University of Iowa announces plans to close Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies department

The University of Iowa announced that it would close its Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies department as public universities in the state continue to respond to a changing DEI landscape. 

"Under the proposed plan, the college would close the departments of American Studies and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies, as well as the current majors in American Studies and in Social Justice, which have fewer than 60 students combined, and create a new major in Social and Cultural Analysis," the University of Iowa announced in a press release on Dec. 17.

The decision comes after Iowa's state Board of regents approved 10 recommendations to scale back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the Hawkeye State. 

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"We are excited to reposition these programs for the future," dean of the University of Iowa's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Sara Sanders, said. "The creation of a School of Social and Cultural Analysis would allow us to build on our considerable legacy in areas that are essential to our mission, while creating more sustainable structures and room for innovative new curricula." 

"Right now, these programs are administered by multiple department chairs and multiple directors," CLAS associate dean for the arts and humanities, Roland Racevskis, said. "Under this proposed plan, the school would have a single leadership team dedicated to overseeing the operations of the programs." 

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"Students in this major would be able to connect their individual experiences and ideas to larger social contexts," CLAS associate dean for undergraduate education, Cornelia Lang, said. "This would prepare them well for potential careers or graduate work in cultural studies and related fields through highly adaptable skills like analytical thinking, effective communication, and research."

The announcement revealed that the proposal would go into effect on July 1, 2025, if it is successfully approved at the February Board of Regents meeting.

The University of Iowa is not the only academic institution that is changing its stance on DEI programs in recent months. 

The University of Michigan ended its requirement for DEI statements on faculty hiring, promotion and tenure this month. The University of Austin (UATX), a private liberal arts university, also replaced DEI with merit-based initiatives this year. 

Some states, including Florida, have restricted or banned funding for DEI in state institutions. 

The University of Iowa did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Fox News' Taylor Penley contributed to this report.