Full Breakdown
UT Austin Ends New Enrollment in Three Gender, Race and Ethnicity Majors
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Background and Enrollment Figures
The University of Texas at Austin announced that it will no longer accept new students into Women’s & Gender Studies, Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, or African and African Diaspora Studies. The decision follows a broader trend of universities scaling back similar programs. Institutional data cited by the Austin American-Statesman showed that, across these three majors and American Studies, only 307 students were enrolled—less than 1 % of the 44,315 undergraduates recorded in fall 2025. State and federal officials have increasingly scrutinized how public universities address race, gender and related topics, prompting the University of Texas System to review courses for compliance with state law and Board of Regents priorities.
University Response
The statement added that students already enrolled will be allowed to complete their degrees and that much of the coursework may remain in a consolidated offering. The university did not comment further when contacted for additional remarks.
Reactions from Scholars and Critics
Liberal faculty remain a numerical majority in higher education, and Duke University economist Timur Kuran noted that ethnic and sexuality studies have long been “captured by political activists.” Others, such as Lisa Moore, chair of women and gender studies at UT Austin, warned that the consolidation could diminish the field’s contributions to humanities and social sciences.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I don’t know the particulars of UT Austin’s programs. But this news is unsurprising. Across the Anglosphere, ethnic and sexuality studies have long been captured by political activists,” — Timur Kuran, a professor of economics and political science at Duke University
- “Gender and ethnic studies have transformed the study of the humanities and social sciences, and now they are what they are,” — Lisa Moore, the university’s chair of women and gender studies
- “Excellent news. These programs are not ‘viewpoint diversity.’ They are ridiculous Leftist delusion[s] that have no place in truth-seeking institutions,” — J.D. Haltigan