The University of Texas at San Antonio is dissolving its Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies, The San Antonio Express-News reported Friday.
The department—which houses undergraduate majors in African American studies; Mexican American studies; and women’s, gender and sexuality studies—launched in 2020. But effective Sept. 1, it will be combined with the Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies, though officials did not disclose a new name or leadership for the new department.
“At this time, no changes to faculty or staff positions, reporting structures, or job responsibilities are planned,” Mario Torres, dean of UTSA’s College of Education and Human Development, wrote in an email, according to the Express-News. He described the change as “an exciting opportunity” that would lead to a “more prosperous future” for the academic programs. He said a task force composed of faculty, students and staff would help shape the new department.
According to Torres, students will continue to have the same access to courses, advisers and degree pathways. Faculty, however, told the news outlet that they weren’t consulted about the consolidation and worry that they could soon be under pressure to alter their curricula related to race, gender and sexuality.
Consolidation, elimination and censorship of academic programs that focus on those topics have already been happening at other public universities in Texas.
Last fall, the Texas Tech University system prohibited faculty from teaching that there are more than two genders, among other concepts. In January, Texas A&M University decided to close its women’s and gender studies program to comply with a system board policy that limits discussions of “race or gender ideology” on campus. Earlier this month, UT Austin announced plans to fold its gender studies and ethnic studies programs into the newly established Department for Social and Cultural Analysis Studies next fall. And last week, the UT system board approved a policy asking faculty members to “eschew topics and controversies that are not germane” to their classes.
