Texas A&M announced it will eliminate its women's and gender studies degree program, pointing to limited student enrollment and the need to align course content with university policies. Students currently enrolled may complete their degrees. The decision follows a universitywide review of roughly 5,400 syllabi after a viral classroom video prompted the Board of Regents to order an audit. The move comes after the regents previously cut 52 low-producing minors, including an LGBTQ Studies minor linked to the program.
Texas A&M to End Women's and Gender Studies Degree After Universitywide Syllabus Review
Texas A&M moves to end women’s and gender studies degree program
Texas A&M announced on Friday that it will discontinue its women's and gender studies degree program, citing limited student interest and the need to ensure course content complies with university policies. The university said students already enrolled in the program will be allowed to complete their degrees under the current requirements.
Administrators' Statement
Texas A&M is eliminating its women's and gender studies degree program(iStock)
"For 150 years, Texas A&M has led the way for higher education in Texas, our mission unchanged," Interim President Tommy Williams said in a statement. "Strong oversight and standards protect academic integrity and restore public trust, guaranteeing that a degree from Texas A&M means something to our students and the people who will hire them. That has been our focus through this process and will remain our focus as we move forward."
College of Arts and Sciences interim Dean Simon North and Senior Executive Associate Cynthia Werner informed faculty of the decision in an email obtained by The Texas Tribune. The message acknowledged the impact on staff and students and said, "We know this is devastating news. 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."
Program Details and Enrollment
The women's and gender studies program previously offered a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science, an undergraduate minor and a graduate certificate. According to reporting, 25 students were pursuing the major and 31 were seeking the minor at the time of the announcement.
A sign at the entrance to Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
Syllabus Review and Policy Compliance
Texas A&M said it launched a comprehensive course review for the spring 2026 semester that examined roughly 5,400 syllabi to ensure compliance with its policies on civil rights and academic freedom. The review led to policy-related edits in hundreds of syllabi across 17 colleges and schools. Deans were allowed to request exemptions for non-core courses; they forwarded 54 courses to the president and 48 exceptions were granted.
The review was prompted by a viral classroom recording in which a student was allegedly removed after questioning transgender-related course content. In the video, the student asked whether teaching so-called "gender ideology" was legal; the instructor replied that the student was under a misconception and later told the student it was time to leave. The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents responded by ordering an audit of courses.
Broader Context
In November 2024, the Board of Regents moved to eliminate 52 low-producing minors and certificate programs, including an LGBTQ Studies minor that had been administered within the women and gender studies program. That minor had been approved in fall 2022; the college requested to retain it but the university provost denied the request.
Fox News Digital reported the developments and noted that the university was contacted for comment. Reporters Greg Norman-Diamond and Rachel del Guidice contributed to the coverage.
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