Hundreds of degree programs axed at IU, Purdue and other public colleges
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Indiana's public colleges and universities will eliminate hundreds of degree programs to comply with a new state law that says programs must graduate a certain number of students.
Why it matters: More than 400 programs are slated for elimination, culling nearly 20% of the degrees previously offered by the state's public higher education institutions.
- Programs that currently have students enrolled in them will teach out those students before the degrees are eliminated.
Catch up quick: Language slipped into the state budget bill at the last minute set new enrollment thresholds for degree programs — a rolling three-year average of 15 graduates for a bachelor's degree and 10 for an associate degree.
- Gov. Mike Braun and other supporters of the measure say it's about being efficient with state resources.
- "The thoughtful, voluntary review and reduction conducted by Indiana's public institutions demonstrates their commitment to improving quality, cost, and delivery while strategically allocating resources," commissioner for higher education Chris Lowery said in a news release. "Our institutions want to ensure the programs they're offering are responsive to student demand and fit the needs of Indiana's evolving economy."
The latest: IU, Purdue, Ball State, Indiana State, Southern Indiana and Ivy Tech all identified programs to eliminate ahead of the law taking effect Tuesday.
- Going forward, schools will have to get approval from the commission to continue under-threshold degree programs.
Threat level: IU is cutting 249 degree programs — everything from comparative literature and gender studies to various languages and art history — more than all the other institutions combined.
- IU spokesperson Mark Bode said 27 programs would be created through mergers and consolidations, making the net loss 222 programs.
Zoom in: 51 programs are targeted for elimination at Ball State, 11 at Indiana State, 10 at Ivy Tech, 4 at Southern Indiana and 83 across Purdue's campuses.
What they're saying: "This only affects 1 in 1,000 in the five programs identified for suspension," at Purdue's West Lafayette campus, spokesperson Trevor Peters said, "and those students will be able to finish their degrees."
What's next: The Indiana Commission for Higher Education's next meeting is July 24, where it will review and finalize the recommendations.