Gender and Latin American Studies Among Dozens of Courses Axed at Texas A&M

A swath of certificate and minor programs—including gender studies, Latin American studies and philosophy—have been cut at East Texas A&M University as part of a broader academic reshuffle.

The programs removed include graduate certificates in public history, women’s and gender studies, and teaching history, alongside undergraduate minors such as African American studies, Latin American and U.S. Latino studies, philosophy and communication studies.

The changes come as universities across Texas face heightened scrutiny over curricula under Senate Bill 37, legislation passed in 2025 that seeks to reshape higher education governance and oversight. However, university officials told Newsweek the cuts are part of routine program review—not a direct response to the law.

‘Low Enrollment’ Programs Cleared in Overhaul

In a post on Threads, Mylynka Kilgore Cardona, an associate professor at East Texas A&M in History and Liberal Studies, shared a list of the programs that had been cut writing: “My dept head just emailed all of us about the cut programs.”

The programs confirmed to be cut include:

Public History Graduate Certificate
Teaching History Graduate Certificate
Women’s & Gender Studies Graduate Certificate
History Graduate Minor
World History Graduate Minor
African American Studies Undergraduate Minor
Communication Studies Undergraduate Minor
Food Studies Undergraduate Minor
Gender Studies Undergraduate Minor
History Undergraduate Minor
Latin American & U.S. Latino Studies Undergraduate Minor
Philosophy Undergraduate Minor
Speech Communication Undergraduate Minor

In a statement, East Texas A&M said the affected courses were “low-enrollment certificate and minor programs” that had seen “very little student completion activity” over several years.

“East Texas A&M, like universities across the country, regularly reviews its academic programs to make sure it is spending time and resources where students are actually enrolling and where employers are actually hiring,” a spokesperson told Newsweek.

The university added that the decision was about resource allocation rather than subject matter.

“Universities have a responsibility to make practical decisions about where they focus faculty time, student support and institutional resources,” the spokesperson said.

Shift Toward ‘In-Demand’ Credentials

Officials emphasized that while some humanities and social science programs are being discontinued, the university is simultaneously expanding offerings tied to workforce demand.

That includes industry-recognized credentials developed with private-sector partners such as Google, in areas including cybersecurity, data analytics, IT support, project management and artificial intelligence.

“At the same time, East Texas A&M and the broader Texas A&M University System are adding and expanding programs that students are seeking out and employers are asking for,” the spokesperson said.

“The goal is simple: give students degrees that matter and skills they can use.”

Wider Political Context

The timing of the cuts is likely to draw attention given ongoing debates in Texas over higher education and curriculum oversight.

Senate Bill 37, passed by state lawmakers in 2025, is part of a broader push by Republican legislators to exert greater control over public universities, particularly around governance and academic priorities.

While East Texas A&M did not link the program changes directly to the legislation, the inclusion of subjects such as gender studies and African American studies in the list of discontinued programs may intensify scrutiny from critics who argue such fields are increasingly under pressure.