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The University of Iowa may soon overhaul some of its DEI infrastructure, having proposed ending a social justice program as well as closing a department dedicated to gender and sexuality in favor of a School of Social and Cultural Analysis.

On December 17, UI issued a press release about the proposed School of Social and Cultural Analysis, claiming that it would “promote interdisciplinary collaboration, enhance faculty support, and increase student opportunities” while streamlining some inefficiencies in staffing and course offerings.

“The school 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,” the press release said.

In fact, the university plans to end the Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies Department, the American Studies Department, an American Studies major, and a major in social justice to make the new school happen. Currently, these departments and majors serve fewer than 60 students combined.

Enrollment at UI this fall was nearly 15,000, according to the Gazette, a drop from more than 17,000 in 2016.

‘We have a tremendous amount of work to do in restoring Iowans’ confidence in … returning the focus of our higher education system away from ideological agendas and back to the pursuit of academic excellence.’

“Right now, these programs are administered by multiple department chairs and multiple directors,” said Roland Racevskis, associate dean for the arts and humanities at the the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

“Under this proposed plan, the school would have a single leadership team dedicated to overseeing the operations of the programs. This new structure would provide better coordination of curriculum across these related programs, easier pathways for degree completion, and support for interdisciplinary research opportunities.”

Sara Sanders, dean of the UI CLAS, purported to be “excited” about the proposed changes.

“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. By making the most of our resources and expertise, we can enhance the student experience, better support our faculty, and encourage collaborative research across fields,” she said in a statement.

Before these changes can be implemented, the Iowa Board of Regents must first approve the proposal. The board is expected to consider it at a meeting in February. The board has already approved 10 recommendations for eliminating or limiting DEI programs at Iowa schools of higher education, Fox News reported.

If the proposal is approved, the changes will go into effect in July 2025, when a new state law curtailing DEI efforts will likewise go into effect. Among other things, Iowa Code Chapter 261J establishes “restrictions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents.”

State Rep. Taylor Collins (R-Mediapolis), who will soon chair a committee on higher education, has lately made ending or restricting DEI a major priority. “We have a tremendous amount of work to do in restoring Iowans’ confidence in our institutions, controlling costs, and returning the focus of our higher education system away from ideological agendas and back to the pursuit of academic excellence,” Collins said in a statement, according to the Gazette.

These DEI restrictions represent a significant about-face regarding DEI from University of Iowa leaders in just four years. Back in 2020, UI paid fealty to DEI, pledging to diversify and “internationaliz[e]” the campus by “attracting students and faculty from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences” and to retain minority professors, the Gazette said.

H/T: Leading Report

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