Towson University is dissolving its Women’s and Gender Studies department after enrollment fell to just 11 majors while critics pointed to an $870,000 budget figure tied to the unit.
Story Snapshot
- Towson will shift Women’s and Gender Studies from a department to a program in Fall 2026 due to low majors.
- Critics cite a reported $870,220 budget for the unit and say spending is out of line with demand.
- Towson’s total budget is in the hundreds of millions, which frames how any one unit fits into costs.
- Students can still major or minor in the field even after the reorganization, university materials show.
What Towson Decided And Why It Matters
Towson University will restructure Women’s and Gender Studies from a stand-alone department to a program in Fall 2026. The move follows a sharp drop in majors. Campus reporting states the department had only 11 students registered for Fall 2025. Towson says students will still be able to major or minor in the field after the change. The program will live within a larger academic area and continue to offer courses toward the degree.
Conservative outlets seized on a budget figure to argue the unit spent far more than its demand justified. One report, citing Campus Reform, claimed the department’s budget rose to about $870,220 by the 2024–2025 year. That number became a symbol for people worried about ideological programs and waste on campus. They argue scarce tuition and tax dollars should track student demand and core instruction first.
How The Dollars Fit In Towson’s Bigger Budget
Maryland budget records show Towson’s total spending is in the range of $651 million for fiscal year 2026. The university’s own operating book lists totals above $675 million. Those figures set the scale for any single program. On large campuses, line items often include shared salaries, advising, and overhead spread across departments. That can make a “department budget” look large even when it supports many campus activities.
Towson hosts both undergraduate and graduate offerings in Women’s and Gender Studies. The catalog lists a bachelor’s path and a separate master’s program housed in the College of Liberal Arts. Shared staff, faculty, and space can serve both levels. That structure can complicate a simple “dollars per major” math. Still, the low count of majors raised clear concerns and drove the decision to fold the unit into a broader program.
What Changes For Students And Faculty
Students can keep studying the field. Towson’s notice says majors and minors remain available even after departmental status ends. Courses will still count toward degree plans, and advising can shift under a new home unit. For current students, the school usually “teaches out” required classes so no one is stranded. The goal is to shrink administrative overhead while preserving classes tied to student progress and demand.
Outrageous! Towson University Spends $870K on Women’s and Gender Studies Department with Just 11 Majors https://t.co/kVuMBg9wl9 #gatewaypundit via @gatewaypundit
— Frizz (@FrizzTm) August 2, 2026
Faculty roles may shift as the program joins a larger department. Some teaching loads can move into cross-listed courses that draw students from other majors. That can raise class sizes and cut duplication. Supporters say this targets bureaucracy, not learning. Skeptics worry it can become a quiet step toward fewer course options over time. Towson has not published detailed staffing changes in the sources reviewed for this story.
Why This Debate Hits A Nerve Nationally
Parents and taxpayers across the spectrum worry about rising college bills and uneven value. Conservatives say niche programs with very low enrollment drain money from core subjects. Liberals say schools should still support fields that study social inequality and history. Both sides share a bigger fear: large institutions spend first to protect overhead, not students. Towson’s move lands in that debate by cutting structure while keeping the major path in place.
What We Know, And What We Do Not
We know Towson will end the department and shift it to a program in Fall 2026, with only 11 majors reported for Fall 2025. We know critics cite a reported $870,220 budget number to question value. We also know Towson’s total budget tops $650 million, which changes how to read one unit’s costs. What we do not have in the public materials here is a detailed, audited breakdown of that $870,220 line and exactly what it funds.
Sources:
thegatewaypundit.com, pjmedia.com, towson.edu
