UTSA faculty says dissolving department is ‘troubling’ trend

As University of Texas at San Antonio leaders move forward with plans to merge its race and gender department with the department for bicultural studies, faculty say the move could result in a “grave disservice” to San Antonio.

Last month, the College of Education and Human Development announced the Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies would merge with its Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies. After weeks of meetings and internal discussions, faculty in the Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies department say the move is actually a dissolution of the department altogether. 

While university officials say this is standard administrative practice, faculty worry the decision is part of the University of Texas System’s efforts to silence “controversial topics.”

“While courses and degree offerings may continue under a new administrative structure, the dissolution marks the end of [Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies] as a distinct academic department at UTSA,” reads a statement issued this week by faculty in the race and gender department.

In an email sent to students, faculty and staff on Jan. 16, Mario Torres, dean of the College of Education and Human Development, which oversees the two departments, said he had met with faculty and staff from both departments to talk about the merger, which is set to take effect on Sept. 1.

“At this time, no changes to faculty or staff positions, reporting structures, or job responsibilities are planned. Academic programs will continue as usual, and students will have the same access to their courses, advisors, and degree pathways,” Torres wrote in the email.

Requests for an interview with Torres were denied, but in a written statement Joe Izbrand, UT-San Antonio’s associate vice president for strategic communications, said the consolidation is the product of a review of the college that was “focused on alignment and long-term program strength.”

“Universities routinely review the structure of their academic units to ensure they effectively and sustainably support students, faculty, and academic programs,” Izbrand said in the statement. “Academic programs, courses, and degree pathways will continue to be based on student interest and the university’s ability to deliver them effectively.”

Such reviews are considered standard practice, he added, in efforts to ensure their programs remain innovative and responsive to the changing academic and workforce needs. 

With 34 total students enrolled in the Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies department and 28 of them undergraduate students in the fall of 2025, it is one of the smallest departments in the College of Education and Human Development. The college as a whole had 1,688 total students last fall and the Bicultural-Bilingual Studies department reported having about 96 students enrolled during the fall of 2025. 

In their statement, faculty says they worry that a merger might mean less resources for the programs that don’t align with the UT System’s direction. 

“It is troubling to observe this trend at the UT system level, which raises questions about how Ethnic Studies and Gender Studies programs will be represented, resourced, and sustained moving forward at a public and Tier I Hispanic-Serving Institution in San Antonio,” the faculty statement reads. 

In a similar, yet broader move, UT Austin leaders recently announced the consolidation of four departments, which include African Diaspora studies, gender studies and Mexican American and Latino studies, into the Social and Cultural Analysis department, as reported by the Texas Tribune.

Torres’ announcement does not delineate exactly how the UT San Antonio merger would proceed, but he makes mention of the creation of a task force to help shape “the unified department’s mission, identity, and structure.” 

The group includes four faculty members of each department and two administrative assistants, according to a Feb. 4 email obtained by San Antonio Report. The group will discuss and provide recommendations ahead of the Sept. 1 merger deadline, according to the email.

“We anticipate regular engagement with both departments pretty constantly as you work, and administration is here to support as needed,” wrote Emily Bonner, associate dean for research and faculty success in the College of Education and Human Development. “You will make recommendations to the Chairs and Dean on particular items as consensus is reached.”

Topics to discuss ahead of the merger include faculty governance and fair representation, department structure and a faculty review process during the transition. 

These priorities are not set in stone, Bonner said, and other topics, like a possible name change, could be explored in the future. 

“This is up to the committee so this list is not a mandate. [Associate Deans] are here to consult on any topics that come up, and to provide any information that would be helpful,” Bonner wrote. 

The Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies has 12 faculty members, with the majority listed as assistant or associate professors. The department offers degrees in African American Studies, Mexican American Studies and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies. With African American Studies, launched in 2022, being the latest addition to the department. 

In their statement, faculty say these programs are of significant importance to the historical, social and cultural understanding of San Antonio and Texas and build community and a sense of belonging in students. 

“[Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies] requires serious institutional commitment and concrete material support not only to ensure sustainability but to strengthen its academic and community offerings,” faculty said in the statement. “Failure to do so would be a grave disservice to UTSA students, San Antonio, and the larger society.”

The San Antonio Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.