Universities are under fire for their numerous “diversity” courses, which aren’t usually about learning anything but about parroting professors’ grievances. For decades, this was a growth industry, as schools fattened their curricular offerings with all sorts of stuff that appealed to radical faculty and leftist students.

That tide seems to have crested, and the Trump administration is scrutinizing “diversity” courses for discrimination against people who are not “diverse.” Moreover, the waste of these courses is more evident than ever at a time when academic resources are more strained.

One university that has grappled with this is the University of Wyoming. In today’s Martin Center article, Jovan Tripkovic writes about it. The board voted to eliminate the degree programs in gender and women’s studies and African-American and diaspora studies. Sounds good. Unfortunately, Tripkovic writes, the move is an empty gesture:

While riding the anti-DEI wave by eliminating undergraduate degrees in African American Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies, the Board of Trustees has chosen to keep many of the courses from these programs. Moving forward, the courses will form the foundation of minors in gender or diaspora studies.

Never mind that few students want those courses. The University of Wyoming board can’t bring itself to dump them.

I agree with Tripkovic entirely when he writes,

The University of Wyoming needs genuine reform, not quick publicity stunts. Canceling underperforming degrees is only a first step. University leadership should shift its focus away from R1 vanity projects and prioritize public service and teaching excellence.