Eliminating these degree programs and rebranding them as minors does little to address the broader ideological imbalance on campus. Other programs—Political Science and Anthropology, to name two—also reflect a clear ideological bias.
Just as important are underlying structural problems in the university’s broader curriculum. The University of Wyoming offers dozens of Ph.D. programs, including in fields such as entomology, anthropology, and English. Many of these programs are not nationally competitive, offering modest stipends and limited job placement for graduates. They are largely a legacy of the university’s push to achieve R1 research status. It wouldn’t be surprising if many of them are soon labeled low-producing.
Without deeper, structural reforms, headlines about canceled degree programs will likely become more common.