Border Surveillance Scholar Denied Tenure at UT Austin

Border-surveillance scholar Iván Chaar López was denied tenure at the University of Texas at Austin after being recommended by more than 30 scholars, The Austin-American Statesman reported. 

Records obtained by the Statesman showed that Chaar López exceeded the bar for tenure and that his American studies colleagues recommended him for promotion pending approval from UT President Jim Davis, a presidential committee and the system Board of Regents. In February, the tenure committee unexpectedly denied Chaar López’s tenure application without explanation. He told the Statesman that he fears it was because his research on the ways border-surveillance technologies are tied to history and race is controversial among conservative officials.

“Iván’s case is a warning for all faculty across the university,” Lauren Gutterman, former chair of the American studies department, told the Statesman. “Because it suggests that achieving excellence in your field is no longer enough to secure tenure and promotion.”

Chaar López has worked at UT Austin since 2020 and must now restart the tenure process at another university. He told the Statesman the rejection felt unjust.

“I ask questions that maybe someone in a position of power might disagree with … We ask these questions because we’re trying to get at what is the truth,” Chaar López said. “I did all of that work—11 years of work—trying to achieve the security of tenure so that I can maybe ask even more difficult questions.”

In an emailed statement to Inside Higher Ed, a UT spokesperson said, “Tenure is privilege, not a right.”

“UT does not rubber stamp decisions of such importance. The tenure review process is handled thoughtfully, fairly, and professionally with a thorough system of checks and balances to ensure the highest standards of teaching and research,” the spokesperson wrote.