Texas A&M university is eliminating its Women’s and Gender Studies bachelor’s degree and graduate certificate programs, campus leaders announced Friday, blaming new curriculum oversight policies and a lack of interest in the programs.

“The decision reflected both the requirements of System policies and limited student interest in the program based on enrollment over the past several years,” administrators stated in a news release, adding students currently pursuing degrees in the programs will be allowed to complete them.

“We know this is devastating news,” administrators said in an email to faculty obtained by The Texas Tribune. “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.”

The move comes as the university has been thrust into controversy over its enforcement of a new course review policy that prohibits advocating for race and gender ideology.

One professor was required to remove passages by Plato from his philosophy course to comply, prompting nationwide headlines and criticism about academic freedom.

In its statement Friday, the university also announced it has completed a curriculum review of 5,400 course syllabi to ensure full compliance with system policy requirements prohibiting the advocacy of race and gender ideology.

“A total of six courses were canceled, representing 0.11 percent of the courses offered this semester,” the release stated.

“The canceled courses include: one in the Bush School of Government and Public Service; two in the College of Arts and Sciences; two in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and one in the College of Education and Human Development.”

The university added:

Across campus, faculty members and department heads completed most of the work to ensure compliance. They modified hundreds of syllabi across 17 colleges and schools to meet policy requirements, underscoring the central role of faculty and departmental leadership in the process.

Additionally, as part of the review, deans of schools and colleges were given the opportunity to request exceptions for non–core curriculum courses if topics are germane to the subjects being taught. Ultimately, 54 courses were forwarded to the president and provost for final review, and the president granted 48 exceptions.

The New York Times reported that the GOP-appointed A&M system’s regents approved the curriculum policies late last year “and officials have been scrambling since then to interpret and enforce them.”

“Supporters contend that the rules are appropriate measures to prevent political ideologies, especially those often associated with the left, from entering classrooms. Opponents say the approach encourages self-censorship and is itself ideological,” the Times reported.

The Tribune pointed out that while six courses were canceled, hundreds of syllabi were modified to meet the new policy requirements.

The university’s actions are part of a broader mandate to comply with SB 37, signed into law in June 2025.

Among other things, the Texas law created new committees to review curriculum at least once every five years to ensure that classes “prepare students for civic and professional life.”

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