The University of Texas at Austin has confirmed it will no longer enroll new students in three majors focused on gender, sexuality, and race: Women’s and Gender Studies, Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, and African and African Diaspora Studies. The decision removes these options from the university's admissions applications, though students currently enrolled in these programs will be permitted to complete their degrees. A university spokesman stated the move was made "in recognition of the changing degree offerings in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis."
This administrative shift follows a period of internal deliberation and growing pressure from Republican state and federal officials regarding how the university handles politically sensitive subjects. While the university has not publicly cited low enrollment as the primary reason for ending new admissions, recent data indicates that fewer than 1% of the 44,315 undergraduates enrolled in Fall 2025 were studying in these specific departments. The move has drawn sharp reactions from both academic progressives and conservative commentators.
What the Left Is Saying
Academic leaders within the affected departments argue that the fields have fundamentally altered the study of humanities and social sciences. Lisa Moore, chair of the women and gender studies department, stated prior to the announcement that "Gender and ethnic studies have transformed the study of the humanities and social sciences, and now they are what they are." She emphasized that the knowledge gained through these disciplines cannot be ignored, noting, "We can’t unknow what we know… It’s just not the case that we can believe that only a small slice of human beings are responsible for everything that’s good about the world."
Internal reports suggest that while the specific majors are being phased out for new entrants, the coursework itself may continue. An internal email obtained by the Austin American-Statesman indicates a plan to consolidate the defunct majors into a single offering, preserving the academic content while altering the degree structure. Supporters of the programs view the change as a logistical adjustment rather than a rejection of the academic value of the fields.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative commentators and scholars have celebrated the decision as a necessary correction in higher education. Steve McGuire, a fellow at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, described ending enrollment in these majors as "the pedagogically responsible thing to do." The reaction from the right frames the move as a victory against ideological capture in universities.
J.D. Haltigan, a research fellow at the Centre for Heterodox Social Science, argued on X that the programs represent "ridiculous Leftist delusion[s]" that lack a place in truth-seeking institutions. "These programs are not ‘viewpoint diversity,'" Haltigan wrote, adding that they should be abolished entirely from every institution of higher learning. Timur Kuran, a professor at Duke University, noted that the news was "unsurprising" given that ethnic and sexuality studies have long been captured by political activists across the Anglosphere, predicting that other state and private universities will follow suit.
What the Numbers Show
According to institutional data cited by the Austin American-Statesman earlier this year, there were 307 students enrolled across African and African Diaspora Studies, Mexican American and Latino Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and American Studies. This figure represents less than 1% of the university's total undergraduate population of 44,315 as of Fall 2025. The University of Texas System has also conducted reviews of courses on gender identity to assess compliance with state and federal laws and alignment with Board of Regents priorities. UT Austin joins a list of other institutions, including Texas A&M University, Wichita State University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Toledo, that have scaled back or cut similar programs.
The Bottom Line
The discontinuation of new enrollment in these majors at one of the nation's largest public universities signals a broader trend of conservative-led reforms in higher education curriculum. While current students can still graduate, the removal of these majors from the admissions pipeline effectively phases out the dedicated degree tracks over the next few years. Observers on both sides are watching to see if this consolidation model, where coursework remains but the specific major designation is eliminated, becomes a standard approach for other universities facing similar political pressures.