Texas A&M University Ends Women’s and Gender Studies Program Amid DEI Policy Changes
Texas A&M University in College Station.
Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images
In a significant shift, Texas A&M University has decided to discontinue its women’s and gender studies programs. This move is part of a wider initiative to remove teaching elements associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across the institution.
The university has also revised hundreds of courses and terminated six, aligning with a policy adopted last November. This policy forbids teaching that “will advocate race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity” without the campus president’s consent.
Interim President Tommy Williams stated that these changes aim to “protect academic integrity and restore public trust.” He emphasized that this focus will persist as the university progresses with these reforms.
The decision to eliminate women’s and gender studies not only adheres to the new policy but also responds to “limited student interest in the program based on enrollment over the past several years,” according to university officials.
Ira Dworkin, an associate professor of English at Texas A&M, criticized the decision as a significant political intrusion by the university’s board of regents, appointed by Governor Greg Abbott. Dworkin expressed concern over the ramifications for faculty and students, labeling the policy as a “travesty.”
On the contrary, some critics who accuse universities of harboring liberal biases praised the decision. Inez Stepman, senior policy and legal analyst at Independent Women, remarked, “The era of woke activism training camps funded by ordinary taxpayers is over.” She suggested that if universities wish to maintain such programs, they should operate privately.
Texas A&M, one of the largest public universities in the country with over 81,000 students, is not alone in these changes. Other institutions, like the University of Iowa, Wichita State University, and the University of California, Santa Cruz, have also scaled back or discontinued similar programs recently.
In response to this trend, the National Women’s Studies Association expressed concern in 2025, stating, “We are understandably saddened, frightened, and enraged about the current state of the field.”
