USC has hidden the classroom locations for Gender and Sexuality Studies courses from public view out of safety concerns, according to a Dornsife spokesperson.
Since late September, the locations of Gender and Sexuality Studies classes have been hidden from the publicly facing Schedule of Classes website. The same change was also made to Web Registration, the internal class enrollment system for students.
A Dornsife spokesperson told Annenberg Media the change was not due to any specific incident but “out of an abundance of caution.”
DPS Assistant Chief David Carlisle confirmed this, saying they have not heard reports of increased hostilities towards gender-based studies students.
“Faculty and students in the Gender and Sexuality Studies Department recently shared general safety concerns in light of heightened rhetoric nationwide,” a Dornsife spokesperson said. “This is a precautionary step to support our community’s safety and well-being. We continue to work closely with university colleagues, including the Department of Public Safety, to foster a supportive learning environment for students and faculty.”
Associate Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies Atia Sattar said she received an email from DPS to the department’s faculty stating that they would monitor and ensure the security of classrooms where the department’s courses are held. Annenberg Media has not been able to obtain the full content of the email.
“Given the current political climate, faculty and students have been nervous about the possibility of incidents or people coming into classrooms, and so choosing to make the classroom numbers unavailable from the website felt like a safety issue,” Sattar said. “I wish it wasn’t happening, but I understand why.”
Sattar does not believe the change would affect the overall classroom experience.
“The classroom is a safe space and I want the students to feel free to express themselves,” she said. “I think if there was physical presence, it would be more of an issue.”
But she also expressed concern about whether DPS could respond promptly in the event of an emergency.
“It doesn’t necessarily make me feel safer, but I can understand why it would make other faculty feel more looked after. So I am not really thinking about it, mostly because it’s invisible,” she said.
The Gender and Sexuality Studies major is designed for students interested in the interdisciplinary study of gender and sexuality. The curriculum draws on fields such as sociology, literature, political theory, history and queer studies to analyze how gender and sexuality shape politics, knowledge, health, culture and everyday life. As national debates surrounding identity and academic freedom continue to intensify, the department’s mission to foster open and critical conversations feels increasingly vital to that community.
Karen Tongson, chair of the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies, declined Annenberg Media’s interview request.
The Gender and Sexuality Studies Department at USC consists of about a dozen faculty members and offers a wide range of classes — from large lectures accommodating up to 150 students to small seminars with fewer than 10. Course topics range from “Gender and Global Issues” (IR 316) to “Women and Gender in Hip Hop” (SWMS 348).
With classroom locations now concealed, it is more difficult for students interested in Gender and Sexuality Studies to sit in on the courses during the first three weeks of the semester, when they have the flexibility to add or drop classes.