The College Fix

Republicans criticize plan as attempt to repackage eliminated programs

Two Iowa legislators have called on the Board of Regents to reject the University of Iowa’s proposal to establish a “School of Social and Cultural Analysis” due to its “ideological agenda.”

Republican representatives Lynn Evans and Taylor Collins sent a letter to the board last week opposing the new school that would include “African American Studies; American Studies; Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies; Jewish Studies; Latina/o/x Studies and Native American and Indigenous Studies,” according to KCCI Des Moines.

“Iowans expect our institutions of higher education to be focused on providing for the workforce needs of the state, not programs that are focused on peddling ideological agendas,” the letter states.

In December, the university announced that it would close its American Studies and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies departments and eliminate its social justice major, The College Fix previously reported.

“Iowans celebrated” in response to this news, the representatives stated in the letter. However, the programs are now simply being moved into the new school.

A news release from UI states the school will “create a new major in Social and Cultural Analysis,” encompassing the individual programs set to close.

“The existing programs have limited faculty and overlapping curricula, causing challenges for faculty in sustaining teaching capacity. The new curricula will not only streamline operations but offer clarity and flexibility in students’ educational pathways,” the university stated.

The School of Social and Cultural Analysis will take effect on July 1 if approved during the February Board of Regents meeting.

However, Iowa House Republicans, who play a role in determining state funding for public universities, recently formed a new higher education committee led by Rep. Collins. This committee, set to convene during the legislative session this week, will conduct a comprehensive review of Iowa’s higher education system, including its curriculum and spending.

“The only three letter acronyms the committee will be focused on over the general assembly will be MEI — merit, excellence and intelligence,” Collins told The Gazette of the upcoming session.

Further, the Iowa Board of Regents is “set consider a new draft of its strategic plan…edited to remove language pertaining to diversity, equity and inclusion” at a meeting on Jan. 15, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported.

Last year, Iowa’s public universities cut about $1.3 million in DEI positions, and the three largest universities in the state closed their DEI offices, The Fix previously reported.

MORE: More than $55,000 spent on restorative justice trainings at U. Iowa

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