University of Iowa Proposes Closure of 6 Majors, 2 Academic Units

Moves come after review shows low enrollment in targeted programs

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The University of Iowa is proposing the closure of six undergraduate majors and two academic units within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The targeted programs all have fewer than 25 students enrolled, and the two units up for elimination are the African American Studies program and the Department of Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies, which officials say are now illegal under Iowa's recently-passed anti-DEI laws.

Why it matters

The proposed closures reflect broader trends of declining enrollment in certain liberal arts fields, as well as the impact of politically-motivated legislation targeting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at public universities in Iowa and other states.

The details

The six majors recommended for closure are: African American studies (BA with 9 students), Applied physics (BS with 8 students), Classical languages (BA with 14 students), Gender, women's, and sexuality studies (BA with 12 students), Italian (BA with 12 students), and Russian (BA with 10 students). The two academic units targeted for elimination are the African American Studies program and the Department of Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies.

  • The University of Iowa announced the proposed closures on February 25, 2026.
  • The Iowa Board of Regents will vote on the closures at its April 2026 meeting.

The players

University of Iowa

A public research university located in Iowa City, Iowa.

Iowa Board of Regents

The governing body that oversees the state's public universities, including the University of Iowa.

State of Iowa

The state government that recently passed anti-DEI laws which officials say make the targeted academic units illegal.

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What’s next

The Iowa Board of Regents will vote on whether to approve the proposed closures at its April 2026 meeting.

The takeaway

The proposed closures at the University of Iowa reflect broader challenges facing liberal arts programs at public universities, as well as the growing political pressure to limit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives on college campuses.