CriticalRace.Org’s work has included meticulously examining university course catalogs to assess the extent to which diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) content persists in higher education.
As the new fall semester gets underway, universities across America are once again revealing what they are putting on the syllabus and what students will be learning in the classroom. While many universities continue to offer DEI-focused courses, a few of them uniquely stood out. From designed courses to establish “social justice advocacy” among students, to a course specifically studying “whiteness,” these three courses are sure to raise a few eyebrows.
1.Ithaca College’s “The Politics of Whiteness”
According to College’s 2026-27 Course Catalog, students may choose to take a course titled “The Politics of Whiteness” in the Fall semester. This course examines the “emergence of whiteness as a category that determines the distribution of rights and privileges including voting rights, property rights, and the right to own one’s own body.”
2. Stanford Law School’s “Critical Race Theory”
Even after the apparent crackdown on Critical Race Theory in higher education, Stanford’s Law School maintains a course instructing future attorneys in identity politics. Stanford Law School offers a course titled “Critical Race Theory” in the 2026-2027 Autumn semester, which “explores Critical Race Theory (CRT), mapping its origins in the late 1980s in the US legal academy and exploring its transnational and international trajectories.” Other topics of focus in this course include the “attempts to grapple with race and racism as global structures mutually constitutive with law and imperialism.”
3. Arkansas State’s “Social Justice and Advocacy”
The trend of teaching college students to develop advocacy towards left-leaning agendas continues on campuses. In the Arkansas State’s 2026–2027 Undergraduate Catalog, a course titled “Social Justice and Advocacy” is offered in the Fall semester, which is designed to “create a foundational understanding of underrepresented populations, social justice, and advocacy.” The course also maintains the goal of “help[ing] foster and develop advocacy skills.”
These courses illustrate the range of DEI and critical race-related coursework that remains available at universities across the country. From examining whiteness and racial privilege to exploring Critical Race Theory and developing social justice advocacy skills, these offerings raise broader questions about the role and influence of such material in higher education.
