JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<select id="university">
    <option value="None">--Select--</option>
    <option value="1">UC Santa Barbara</option>
    <option value="2">UC Berkley</option>
    <option value="3">UC Los Angeles</option>
</select>
<br /><br/>
<select id="department">
    <option value="None">--Select--</option>
    <option value="1">Dept in UC Santa Barbara</option>
    <option value="2">Dept in UC Berkley</option>
    <option value="3">Dept in UC Los Angeles</option>
</select>

JavaScript

(function($) {
    $.fn.valChange = function(newValue) {
        return this.each(function() {
            var obj = $(this);
            obj.val(newValue);
            obj.change();
        });
    };
})(jQuery);


$(function() {
    $('#department').change(function() {
        $('#academicbody').hide();
        var selected = $("#department :selected").val();
        alert('Department changed!');
    });
    $('#university').change(function() {
        var selected = $("#university :selected").val();
        $('#department').valChange(selected);
        alert('University changed!');
    });

});