The University of Iowa is considering ending the Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies Department and the social justice major, folding a number of majors into the new major of social and cultural analysis. Concerns have been raised by students and faculty about the implications for diversity and inclusion.
Supporters argue that these programs are essential for understanding social issues, while critics claim that the programs do not contribute to students’ career readiness. A news release by the university states that a number of departments would be folded into a new School of Social and Cultural analysis as part of a “multi-year administrative restructure of the college.”