Texas Officials Order Muslim University Near Dallas to Shut Down

Texas officials have ordered a Muslim university in the Dallas area to shut down after accusing the school of illegally offering degree programs without state approval. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board wrote that, following a review, it found that TexAM is not compliant with Texas laws and regulations.

The board stated that TexAM's advertising and postings via its website indicate that the entity publicly holds itself out as offering STEM degree programs in Texas, including a master's degree in Artificial Intelligence and admissions to bachelor's degree programs in computer science, IT, cybersecurity, and health informatics.

The founder and chairman of the board of trustees at Texas American Muslim Institute for Technology said the institute has already complied with the instructions of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He stated that the institute sent written confirmation by email on May 11 as required and that the deadline was extended by the board.

The founder said the entity is not operating as a university, is not using the name university, and is not offering degree programs or degree courses. He added that the entity has taken down its website and social media accounts. The founder also said Texas A&M University has given the institute a deadline to stop using the brand name TexAM because of suspected confusion due to similarity with its own name.

Texas officials reached out to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for comment but did not immediately receive a response.