Southwest
Education advocates praise Texas A&M decision to wind down Women’s and Gender Studies certificate
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Texas A&M is winding down their Women’s and Gender Studies certificate, according to an announcement the university made on Friday, a move that education advocates are welcoming.
“Texas A&M is doing what all institutions of higher education should: cleaning house,” Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at Defending Education, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“In a welcome development, the university has assessed more than 5,400 course syllabi to ensure that students earn degrees of real value, without being forced to subsidize race or sex discrimination in the process,” she added. “The pearl-clutching over censorship is, unsurprisingly, unfounded. After review of thousands of offerings, the university only eliminated six classes — representing a scant 0.11% of total courses available at the school. Texas A & M’s re-examination of its core curriculum and degree programs charts the path forward for other universities that want to ensure their degree programs are high-quality, value-neutral, transparent, and cost-efficient. Others should follow the university’s example.”
TEXAS TECH RESTRICTS TEACHING OF RACE AND GENDER, FACULTY COULD BE DISCIPLINED FOR VIOLATING RULE
Texas A&M is winding down their Women’s and Gender Studies certificate, according to an announcement the university made on Monday, a move that education advocates are welcoming. (Getty/IStock)
In their Friday announcement, the university said the decision was made as part of a course review for the Spring semester which looked at around 5,400 course syllabi to guarantee that they were in full compliance with the school’s policy requirements.
“The decision reflected both the requirements of System policies and limited student interest in the program based on enrollment over the past several years,” the announcement read.
According to the university’s news release, a total of six courses were canceled, including one course in the Bush School of Government and Public Service, two courses in the College of Arts and Sciences, two courses in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and one course in the College of Education and Human Development.
The release added, “Throughout the process, university advisors ensured that course cancellations did not create any obstacles that would prevent students from staying on track to graduate as planned.”
SJSU RESPONDS TO TRUMP ADMIN PROBE THAT FOUND UNIVERSITY VIOLATED TITLE IX WITH TRANS VOLLEYBALL PLAYER
According to the university’s news release, a total of six courses were canceled, including one course in the Bush School of Government and Public Service, two courses in the College of Arts and Sciences, two courses in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and one course in the College of Education and Human Development. (Getty Images )
Interim President Tommy Williams was quoted in the announcement saying that the changes were intended to preserve academic standards and trust.
“For 150 years, Texas A&M has led the way for higher education in Texas, our mission unchanged,” Williams said. “Strong oversight and standards protect academic integrity and restore public trust, guaranteeing that a degree from Texas A&M means something to our students and the people who will hire them. That has been our focus through this process and will remain our focus as we move forward.”
Jonathan Butcher, acting director for the Center for Education Policy, and Will Skillman, senior research fellow in education policy at The Heritage Foundation, said the move was one that would bolster higher education.
IVY LEAGUE WATCHDOG WARNS TRUMP’S ANTI-DEI WINS ARE TEMPORARY AS COLLEGES ‘WAIT HIM OUT’
A general view shows the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, Texas, in December 2016. (Reuters/Spencer Selvidge)
“It is entirely appropriate for Texas A&M to end gender studies programs,” Butcher told Fox News Digital. “These programs are not based on biology and were built to suit radical activists, not students who are serious about pursuing truth.”
“Furthermore, public opinion polls demonstrate that Americans do not want males to have access to women’s private spaces, nor do we want boys participating in girls’ athletics,” Butcher said. “Both of these ideas logically follow from gender studies programs.”
He added that, “Colleges are generally losing support from the general public, again, according to surveys, so more universities should be taking steps such as this — focusing on rigorous academics, not advocacy programs.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Tim Eaton, assistant vice president for institutional reputation management for Texas A&M, said the decision to wind down the Women’s & Gender Studies was due to two factors, one being requirements of their new system policies, as well as “the limited student interest in the program based on enrollment over the past several years.”
Eaton said that there are not any plans to replace the majors, minor and graduate certificates, but that the students in the programs will be able to complete their degrees.
Read the full article from Here
Los Angeles, Ca
Loved ones search for missing 34-year-old Southern California woman
Loved ones are searching for a 34-year-old Southern California woman who has been missing for over a week.
Amy Lynn Edmonds, 34, was reported missing on June 28, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Edmonds, who is considered at-risk, was last seen walking away from Coast Plaza Hospital in Norwalk.
She is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a blue jacket and was carrying a black backpack.
It’s unclear where she may have been heading when she disappeared.
Authorities said Edmonds has mental health and medical issues that require medication. Neither hospital staff nor loved ones have heard from her since and they are concerned for her well-being.
Anyone who may know Edmond’s whereabouts or has information on the case can call LASD’s Missing Persons Detail at 323-890-5500.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Los Angeles, Ca
Waymo video could determine charges after teens’ bizarre California ride
Police are still waiting for video from Waymo before deciding whether two teenagers accused of drinking alcohol and firing an Orbeez gun from inside one of the company’s self-driving vehicles could face additional charges, a San Mateo police spokesperson told KTLA.
The incident unfolded around 2:10 p.m. Monday when a Waymo representative contacted the San Mateo Police Department to report suspicious behavior inside one of the company’s autonomous vehicles.
“The Waymo rep who contacted us told us they saw what they described as a firearm in the vehicle, described it black in color, and at some point believed that the passengers were firing it outside of the vehicle,” Community Relations Officer Janine Luna said. “Even at one point saying they believed they saw a recoil.”
The representative also reported that the passengers appeared to be intoxicated and had an open bottle of alcohol inside the vehicle, Luna said.
Believing they were responding to reports of a firearm being fired from a moving vehicle, officers coordinated with Waymo to conduct what police described as a high-risk traffic stop.
Luna said Waymo remotely disabled the vehicle in a location where officers could safely respond. The company then informed the passengers that the vehicle was experiencing mechanical problems while officers made their way to the scene.
Although the vehicle was disabled, its doors remained unlocked and the passengers could have exited if they wanted to, Luna said. Instead, they stayed inside until officers arrived, cleared the vehicle and detained the occupants.
Investigators later determined the suspected firearm was an Orbeez gun, a motorized toy that fires water-filled gel pellets.
While Orbeez guns are legal to possess, Luna said the one recovered by officers had been partially painted black, making it appear more like a real firearm.
“We’ve been seeing that a lot, where people are taking BB guns, water guns, toy guns, completely painting them over, and then in a lot of cases they actually do really look like real guns,” she said.
Police said no injuries or property damage have been reported, and no victims have come forward.
The two passengers, both 15 years old, were released to their parents and were not arrested, Luna said.
Authorities have already forwarded the underage drinking allegation to the juvenile district attorney for review. However, investigators are still waiting to receive Waymo video before deciding whether to recommend any additional charges.
“We’re still waiting to receive that video to determine what, if anything, they’ll be charged with,” Luna said. “Obviously it’s a water gun or toy gun. It’s not illegal to carry, but depending on shooting from a moving vehicle, there’s some of that that can come into play.”
Luna said this was the first time the San Mateo Police Department had handled an incident in which Waymo contacted officers in real time to report suspicious activity inside one of its vehicles.
The incident comes just weeks after another high-profile Waymo incident in Southern California. In late June, several teens were seen hanging out of the windows of a self-driving Waymo as it traveled through Santa Monica traffic. Waymo later told KTLA those riders’ accounts had been suspended for violating the company’s user agreement.
Luna also urged parents to keep an eye on their children during summer break and reminded the public not to alter the appearance of toy guns to make them resemble real firearms.
“We want to give our kids freedom to have fun and enjoy their time off from school,” Luna said. “But because they’re not in school, just keep an eye on them. Make sure you know where they’re at. Make sure you know who they’re hanging out with.”
Iman Palm and Aaron Tolentino contributed to this report.
Los Angeles, Ca
Bicyclist killed by hit-and-run driver in Long Beach
An investigation is underway after a bicyclist was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Long Beach.
On July 6, Long Beach police responded to a crash near Cowles Street and Santa Fe Avenue just after 2:30 a.m.
Officers found the victim, a man in his 50s, lying unresponsive on the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver who struck him fled the area before officers arrived.
A preliminary investigation indicated the bicyclist was riding westbound on Cowles Street when he was struck by an unknown vehicle that turned onto Cowles from Santa Fe Avenue.
The victim’s name is being withheld pending positive identification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
No further details, including a suspect or vehicle description, were released.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information on the incident is urged to call the Long Beach Police Department’s Collision Investigation Detail at 562-570-7355.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
-
Delaware3 minutes agoPlans advance for Delaware city’s first Chick-fil-A restaurant
-
Florida5 minutes agoSummer Scheming ‘26: Florida State Seminoles
-
Georgia11 minutes agoTravel and Leisure listed unique experiences in each state, including GA
-
Hawaii18 minutes agoThree West Hawaii sex offenders arrested – West Hawaii Today
-
Idaho21 minutes ago
Idaho Power crews respond to outage affecting 2,163 customers in Canyon County
-
Illinois33 minutes agoAs Illinois enters 10th year under Evidence-Based Funding model, equity remains an elusive goal
-
Indiana35 minutes agoFAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME
-
Iowa41 minutes agoFrom caviar nuggets to bison, 10 new Iowa State Fair food trends

