AT A GLANCE
- UTSA will consolidate its Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies into the Department of Bicultural Bilingual Studies effective Sept. 1, 2026.
- University officials say the merger is structural only for now, with no planned staffing cuts and no immediate changes to courses, advising, or degree requirements.
- The move follows broader changes across the UT System, including UT Austin’s recent consolidation of ethnic and gender studies departments, amid ongoing statewide scrutiny of DEI related programs.
Another One: UTSA to Merge African and Mexican Studies Programs Amid UT System Consolidations
The University of Texas at San Antonio will consolidate its Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies into the Department of Bicultural Bilingual Studies effective Sept. 1, university officials confirmed.
The Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies was formed in 2020 and houses three undergraduate majors: African American Studies, Mexican American Studies, and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
In a Jan. 16 message to faculty and staff within UTSA’s College of Education and Human Development, Dean Mario Torres said the two departments would be unified into a single academic unit.
In a written statement, Torres said the consolidation will not immediately impact personnel.
“At this time, no changes to faculty or staff positions, reporting structures, or job responsibilities are planned,” Torres wrote in an email, according to reports.
The decision comes as race and gender focused programs face increasing political scrutiny state and nationwide.
Since returning to office, President Donald Trump’s administration has moved to eliminate federal DEI initiatives, and the U.S. Department of Education has directed institutions to dismantle DEI programming or risk losing access to federal funding streams, including Title IV support and student loans.
Across Texas, campuses have faced legislative bans and financial pressure tied to compliance with anti DEI directives, prompting restructures and program rollbacks at multiple public universities.
In 2023, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 17, banning public universities from operating DEI offices and limiting certain DEI programming. The law, which took effect in January 2024, does not prohibit teaching race or gender but has prompted audits and structural changes at several public institutions.
Earlier this month, leaders at University of Texas at Austin announced plans to consolidate multiple departments, including African and African Diaspora Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, into a newly structured academic unit.
UTSA officials have not released additional details about what the consolidation will mean long term or when the new department name and leadership will be announced.
