University of Iowa Claims It's Closing Gender, Women's Studies Department - but It's Just a Reshuffling

Much as I love Alaska, I also acknowledge that, deep down inside, I'm still a farm-country kid from Iowa. Iowans are, in my experience, by and large well grounded, sensible folks. Unfortunately, Iowa academics can be just as loony tunes as academics anywhere, and Iowa's university systems still offer some courses and programs that are the purest of the stuff that I used to shovel when working summers in my uncle's livestock auction barn.

Some sanity may be returning, though. In a recent press release, the University of Iowa announced that it will be shuttering its Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies Department.

The University of Iowa announced that it would close its Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies department as public universities in the state continue to respond to a changing DEI landscape. 

"Under the proposed plan, the college would close the departments of American Studies and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies, as well as the current majors in American Studies and in Social Justice, which have fewer than 60 students combined, and create a new major in Social and Cultural Analysis," the University of Iowa announced in a press release on Dec. 17.

The decision comes after Iowa's state Board of regents approved 10 recommendations to scale back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the Hawkeye State./p>

Of course, it would be better to see the Board of Regents eliminating DEI initiatives rather than just scaling them back. But, sadly, this appears to be more of a reshuffling than an outright elimination.

"We are excited to reposition these programs for the future," dean of the University of Iowa's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), Sara Sanders, said. "The creation of a School of Social and Cultural Analysis would allow us to build on our considerable legacy in areas that are essential to our mission, while creating more sustainable structures and room for innovative new curricula." 

"Right now, these programs are administered by multiple department chairs and multiple directors," CLAS associate dean for the arts and humanities, Roland Racevskis, said. "Under this proposed plan, the school would have a single leadership team dedicated to overseeing the operations of the programs."

The dean is wrong. These programs should not exist. Here's why.

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See Related: Biden Administration Gives Up on Student Loan Bailouts

Alaska vs. US Department of Education: Alaska 1, ED 0

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Like all the various DEI and other Underwater Ethnic Dog-Polishing Studies programs, the ones described here at U of Iowa contribute nothing to the sole purpose of any educational establishment - to take young skulls full of mush and fit them out with marketable skills. There are no marketable skills taught in any of these classes or programs; they are the purest of corral litter, suitable only for enriching lawns or fertilizing vegetables. They contribute nothing to the educational process. They contribute nothing to the employment marketplace these kids will soon be entering. They are a waste of time and money.

This is why education financing has to be tied to educational outcomes. At a minimum, every university should be required to be a co-signer on any student loans taken on by any student. If the student cannot find gainful employment, and therefore cannot pay back their loans, the university is on the hook. That should help dry up a lot of these zero-value-added "studies" programs.

In the meantime: Come on, Iowa. As a product of Iowa's university system myself (University of Northern Iowa, Class of '87), I expect more from you.