UConn May Cut Dozens of Majors

Be sure to read to the bottom of this to see which programs are at risk.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports:

Another Public Flagship May Cut Dozens of MajorsWhat’s NewFaculty members at the University of Connecticut worry that dozens of majors could face elimination as part of a review of low-enrollment programs — a process that began amid a significant budget deficit.The DetailsChristopher Vials, an English professor at UConn’s flagship campus in Storrs and president of its American Association of University Professors chapter, said 70 majors were identified as having failed to meet a threshold of 100 student completions over the last five years.Faculty members found out about the review in May when the provost’s office asked departments with low-enrollment programs to complete an evaluation report that Vials characterized as tasking them to “justify their continued existence.”These reports were submitted to the deans of each respective school and college, who have until November 1 to decide whether to recommend the closure or suspension of each program. They also must provide a deadline for when they’ll decide to close or continue — with adjustments — a suspended program. Their recommendations are expected to be presented before the Board of Trustees on December 11, according to Stephanie Reitz, a university spokesperson.“It is anticipated that the end result for the review of low-completion programs will result in the closure of some programs,” Anne D’alleva, the provost, and Gladis Kersaint, the vice provost for academic affairs, wrote in a memo to all academic deans.Majors like philosophy, women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, and animal science are on the chopping block. With the exception of Spanish, every program within the university’s literatures, cultures, and languages department is under review. The department, which houses nine majors, is seemingly divided on its next step, as it postponed a vote on Wednesday on whether it should move forward with the provost’s review or preemptively merge its majors into one or two programs, Vials said.

Tags: College Insurrection, Connecticut

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