Convenience Big Store: UH 'indoctrination' review raises new alarms about overcompliance

March 7, 2026

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Students walk on Cullen Boulevard at the University of Houston campus on Feb. 25, 2025.

Photo by: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Photographer

UH faculty say overcompliance with course reviews could fuel self-censorship.

By now, you probably have heard of the protests and disputes at Texas A&M following its ban on teaching race and gender ideology and course modifications that led to the removal of a Plato text from a philosophy class.

So what's the situation at the University of Houston? Similar concerns over academic freedom are being raised, writes Samantha Ketterer. According to her reporting, there are questions over whether the administration is going too far to comply with state law. Some faculty describe the situation as chaotic, noting the difficulties of targeting something as vague and divisive as "indoctrination" in the classroom.

As you'll see, the school's approach has so far been less formalized or restrictive than at other Texas universities. But it hasn't escaped scrutiny from an outspoken faculty advocacy group on campus, or from free speech organizations.

2

Twelve Texas members of Congress are out — a new record. Can the Lone Star State keep its clout in D.C.?

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales' decision not to seek re-election and U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw's defeat now assures Texas will have lost at least 12 members of the U.S. House from 2025 going into next year. Also, in the latest episode of the Texas Take podcast, the Dallas Morning News' Gromer Jeffers and the Austin American-Statesman's John Moritz join host Jeremy Wallace to break down all the results from this week.

3

See where Texas Democrats outvoted Republicans in Tuesday's election.

More than 2.3 million Democrats, or 12.4% of registered voters, turned out to vote in the U.S. Senate race between Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico.

4

Mayor Whitmire calls HPD ICE arrests a violation of department policies.

A day after a Chronicle report found Houston police officers in at least two instances arrested drivers and personally transported them to immigration agents, he told Univision Houston the arrests violated department policies.

5

A Houston mother was found guilty in the killing of her 1-year-old daughter at a Galveston hotel.

Channel Yonko was found guilty of capital murder of a person under the age of 10 after a three-day jury trial in Galveston County.

6

Exclusive: Fort Bend residents fought plans for a concrete crusher. Now the company is backing off.

Julpit withdrew its latest attempt to get TCEQ permits for a rock crusher it planned in suburban Fort Bend, after earlier efforts were rebuffed by regulators.

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They're not all divorced. They're not all dads. They're just really into Creed.

See, there's this thing called the Divorced Dad Dressup at RodeoHouston ahead of Creed's upcoming concert there. The meetup isn't strictly for divorced dads, although any divorced dad Creed enthusiast would be welcome. Here's what's behind the meetup and why it has generated plenty of interest.

🏀 Sports

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) knocks away the ball from Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday March 6, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Photo by: Michael Wyke, Associated Press

Rockets: A fourth-quarter run propelled Houston to a 106-99 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at Toyota Center.
Texans: The team has released running back Joe Mixon, who was dealing with a foot injury, less than a week before free agency.
Astros: Xavier Neyens, the team's first-round pick in 2025, and Kevin Alvarez, the top international signing, will play in a "spring breakout" showcase later this month.
Cypress Falls is headed to the state semifinals for the first time since 2017 after beating Jordan in the regional final.

🗣️ Opinion

Pesky election drones, the Epstein ranch turned Christian retreat and James Talarico's big YIMBY win all earned a spot in this week's Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down offering from the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board.

Roughly 10 years ago, incorporating "Tex-Mex" into the name of a new barbecue joint seemed like a popular thing to do.

These days, not so much.

That doesn't mean Tex-Mex barbecue is a thing of the past. Quite the contrary. Columnist J.C. Reid is tracing the rise and not-quite-fall of the cuisine and its proliferation across Texas.