Texas A&M University has adopted new rules limiting how professors can discuss matters like race and gender ideology in the classroom. Faculty must now obtain prior approval from a campus president to "advocate" for what the new measure terms "race or gender ideology."The policy, which the university’s Board of Regents approved unanimously Thursday, also requires professors to adhere to the university’s standardized syllabus for each course. According to The Dallas Morning News, the new rules will take effect next semester across all 12 campuses in the Texas A&M University System."Curriculum is created and approved based on the accepted body of knowledge needed for our students to be successful in their chosen profession," Regent Sam Torn said at Thursday's meeting. "It is unacceptable for other material to be taught instead."LEGAL GROUP ACCUSES VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT OF FELONY AFTER HOSTING DEM POLITICAL RALLY FOR FREEThe New York Times reported that Texas A&M dismissed a lecturer in September after a student claimed the instructor taught a course that recognized more than two genders.Torn did not address the dismissal during Thursday’s meeting but said it had "become clear" in recent months that some courses at the university were straying from approved syllabi.James R. Hallmark, vice chancellor for academic affairs, described the policy as a "refinement and clarification" of existing guidelines that does not "introduce new limitations on scholarly inquiry," The New York Times reported."The goal is simple and straightforward: to ensure that what is taught in the classroom accurately reflects the approved curriculum and that students receive a learning environment grounded in clarity, academic rigor and respect," Hallmark told the university's regents ahead of Thursday's vote.CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' THIRD ATTEMPT TO FORM TPUSA CHAPTER DENIEDHallmark emphasized that the policy is not intended to "police individual speech." He said that increasing scrutiny on professors who deviate from approved syllabi "reinforces a core professional responsibility: teaching the course that students have registered for and the institution has approved."The Associated Press reported that Texas A&M’s policy appears to be the first attempt by a public university system in Texas to set boundaries on what professors may discuss in class regarding race and gender ideology.Hallmark said the new policy "does not diminish academic freedom" but instead "reinforces the balance between academic freedom and academic responsibility."HHS SLASHES OVER $350M IN GRANT FUNDING FOR GENDER IDEOLOGY, DEI RESEARCH PROJECTSFox News Digital reached out to the Texas A&M University System for comment and was referred to a news release issued by the university on Thursday."The members of the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System took a decisive stand today to restore public trust in higher education by adjusting policies related to coursework," the release read. "The regents made the changes, which will apply to each of the A&M System’s 12 universities, to make sure that instruction aligns with its academic mission, values and legal obligations outlined by state and federal elected officials."The university's news release also included a statement from the chancellor of the A&M System, Glenn Hegar."Transparency and accountability are essential to our mission. We’re delivering on that commitment and reinforcing confidence in the quality of a Texas A&M education," Hegar said. "This effort is really about ensuring we balance academic freedom with academic responsibility."