UT Austin closes African and African Diaspora Studies department amid political pressure

The move comes as the university consolidates several identity-based academic programs into a new department, raising concerns among faculty about political pressure and academic freedom.

The University of Texas at Austin will fold its African and African Diaspora Studies department into a newly created academic unit this fall, part of a broader consolidation that faculty say follows increasing political scrutiny of programs focused on race and identity.

Beginning in September, the College of Liberal Arts plans to launch a Department for Social and Cultural Analysis Studies, combining African and African Diaspora Studies with Mexican American and Latino Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and American Studies.

Interim Dean David Sosa shared the update with department leaders on Thursday, noting that curriculum and degree programs are now under review. While no immediate layoffs were announced, faculty say the long-term impact—including funding, faculty governance, and institutional support—remains uncertain.

Having departmental status carries weight at major universities, often shaping budget access, hiring decisions, and tenure influence. Professors worry the restructuring could ultimately weaken programs that have helped broaden scholarship and reflect the experiences of historically underrepresented communities.

“There can be no reason for this decision other than an authoritarian takeover of Texas’ flagship university,” associate professor Lauren Gutterman said, questioning why other smaller humanities departments were not included if fragmentation were the primary concern.

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The move arrives as public universities across Texas face mounting pressure from conservative lawmakers to scale back coursework tied to race and gender. Earlier this year, Texas A&M University closed its Women and Gender Studies department, while other university systems have adopted policies limiting courses seen as promoting “race or gender ideology.”

At UT, ethnic and gender studies programs trace their roots to student activism in the 1970s and 1980s and have since grown into interdisciplinary fields attracting students across majors. Faculty argue the programs remain academically strong, pointing to national rankings that have recognized UT’s leadership in areas such as Latin American history and undergraduate ethnic studies.

Still, some university leaders have called for greater “balance” in the curriculum, describing certain fields as overly fractured or politically charged.

For professors like Women and Gender Studies chair Lisa Moore, the stakes extend beyond departmental structure.

“The changes that are happening are going to, and already have created damage that will last for decades,” Moore said in an interview before the consolidation announcement.

As the university prepares for the transition, faculty and students are watching closely, not just to see how the consolidation unfolds, but for what it signals about the future of academic freedom and whose histories remain central in higher education.