TCU announced that its Departments of Women and Gender Studies and Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies will close after June 1, 2026.

Students, faculty and alumni met this announcement with disappointment and concern.

“It saddens me to see that TCU is removing their WGST and CRES departments because of the impact that these classes had on me as a student,” Kate Mytchak, a class of 2025 TCU alumna who minored in women and gender studies, said. “Many of my peers talked about how these classes were some of the few safe spaces for them to fully express themselves, have a community, and feel like they belonged at TCU.”

Several months ago, TCU’s Department of Diversity and Inclusion also closed. With the Trump Administration’s push to eliminate DEI programs at universities, there is concern that the decision was political.

However, in an article by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TCU stated that the decision was based on low enrollment in these programs. As of fall 2025, the Department of Comparative Race and Ethnic studies has 9 undergraduate students enrolled as majors. The Department of Women and Gender studies has 2 undergraduate students majoring in their program.

The AddRan College of Liberal Arts stated that this decision would allow TCU to efficiently reallocate resources.

“TCU consistently reviews demand for classes and programs to meet student need and interest,” a TCU spokesperson wrote. “These reviews help inform decisions to ensure appropriate departmental structure and allocation of faculty resources.”

After the departments dissolve, their faculty, majors, minors and classes will merge under the umbrella of the English department.

“Majors, minors, certificates, and emphases will remain unchanged,” Dr. Sonja Watson, a dean in the AddRan College of Liberal Arts, wrote. “The Dean’s Office will collaborate with these departments to ensure that student degree progress remains unaffected and that the necessary support is provided”

Even though they will no longer be independent departments, students can still major, minor and take courses from these programs. They will simply take the courses through different departments, a TCU spokesperson said.