🎓 Recent Developments Shaking Women's and Gender Studies Programs

Women's and Gender Studies (WGS) programs, which explore the social, cultural, and historical dimensions of gender, sexuality, and identity, have faced unprecedented scrutiny in recent years. The most striking example came in late January 2026 when Texas A&M University announced the closure of its WGS bachelor's degrees, minor, and graduate certificate. This decision followed a comprehensive review of over 5,400 syllabi, resulting in the cancellation of six courses deemed misaligned with a new systemwide policy prohibiting advocacy for 'race or gender ideology' or topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity. University officials cited low student interest—only 25 majors and 31 minors—as a key factor, though faculty argued that chronic underfunding and lack of visibility contributed to these numbers.

This move at Texas A&M is part of a broader wave. Since 2023, institutions like New College of Florida eliminated their gender studies program after a conservative-led board overhaul. Wichita State University dissolved its Department of Women, Ethnicity, and Intersectional Studies under Kansas Board of Regents pressure. Towson University shuttered its WGS department, Rhode Island College suspended its program, and Ball State University and the University of Toledo followed suit with eliminations. Even prestigious schools like the University of California, Santa Cruz, cut its feminist studies Ph.D. program due to faculty shortages exacerbated by budget constraints. These closures highlight vulnerabilities in small, interdisciplinary fields amid shifting political winds.

Critics from conservative circles, including figures like Christopher Rufo who influenced New College's changes, argue these programs promote ideological activism over neutral scholarship. Supporters counter that such cuts stifle essential discussions on power dynamics and inequality.

📜 The Historical Evolution of Women's and Gender Studies

To understand today's threats, it's helpful to trace WGS roots. Emerging in the late 1960s and 1970s amid the women's liberation movement, these programs addressed women's exclusion from traditional curricula. San Diego State University launched the first in 1970, challenging biases in fields like history, literature, and medicine where women's contributions were overlooked. By 2023, over 800 WGS departments and programs existed across U.S. higher education, according to the National Women's Studies Association (NWSA).

These programs use interdisciplinary methods—drawing from sociology, history, literature, and anthropology—to examine how gender intersects with race, class, and sexuality. They fill gaps in canonical knowledge, fostering critical thinking about norms that shape society. Enrollment in WGS courses reached 74,220 undergraduates in fall 2023 across degree-granting departments, with many programs reporting increases post-2024 election amid heightened debates on reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ issues. Yet, as niche majors, they often rely on shared faculty appointments and minors, making them susceptible to budget axes.

Historically, attacks aren't novel. Nazis burned the Institute for Sexual Science in 1933 Berlin. More recently, Hungary's Viktor Orbán stripped gender studies accreditation in 2018, labeling it 'ideology, not science.' In the U.S., skepticism echoes eugenics-era biological essentialism, but intensified with modern culture wars.

⚖️ Navigating the Political and Policy Landscape

The current crisis stems from a confluence of federal, state, and institutional pressures. The second Trump administration's executive orders banned Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in federal agencies and higher education, threatening funding for programs perceived as promoting 'gender ideology.' States like Florida, Texas, Iowa, Ohio, and Idaho enacted laws—such as Texas SB 17 and Idaho Senate Bill 1274—barring DEI offices, diversity statements in hiring, and trainings on race or gender.

These policies scrutinize syllabi for 'indoctrination,' leading to overhauls. At Texas A&M, this meant revising hundreds of courses. Conservative donors and lawmakers push alternatives like classics-focused centers emphasizing Western traditions, viewing WGS as left-leaning. Median earnings for cultural/gender studies graduates hover around $63,000 annually—close to the $66,000 all-bachelor's average—yet ROI arguments persist, ignoring skills like cultural humility vital for diverse workplaces.

For deeper insight, explore this comprehensive tracker of DEI changes across 439 campuses.

Photo by Donghun Shin on Unsplash

👥 Profound Impacts on Students, Faculty, and Higher Education

Closures ripple widely. Current WGS students at Texas A&M can finish degrees, but future ones lose access. Faculty like Joan Wolf, a Texas A&M sociologist who taught these courses for decades, face job insecurity despite cross-appointments. Programs often serve broad student bodies via general education courses, benefiting non-majors in counseling, business, or health fields who gain perspectives on social dynamics.

Broader effects include eroded academic freedom, as policies chill discussions on sensitive topics. LGBTQ+ centers, like Boise State's Gender Equity Center, have closed, decimating support services. Vulnerable communities—women, people of color, transgender individuals—lose spaces fostering empathy and analysis of oppression.

• Loss of interdisciplinary expertise integrated into medicine (e.g., women's health research) and policy.
• Chilled faculty hiring, with diversity statements banned.
• Student access to minors curtailed, limiting career preparation in inclusive environments.
• Institutional prestige at risk, as diversification diversifies faculty but sparks backlash.

Scholars warn of cascading threats to Black studies, Indigenous studies, and others, paying the price for higher ed's evolving demographics.

🗣️ Voices of Resistance: Faculty and Organizational Responses

Academics aren't passive. The NWSA's 2025 statement expressed being 'saddened, frightened, and enraged,' urging resistance without despair. NWSA President Jessica N. Pabón called attacks an 'escalation of nefarious maneuvers' demonizing scholars. An open letter from professors like Carrie N. Baker and Michele Tracy Berger implored leaders to defend WGS amid funding cuts and accreditation assaults, citing data on graduate employability and program efficiency.

At Texas A&M, faculty pushed back on oversight threatening academic freedom. PEN America's Amy Reid, former New College director, predicted more closures but affirmed knowledge's uncontrollability. Carrie Baker of Smith College noted doubled enrollments post-election, underscoring relevance. Read the full open letter here and AAUP's stance in this key report.

🔮 Pathways Forward: Strategies for Survival and Adaptation

Resilience requires innovation. Programs can integrate into larger departments, emphasizing cross-listing for visibility. Highlight employability: WGS alumni excel in nonprofits, HR, policy, and tech, leveraging critical analysis and empathy. Market research shows small programs yield high student exposure per faculty, aiding general ed.

• Advocacy: Lobby leaders with data on rising interest and societal value.
• Mergers: Form interdisciplinary schools, as Purdue attempted (though Iowa rejected).
• Minors/Certificates: Sustain via non-degree paths less targeted.
• Outreach: Partner with STEM for gender-inclusive curricula.
• Legal/Union Action: Challenge via AAUP, faculty senates.

Scholars like Joan Wolf assert, 'We're never going to get rid of the study of gender.' Knowledge permeates disciplines, ensuring endurance.

Learn more in this in-depth analysis.

Photo by Anita Monteiro on Unsplash

💼 Opportunities in Higher Education Amid Change

For faculty, students, and professionals, turbulence opens doors. Interdisciplinary skills position graduates for higher ed jobs in administration, research, and student affairs. Explore university jobs or higher ed career advice on AcademicJobs.com to pivot effectively.

Share experiences by rating professors at Rate My Professor or reviewing courses at Rate My Course. Amid shifts, resilient careers thrive in evolving landscapes—check faculty positions or admin roles.

In summary, while threats to women's and gender studies programs amid political attacks pose real challenges, history shows fields adapt. Students and scholars can engage via comments below, rate-my-professor, higher-ed-jobs, higher-ed-career-advice, university-jobs, and post-a-job to shape the future. Stay informed, advocate, and pursue opportunities at AcademicJobs.com.