Texas A&M University president resigns amid turmoil following the release of a classroom video.
Texas A&M University's president, Mark A. Welsh III, has announced his resignation, effective this Friday. The resignation comes just over a week after Welsh directed the campus provost to fire Melissa McCoul, a senior lecturer in the English department.
The decision follows a video showing a student objecting to a children's literature lesson about gender, leading to McCoul's firing. However, McCoul's attorney, Amanda Reichek, has pushed back on Welsh's claims that McCoul's course content did not align with the standard curriculum. According to Reichek, McCoul's course content was entirely consistent with the catalog and course description.
The controversy surrounding McCoul's firing has been a subject of criticism from faculty and writers' groups. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had blasted Welsh and his handling of the instructor.
The resignation was announced by Texas A&M University System Chancellor Glenn Hegar, who described Welsh as working tirelessly and selflessly during his presidential tenure, which started in 2023. Hegar ordered an audit of courses at all 12 schools in the system following the controversy.
Texas A&M University System did not immediately respond to a request for a comment from Welsh. Similarly, the university system did not immediately respond to a request for a copy of Welsh's resignation letter.
Welsh had previously worked as dean of the university's school of government and public service before becoming president. Before joining Texas A&M University, Welsh retired from the U.S. Air Force.
The search results do not provide information about any candidate proposing a successor for Welsh. The university system has not yet announced who will take over as president following Welsh's resignation.
It is important to note that no new information about the controversy surrounding McCoul's firing was provided in this paragraph. McCoul's attorney stated that she was never instructed to change her course content in any way.
The school's website states these details about Welsh's previous roles. The university did not immediately respond to a request for a comment regarding the resignation or its effective date.
Read also:
- Overcoming Yielding Regulations Hurdles in Indian Export Sector for EU Markets
- Vaccinations Explained: An Overview of Immunization Processes
- Shaping production and consumption tendencies via cosmetic certification
- Increased Investment in AI, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, and Quantum Computing to Propel Growth in the Digital Economy (2020 Budget)
