The College Fix, one of the leading conservative-leaning student newspapers focused on higher education, recently reported on the University of Wyoming’s decision to eliminate several progressive-minded degree programs while closing its DEI office. The coverage was based on an article by our own Jovan Tripkovic, Cosmetic Change at the University of Wyoming, published by the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.
In his piece, Tripkovic argued that while the Board of Trustees voted to eliminate majors such as African American and Diaspora Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies, the university’s decision to retain most of the courses and repackage them as minors amounted to “a symbolic gesture that fails to address the deeper structural issues at the University of Wyoming.” He further noted that cosmetic rebranding—such as renaming the School of Culture, Gender & Social Justice to the Department of American Cultural Studies—suggests the DEI mindset is “in hibernation,” not eradicated.
Martin Center president Jenna Robinson told The College Fix she views the elimination of these majors as only “a first step.” She stressed, “Fields where the goal is social justice instead of the discovery, preservation, and transmission of truth don’t meet the requirements to be an academic major. These programs teach activism, not scholarship.” Robinson added that topics such as women’s or civil rights should be studied within traditional disciplines like history or political science, ensuring rigor and seriousness.
Tripkovic echoed this concern, saying, “Instead of full undergraduate degrees, students can now take these courses as part of minors that closely mirror the canceled programs in both name and structure. These changes are more about appearances than substance.” He concluded that meaningful reform would require eliminating not just the degrees, but also the underlying courses and administrative infrastructure.
Both Robinson and Tripkovic argue that real progress will only come from moving away from DEI-driven curricula toward traditional liberal arts, civic education, and reforms aligned with Wyoming’s needs.
To read the full report, visit The College Fix – HERE.