyond collecting complaints. If a complaint is deemed credible, the office may require a university to cooperate and provide information, and the law says institutions generally must respond to an information request within 30 days.
If a university does not resolve alleged noncompliance after the office issues its investigative report, the ombudsman may recommend that lawmakers block the institution from spending state-appropriated money until its governing board certifies compliance and the state auditor confirms it. That recommendation comes only after the statutory review process, but it gives the new office a significant financial lever over public campuses.
Supporters See Accountability Critics See Risk
Republican leaders who backed the office say it will hold taxpayer-funded universities accountable and address what they view as liberal bias in higher education. Faculty advocates have warned that the system offers too little due-process protection and could be used to pressure professors or administrators, a concern noted by The Texas Tribune when Abbott appointed Simmons last year.
The early numbers also show why the office’s procedures will matter. Simmons has said the office is still not well known and that some students and employees may fear retaliation, while roughly one-fifth of the complaints received so far have involved matters the office generally cannot investigate.
How To File A Complaint
The state’s Students First portal separates three options: a statutory complaint to the ombudsman, a standard student complaint through the coordinating board, and general feedback about a public institution. A statutory complaint should identify the alleged law violation and include documentation rather than relying on a vague accusation or an anonymous submission.
For ordinary student complaints, the coordinating board says a person generally must first complete the university’s own grievance process and provide evidence that the process was exhausted. The board also warns that it does not provide legal advice or act as a student’s attorney, according to its student complaint guidance.
