Texas A&M University will stop offering its bachelor’s degrees and graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies — a decision that came as the flagship also canceled six courses and modified hundreds of syllabi to enforce a sweeping policy that bans the teaching race and gender ideology in the classroom.
The flagship reviewed about 5,400 syllabi for spring 2026 courses. Forty-eight courses were granted exemptions to teach the material out of 54 courses forwarded to the provost and president for final review, according to the university.
“For 150 years, Texas A&M has led the way for higher education in Texas, our mission unchanged,” interim President Tommy Williams said in a statement. “Strong oversight and standards protect academic integrity and restore public trust, guaranteeing that a degree from Texas A&M means something to our students and the people who will hire them. That has been our focus through this process and will remain our focus as we move forward.”
A&M said Friday that Williams would not be available for media interviews.
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The course review process has been highly contentious at the College Station campus, where more than 300 students and faculty protested on Thursday, alleging censorship in the classroom.
“It’s embarrassing if I graduate from a university that isn’t allowed to teach adults — who wanted to be here,” A&M sophomore Madeline Kiser, an English major, told the Houston Chronicle at the protest. “It’s really sad to walk into class and have professors have to dance around topics. I see it in my classes, the switch in demeanor.”
The A&M regents’ policy, which was passed in November and narrowed in December, broadly bans teaching race or gender ideology, or topics about gender identity and sexual orientation, in the core curriculum, although it allows some exemptions outside of the core.
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Critics of the new policy have said it would impede the ability of faculty to teach, undermine academic freedom and could be a violation of First Amendment rights.
Some alumni have said they believe the topics are too narrow to be the focus of core courses, while others have viewed the teaching as “indoctrination” — a charge most professors deny. The regents, who are appointed by the governor, have said the issue is about transparency and accountability, not censorship.
The issue gained national attention when a philosophy professor revealed that he was instructed to remove excerpts from the celebrated Greek philosopher Plato’s “Symposium” as part of the review. A&M officials on Friday clarified that at least a dozen courses will still teach Plato.
Less than 1% of courses were canceled, according to the university: one in the Bush School of Government and Public Service, two in the College of Arts and Sciences, two in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and one in the College of Education and Human Development.
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Students in canceled courses are all on track to graduate as planned, university officials said.
The decision to end the Women’s and Gender Studies program stemmed from both the regents’ policy and “limited student interest” based on enrollment, officials said. Currently enrolled students will be able to complete their programs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.