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The University of North Texas is cutting dozens of academic programs to stabilize its troubled institutional finances.
On Thursday, UNT announced it is eliminating or consolidating more than 70 graduate and undergraduate programs, minors and certifications. While students currently enrolled in the programs will be able to complete their studies, they will be unavailable to new students going forward, according to a release.
Programs affected include a women and gender studies master’s degree, a bachelor’s degree in Latino and Latin American studies, and a minor in Italian. Linguistics classes will also be phased out as the department merges with the languages and culture department, although UNT officials did not specify a definitive timeline for the shift.
In an email to faculty, UNT President Harrison Keller called the cuts a “difficult decision” and said the institution will work with other schools in the area to provide programs no longer offered on the Denton campus.
“By making these difficult but necessary decisions, we will be able to strengthen the quality and impact of our current academic programs while investing in new areas that help us build momentum for the future,” Keller wrote.
The university is currently facing a $45 million budget shortfall fueled by a steep decline in international student enrollment and cuts to state funding enacted during the last legislative session. Officials have previously warned that low-enrollment programs may face elimination or consolidation, along with potential buyouts and higher course loads for faculty.
‘An Increasingly Dynamic Time for Higher Education’
When asked for comment, university representatives did not immediately clarify how many faculty positions would be affected by the cuts. Regarding how programs were selected for elimination, they cited a section of Keller’s letter stating that “student demand and enrollment trends, time to value, resource efficiency, and alignment with our university’s mission” were among the primary factors in the decision-making.
“We must adapt to meet the changing needs of our students, employers, and communities across Texas and beyond, especially by providing degree and credential pathways that translate into opportunities beyond graduation,” Keller’s letter states. “By making these difficult but necessary decisions, we will be able to strengthen the quality and impact of our current academic programs while investing in new areas that help us build momentum for the future.”
The affected programs largely represented disciplines in the humanities and arts. Minors identified for elimination due to average enrollments of 25 students or less include LGBTQ studies, American English studies, new media art, Arabic, classical studies, dance and Africana studies.
Despite the obvious financial strain facing the university, the courses selected for closure mirror a wider pattern across the state. The University of Texas at Austin recently consolidated its gender and sexuality studies, Mexican American and Latina/o, and African studies departments, while Texas A&M announced it is eliminating its women’s and gender studies program altogether in January.
Administrators at Texas public universities are dealing with increased pressure from conservative state lawmakers. Over the summer, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 37, which largely hands control of curriculum to committees appointed from the statehouse.
The bill requires universities to eliminate programs if the state determines that they do not provide an adequate return on investment. It also outlines criteria for eliminating or consolidating minors and certificates based on enrollment, and requires programs to show “specific industry data to substantiate workforce demand” to avoid consolidation.
Experts and teachers’ unions have warned that the bill is an overreach and will cause institutions to self-censor, with American Federation of Teachers President Brian Evans calling it an “unprecedented Big Government intrusion into the freedom to learn, teach, and research at the state’s public colleges, universities, and health institutions” in a release.
Students in affected programs will receive more information from the university, the announcement states.
“While these decisions are painful, they are part of a broader effort to position UNT for greater long-term stability in an increasingly dynamic time for higher education,” Keller wrote in the letter.
