UT Austin cuts ethnic, gender studies majors for 2027 students

A university spokesperson told Fox News, "In recognition of the changing degree offerings in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis, the University is no longer enrolling new students in three majors: Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, African and African Diaspora Studies, and Women’s & Gender Studies."

Per the Austin American-Statesman, prospective students applying for admission have not had, as of Wednesday evening, the option to select Mexican American and Latina/o Studies; African and African Diaspora Studies; Women’s, Sexualities and Gender Studies; or American Studies as their first or second major of choice. The application opened on August 1 and closes on December 1.

This comes after the University of Texas consolidated its ethnic and gender studies departments into the new social analysis department. The school’s provost had reportedly been consulting faculty from the College of Liberal Arts and Social and Cultural Analysis Department on the future of the programs in question as recently as this week.

An email sent to Social and Cultural Analysis faculty late Tuesday afternoon from the provost’s office moved to eliminate majors in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, African and African Diaspora Studies and Women’s, Sexualities and Gender Studies, and instead create a new major that consolidated the offerings.

The email came after the College of Liberal Arts sent a proposal to Provost William Inboden in late August recommending that all majors remain available to students in order to match offerings at other institutions.

“In order to continue to recruit the best faculty and students, and to prepare our students for advanced degrees, we should offer degree programs that are analogous to those at the best universities in the country,” the proposal read. “And UT’s position as an economic driver for the city, state, and region is dependent on the university’s ongoing ability to bring in top faculty all across its wide range of departments.”

On Tuesday, the provost’s office rejected the proposal and said it wanted to cut all majors in the Social and Cultural Analysis Department other than American Studies and Urban Studies.

“I have just come from my meeting with [College of Liberal Arts interim Dean] Dan Brinks and he informed me that the Provost’s office rejected our proposal to keep our majors,” Social and Cultural Analysis Department chair Danielle Clealand wrote in an email to her department’s staff. “They want the other majors to be consolidated.”

The changes were not final and had not been announced to the public, however, as of Wednesday night, the new student application did not include a new Social and Cultural Analysis or American Studies major.