Texas A&M University has announced the discontinuation of its women’s and gender studies degree program, a decision that was made public on Friday. This move follows a comprehensive review of the university’s courses, which was initiated after a video surfaced last fall showing a student confronting a professor about gender identity topics. The video sparked significant political controversy.
The decision was communicated by Interim President Tommy Williams, along with Simon North, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Senior Executive Associate Cynthia Werner. They cited low enrollment numbers and financial considerations as the primary reasons for the program’s elimination. In an email to faculty members, they expressed their understanding of the disappointment this decision would cause, emphasizing their responsibility to manage public funds effectively. “Even the smallest programs require ongoing investment in faculty time, staff support, and administrative oversight,” they noted.
Currently, Texas A&M offers a bachelor of arts, a bachelor of science, an undergraduate minor, and a graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies. However, with only 25 students pursuing a major and 31 a minor, the program’s viability came into question. Students already enrolled will be permitted to complete their degrees over the next six semesters, but no new admissions will be accepted.
The women’s and gender studies program at Texas A&M functions as an interdisciplinary initiative rather than a formal academic department, relying on faculty from other disciplines to teach its courses. Chaitanya Lakkimsetti, an associate professor of sociology involved in the program, lamented the loss of a collaborative space that fostered interdepartmental connections. She recalled that her feminist theory seminar last spring attracted an impressive 15 students from various departments, highlighting the program’s importance for interdisciplinary engagement.
Lakkimsetti expressed her disappointment over the program’s closure, stating, “We have to keep fighting and standing up for our students’ right to have an education that is critical for the times they live in.”
Following the previous controversy, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents implemented a policy that restricts discussions around race and gender in classrooms. Faculty members are now prohibited from advocating “race or gender ideology” or addressing topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity unless they receive written permission from the campus president for specific courses deemed necessary for educational purposes. However, the administration has not clarified what constitutes a “necessary educational purpose.”
University officials reported that they reviewed 5,400 course syllabi for the upcoming spring semester and canceled six courses, which amounts to approximately 0.11 percent of all courses offered. They assured that academic advisers had ensured these cancellations would not impede students’ graduation timelines.
However, faculty leaders challenged this narrative. Leonard Bright, president of the Texas A&M chapter of the American Association of University Professors, argued that the figure of six course cancellations only represents the most apparent outcomes of the review, downplaying its broader implications. Bright, whose ethics course was also canceled, indicated that many instructors modified their syllabi or removed contentious material to avoid scrutiny. “The cancellations and the exemptions are just the tip of the iceberg,” he remarked.
The university acknowledged that the six canceled courses announced do not account for those that were revised or altered earlier in the review process. Reports indicated that about 200 courses in the College of Arts and Sciences had been flagged as potentially impacted by the new policy, leading to some classes being canceled, renumbered, or modified before the spring semester commenced.
The canceled courses included subjects such as Introduction to Race and Ethnicity, Religions of the World, Ethics in Public Policy, Diversity in Sport Organizations, Cultural Leadership and Exploration for Society, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Youth Development Organizations. All six of these courses were undergraduate offerings.
University officials stated that much of the course content review was conducted by faculty members and their department heads, who altered hundreds of syllabi in response to the new policy. Deans submitted 54 courses for final review, of which 48 received exceptions from the president.
This is not the first instance of program cuts at Texas A&M. In 2024, regents voted to discontinue several low-enrollment minors and certificates, including an LGBTQ+ studies minor, a decision that faculty members believed was influenced by conservative backlash and lacked adequate faculty input.
During an upcoming quarterly meeting, regents are scheduled to hear a presentation regarding low-performing academic programs across the university system’s 12 campuses.
PEN America, an organization that advocates for freedom of expression, criticized the university’s decision, claiming it undermines academic freedom. “Forcing faculty to restrict what they teach censors the knowledge accessible to students,” stated Amy Reid, program director for Freedom to Learn at PEN America. “Limiting what can be taught in a university classroom is not education; it’s ideological control.”
