Education

Faced with budget pressures, UAF drops philosophy program, trims music and other programs

The University of Alaska Fairbanks plans to cut its philosophy degree program and reduce offerings in music and a variety of other areas, while suspending a dental hygiene program and merging journalism and theater, the university said Wednesday.

"We wish it was not necessary to reduce the number of programs we offer, but our state budget scenario leaves us few choices. We will be facing cutbacks across campus, in addition to these, and are working hard to ensure we preserve as many academic programs as possible, as they are core to our mission as a university," UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers and UAF Provost Susan Henrichs said in a memo to UAF staff and students.

While the philosophy degree would be eliminated, there would still be some philosophy courses, UAF said. The report also calls for an end to certain master's degrees in chemistry, engineering management, science management and music and no longer offering the bachelor of arts degrees in music or sociology.

UAF would still offer a master of science in chemistry, a bachelor of music and music education, and a bachelor of arts in sociology.

The review covered 38 degree or certificate options in which about 2 percent of UAF students are enrolled.

UAF would retain more than 180 degree programs after the changes, including some in disciplines that are seeing cutbacks.

"In sections where program enrollment is suspended, new students will be encouraged to select an available program in similar areas of interest," UAF said in a summary of the final decisions on program review.

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The academic review called for the merger of some engineering degrees and for a suspension of the dental hygiene associate's degree and the power generation certificate. It said journalism and the theater program should be merged or redesigned and that a host of other programs need to implement plans to attract more students or financial support. The geography program should also be merged with another department or redesigned.

If plans to reshape journalism, theater and the bachelor of arts in geography are not approved within six months, new enrollment will end as of Dec. 31, UAF said. For other offerings, such as the automotive technology certificate and the dental assistant associate's degree, the faculty and staff will have up to two years to show increases in enrollment and external support.

A dozen programs remain under academic review, including five associated with Native languages, two with mineral engineering and three with physics. The latter programs are for a master's degree in physics and doctoral degrees in physics and space physics.

Programs selected for cutbacks were those with low enrollment that have seen a decline of more than 30 percent in the past five years and have had among the lowest number of graduates in the past three years.

Dermot Cole

Former ADN columnist Dermot Cole is a longtime reporter, editor and author.

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