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UW Accepts Comments on Academic Program Elimination Proposals

The University of Wyoming Office of Academic Affairs is accepting comments on the proposed elimination of 15 low-enrollment academic programs.

In accordance with UW Regulation 6-43, the university has officially notified students, faculty members, academic professionals and others in those programs of the elimination plans, kicking off a 60-day period for responses from them and any other people who wish to comment.

People are invited to review the proposals at www.uwyo.edu/acadaffairs/program-review/elimination-proposals.html. Comments may be emailed to progrevw@uwyo.edu.

After initiating academic degree program reviews in March, the Office of Academic Affairs has recommended elimination of six low-enrollment bachelor’s degrees, seven master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees.

Bachelor’s degrees recommended for elimination are: American studies, Russian, energy systems engineering, and secondary education specializations in art education, modern languages education and technical education. The American studies master’s degree program and Russian undergraduate minor would be maintained.

Master’s degrees recommended for elimination are: French, German, neuroscience, philosophy, sociology, environmental engineering, and adult and postsecondary education. The undergraduate degrees in French, German, philosophy and sociology, as well as the Ph.D. and undergraduate minor in neuroscience, would be maintained.

Ph.D. programs that would be eliminated are: adult and postsecondary education, and statistics. The undergraduate and master’s program in statistics would be maintained. The higher education administration program would be maintained.

The provost’s recommendations follow two rounds of reviews of 56 programs: undergraduate majors with fewer than 50 graduates total from 2010-15; master’s programs with fewer than 25 graduates from 2010-15; and other programs requested for review by deans. Recommendations were based on additional factors including mission centrality and quality of the programs. Quality factors include external demand for graduates; internal demand for courses; quality of inputs, such as faculty credentials and facilities; and quality of outputs, such as attainment of student learning outcomes, placement of graduates; and grants, publications and scholarly and creative work of faculty.

Students in programs and majors recommended for elimination -- in total, there are just 97 undergraduates and 33 graduate students in those programs -- will be allowed to complete those degrees.

The recommendations also include proposals to consolidate or reconfigure several academic units, including the American Studies Program, the Department of Statistics, the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Religious Studies, and the Science and Mathematics Teaching Center. For example, the Science and Mathematics Teaching Center would be reconfigured to serve a broader role in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education -- becoming a P-16 STEM education center dovetailing with UW’s science, engineering and education initiatives.

Following the 60-day comment period, Provost Kate Miller will have 10 days to submit the proposals and all comments received to the student, faculty and staff senates. They, in turn, will have 60 days to provide a written review and recommendations to the provost, who will have 30 days to make final recommendations to President Laurie Nichols. The president then will provide copies of all prior responses and reviews, the provost’s recommendations and her recommendations to the UW Board of Trustees, and that is expected at the board’s May or June meeting.

 

 

Contact Us

Institutional Communications
Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-2929
Email: cbaldwin@uwyo.edu


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