In the heart of Arkansas, a state known for its conservative leanings, a public university has introduced an intriguing course titled “Queer Childhoods” within its English department. This interdisciplinary writing class is part of the curriculum at the University of Central Arkansas, as noted in the institution’s course directory.

The course is designed to hone students’ skills in evaluating academic arguments and crafting research papers that are both argumentative and scholarly. According to the university’s website, the course is structured around thematic content, allowing instructors the freedom to select topics and interdisciplinary readings that align with those themes.

Despite the course’s intriguing title, the University of Central Arkansas has not provided detailed information about the curriculum, and the syllabus remains unavailable for public viewing.

The course is taught by Christine Case, a visiting assistant professor of English, whose expertise lies in children’s and young adult literature. Professor Case completed her Ph.D. in critical and cultural studies at the University of Pittsburgh in 2023, adding a well-rounded perspective to the course she leads.

As students make their way across the campus, past the familiar quad and its iconic stairs, the new academic offering stands out as a testament to the university’s commitment to exploring diverse and contemporary issues in literature and cultural studies.

Her dissertation was titled “Composite Bodies: Race, Gender, and Dis/ability in Fairy Tale Performance.”

“This dissertation interrogates the ways in which racial, gendered, dis/abled, and technological modes of embodiment reimagine what fairy tale performances can signify and who they can include,” the dissertation begins. “Through a framework of composite bodies, I chart diverse representational possibilities made possible by the appearance and performance of certain bodies in fairytale landscapes, from the crip Disney Park Guest to the Black incarnation of the white Disney Princess.

A bear mascot stands next to a banner on the University of Central Arkansas campus. (University of Central Arkansas/Flikr)

Case said the dissertation was inspired by “queer of color critique and contemporary girlhood studies,” and that the research “centers interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches to performance, race, gender, and popular culture, particularly in US contexts.”

The University of Central Arkansas told Fox News Digital that it had audited more than 3,000 current courses in order to determine whether they run afoul of the state’s recently-enacted Arkansas Curriculum Content and Educational Standards for Schools (ACCESS) law.

A pathway, lawn and buildings on the University of Central Arkansas campus. (University of Central Arkansas/Flikr)

Certain parts of the law ban DEI and critical race theory ideology. 

As a result, the school will no longer offer the course, according to a spokesperson. 

“UCA has received no student complaints or concerns regarding this course,” the spokesperson said. “The university remains committed to maintaining academic rigor, transparency and compliance while continuing to provide students with a broad liberal arts education that develops writing, research and analytical skills essential for success in any field.”