Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune

Published

Texas A&M University announced Friday that it is eliminating its women’s and gender studies degree program.

University leaders made the announcement alongside the results of a campuswide course review launched after a video of a student confronting a professor over gender identity content went viral last fall and sparked political backlash.

Interim President Tommy Williams made the decision because of low enrollment and cost, College of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Simon North and Senior Executive Associate Cynthia Werner said in an email to faculty obtained by The Texas Tribune.

“We know this is devastating news,” the administrators said. “One of the primary duties of university administrators is to be good stewards of public money. Even the smallest programs require ongoing investment in faculty time, staff support, and administrative oversight.”

Texas A&M offered a bachelor of arts degree, a bachelor of science degree, an undergraduate minor and a graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies. The program has 25 students seeking a major and 31 seeking a minor. Students already enrolled will be allowed to complete their programs over the next six semesters, but no new students will be accepted.

After the controversy with the children’s literature course, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents passed a policy restricting how race and gender could be discussed in class and ordered a sweeping review of course offerings. Specifically, faculty may not advocate “race or gender ideology” or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity unless a campus president grants a written exception for certain non-core or graduate-level courses that serve a necessary or educational purpose. System officials have not defined what qualifies as a necessary educational purpose.

University officials said Friday they examined 5,400 course syllabi for the spring semester and canceled six courses. They did not name the specific classes but said the cancellations were spread across the Bush School of Government and Public Service and the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Education and Human Development.

The officials said the bulk of the work was performed by faculty and their department heads, who altered hundreds of syllabi. Deans forwarded 54 courses to the president and provost for final review. The president granted 48 exceptions.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.