The Board of Regents announced Wednesday that more than 450 under performing academic programs statewide are at risk of termination, 122 of them belonging to the LSU System and 34 to the University.
The programs, which comprise about one-third of all degree offerings statewide, were identified because of low completion rates and will be strictly evaluated by the Regents starting this month.
“Though statewide reviews of the curriculum inventory are historically conducted every 5 to 10 years, the Regents find it both desirable and necessary to conduct a review of low producing academic programs again,” the Academic and Student Affairs Committee’s review proposal says.
This particular review is the third study conducted since 2009 and also the most stringent, as it includes an analysis of duplication programs and will apply to all state programs with no exceptions.
“This is extremely important because it marks the first step in a series of actions which will culminate in a post-secondary education system that delivers services more efficiently, yet maintains quality and accessibility,” said Regents Chairman Robert Levy.
The review will look into enrollment rates, facility space, projected completer rates, the uniqueness of the program to the region, accreditation and the program’s contribution to the state’s economy.
“We’ve already been working on some of the programs, and some have already been eliminated,” said University Provost Jack Hamilton about the University’s low completers. “And then some were reviewed last year, and the Board voted to continue them.”
Regents Vice Chairwoman Mary Ellen Roy said the program evaluation is not only a way to save money, but a way to get universities focused on their strongest programs.
The next step in the process is communication between the Regents and the system boards and individual campuses. After identifying the programs at risk, the institutions will have until the end of February to submit their responses to the Regents. Each campus will have to agree to terminate the program, recommend consolidation or defend the program’s continuation.
“We will require systems and campuses to vigorously defend any request to continue a low-completer program by the use of clear data and analysis to overcome the presumption against maintaining a low productivity degree,” Levy explained.
The staff will evaluate the response until the Board issues final recommendation reports in April.
In 2009-10, 283 degree programs were placed under review. As a result, 118 were terminated, and 20 new programs were created through revisions and consolidations.
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Contact Sydni Dunn at [email protected]
More than 30 University programs could be terminated
January 26, 2011