Texas Tech system names Sen. Brandon Creighton as its new chancellor
Texas Tech University System has named state Sen. Brandon Creighton its new chancellor.
The system’s Board of Regents unanimously approved the appointment Thursday. Creighton is a Republican from Conroe who has served the Houston region in the legislature for nearly 20 years.
“Sen. Creighton is just an incredibly good cultural fit for West Texas and for West Texas values, for everything that Texas Tech stands for,” Chairman Cody Campbell said during the meeting. “So we are very proud that he will be a new part of the family.”
After a 21-day state-mandated wait time, the decision will be finalized. Chancellor Tedd Mitchell, who is retiring, will continue in the role during the transition period. Creighton will have to resign his Senate seat.
The system includes Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, and Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls.
“The Texas Tech University System has a proud history and limitless potential,” Creighton said in a press release. “From research and innovation to nationally prominent academic programs, it represents the very best of Texas. I am honored to be named sole finalist for chancellor and look forward to building on this momentum and leading the TTU System into its next era of success.”
In Austin, Creighton has been an influential champion of legislation that has changed the education landscape in Texas. He authored the bill approved this summer to establish a school voucher program. He wrote Senate Bill 17, which banned diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education and now K-12; and Senate Bill 37, which changed how colleges and university boards and faculty share power.
In August, Creighton posted on Facebook about SB 37 taking effect Sept. 1, saying that it meant an end to DEI in Texas public university curriculums.
“This will return our campuses to learning environments where decisions are based on merit, where innovation is the focus, and world-class research prepares the next generation to keep Texas competitive,” Creighton said in the post.
Proponents of these new laws say they will combat liberal bias at universities and end radical racial and gender indoctrination.
“The Texas Tech University System is at a pivotal moment,” Campbell, the Board of Regents chairman, in a statement. “With Sen. Creighton as our next chancellor, I am confident we will continue to accelerate our progress, strengthen our communities, and expand our impact across the state and beyond.”
Creighton isn’t the first Texan politician who is now leading a university system.
Glenn Hegar, named chancellor of the Texas A&M University System on July 1, is a former Texas comptroller.
In August, former state Rep. John Zerwas was appointed chancellor of the University of Texas System. Zerwas had been the system’s executive vice president for health affairs since 2019.
The American Association of University Professors in Texas, a union organization, has spoken out against the politicization of higher education.
“We have concerns about the future of academic freedom and shared governance in the Texas Tech University System given the positions Sen. Creighton has taken in the legislature,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Shared governance involves the trustees, the administration, and the faculty all working together to support the students and the institution. Academic freedom helps to bring in and retain the best faculty in the country. We hope that Texas Tech’s strong tradition of shared governance and academic freedom continue so that Texas Tech can thrive.”