Universities across the state today submitted lists of dozens of low-enrolled programs they will be required to sunset, in compliance with Senate Bill 1, Ohio’s higher education bill.
The state law requires schools to cut undergraduate degree programs that graduate fewer than five students annually. Kent State University said Thursday it's submitted 24 degree programs to the state. However, the university has requested a two-year waiver on five of the programs, to allow it to boost enrollment and save them. They are Bachelor of Science degrees in plant biology, medical laboratory science and insurance studies, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in music and philosophy.
For the other 19 programs, the university requested a one-year waiver to allow students to complete them, or for them to be merged with others. In some cases, Bachelor of Arts degrees will be sunset, but Bachelor of Science degrees in the same subject area will remain.
"In many cases, the degree opportunities remain under a different heading," the university said in a statement. "For example, while the B.A. in Mathematics will sunset, the B.S. in Mathematic remains active for students seeking this area of study. Bachelor’s Degrees in Physical Science, Physics, Chemistry and Respiratory Care follow similar paths. Several of the associate degrees will merge with existing programs, such as the Radiologic Technology A.T.S. degree will sunset while in reality, it is merging with the Radiologic Technology A.A.S. program."
At Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), the sunsetting requirement means the college will end 30 associate’s degree programs and apprenticeships. The list, shared by Tri-C earlier this month, ranges from an apprenticeship in ironworking to a massage therapy certificate.
Youngstown State University said it's ending five programs, the main being two bachelor's degree programs in geological sciences. Bachelor of arts programs in chemistry, physics and theatre and film studies were eliminated, but they still have their own bachelor of sciences or bachelor of fine arts programs that are continuing, a spokesperson said Thursday.
The University of Akron said it eliminated 11 programs, eight of which would have been eliminated without Senate Bill 1. All but one had no students enrolled, the university said in a statement Friday.
No layoffs are planned as a result of the program eliminations, Tri-C, Kent State, the University of Akron and Youngstown State said in separate statements. Employees in programs that are ending will work on related certificate programs and develop new program ideas, Tri-C said.
The community college also said the reason some of the programs had few students receiving degrees is because they were receiving “short-term certifications” to enter the workforce faster.
“Two examples are the Court Captioning and Reporting certificate instead of the associate's degree and the Massage Therapy certification instead of the degree,” Tri-C wrote. “Both degree programs had few graduates because the certificate programs led directly to employment and licensure.”
Senate Bill 1 sponsor Senator Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, said the provision for universities to end low-enrolled programs is meant to make them more efficient.
“This practice is necessary for our state institutions of higher education to right-size themselves and ensure state resources are going towards the programs which produce the most in-demand needs for our workforce," Cirino wrote in a statement Friday. "Without this requirement in SB 1, it would take years for this magnitude of retrenchment to occur. That sort of timeline isn’t something our institutions can afford with the ever-changing landscape of our economy and the changing demographics in higher education”.
Cleveland State University has not yet provided an update on what will happen with their low-enrolled programs.
All universities and colleges interviewed for this story said they make decisions to end programs regularly due to low enrollment and other factors, separate from Senate Bill 1 compliance.
