The University of Iowa is considering consolidating various departments and degrees focused on gender, women’s and sexuality studies, as well as social justice, under a new program dubbed the School of Social and Cultural Analysis. University officials said that there are currently fewer than 60 students between the separate departments.
In a Dec. 17 press release, the public university said it’s proposing closing its “Departments of American Studies and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies, as well as the current majors in American Studies and in Social Justice.”
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School officials say they’re instead proposing to the Board of Regents a School of Social and Cultural Analysis. Officials say it “would combine several departments and programs in the areas of African American Studies; American Studies; Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies; Jewish Studies; Latina/o/x Studies; and Native American and Indigenous Studies.”
“Under this proposed plan, the school would have a single leadership team dedicated to overseeing the operations of the programs,” Roland Racevskis, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) associate dean for the arts and humanities, said in a statement. “This new structure would provide better coordination of curriculum across these related programs, easier pathways for degree completion, and support for interdisciplinary research opportunities.”
Students in existing departments would move to the new program. They’d also be given the opportunity to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Cultural Analysis.
“Students in this major would be able to connect their individual experiences and ideas to larger social contexts,” said Cornelia Lang, CLAS associate dean for undergraduate education. “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 Board of Regents would need to approve the proposal at its February meeting.
