Students at the University of Texas at Austin rallied against the university's plan to consolidate several academic departments within the College of Liberal Arts, expressing concerns about the impact on specific programs and student experiences. Protesters voiced their disappointment and questioned the restructuring's effect on degree plans and faculty.
University of Texas at Austin students rallied on campus Monday, voicing concern over the university’s plan to consolidate several academic departments. University of Texas at Austin students rallied on campus Monday, voicing concern over the university’s plan to consolidate several academic departments.
Students held signs reading “Stop the Consolidation” and “Protect Ethnic Studies,” calling for no eliminations. “I’m disappointed that my tuition, my time, my work is going to a university that doesn’t care,” said Yani Ayala, a junior majoring in Race, Indigeneity, and Migration. Evan, a senior in American and African American Studies, added, “I may, depending on what the future may look like, be the only class to ever have the experience of multiple different departments.” The protest follows a message from UT President Jim Davis announcing a major restructuring of the College of Liberal Arts. The plan will merge seven ethnic, cultural, and language studies departments into two new academic units. Ayala said the changes are personal. “I’m from Puerto Rico, and I come from a place that’s primarily Hispanic,” he said. During his freshman year, he says these departments became safe places for him and other students. "You would like always find people of color, students living there, just like, you know, doing their homework, having a conversation." University leaders said the review that prompted the restructuring highlighted major differences in department sizes and suggested some programs may function better if combined. In a statement, the university said, “These two new departments reflect our ongoing commitment to academic excellence and our responsibility to ensure that every student at UT Austin has access to a balanced and challenging educational experience.” Students, however, said questions remain: “Does this affect the future of degree plans, as well as student professors who are not tenured right now?” asked Evan. Others worry about course availability next year. “The classes that I take next year might not be the ones that I want to take,” Ayala said.The university says students already enrolled in these programs can continue pursuing their degrees within the new departments, and any future changes will be communicated as the curriculum review progresses.Hays County officials are pushing for new restrictions on large water-use developments as a proposed AI data center near San Marcos raises concerns about long-tPolice are investigating after a man fatally stabbed a woman in asouth Austin home Saturday morningbefore taking his own life.The Austin Police Department s"I'm disappointed," UT Austin students protest department consolidations University of Texas at Austin students rallied on campus Monday, voicing concern over the university’s plan to consolidate several academic departments.StudentsLicense plate readers recently installed around Austin by the Texas Department of Public Safety are drawing pushback from some privacy advocates and local leade
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