DES MOINES, Iowa — Drake University says it has a "focus on financial sustainability" while looking to streamline curriculum, but potentially at the cost of 13 academic programs.
Provost Sue Mattison shared the school's plans to cut costs and adapt to decreasing enrollment numbers nationwide, adding more context to University President Marty Martin's early February update.
"We are Bulldogs—built to adapt and respond," Martin said in a Feb. 7 statement. "The work we have before us demands that we make difficult decisions but brings with it the opportunity to create a brighter future. "
Mattison shared that 13 programs could potentially be removed from the university's catalogs. Those are listed at the bottom of this story.
If the proposed cuts were to happen, Mattison said prospective students would instead join different programs with "similar learning outcomes and career opportunities".
Mattison's announcement claims nine faculty members were told on Friday morning "their academic program will be recommended for discontinuance and their faculty line will be recommended for termination."
Here's what would allegedly be on the chopping block.
Undergraduate majors:
- Anthropology/Sociology
- Astronomy
- Physics
- Religion
- Rhetoric
- Health Care Administration
Undergraduate minors:
- Anthropology
- Religion
- Rhetoric
- East Asian Studies
Graduate Majors
- Master of Accountancy
- Master of Public Administration
Graduate Certificate
- Evidence-based Health Care
Faculty have between March 1 and April 1 to provide "evidence that retaining the program is in the best interest of the institution."
Faculty Senate will vote on the recommendations on April 17 after reviewing any information submitted by concerned faculty. From there, Martin and the Board of Trustees will make final decisions about the programs' futures in an April meeting.
Any changes will be announced to the campus on April 29.
"Drake University has navigated through many challenging periods in our 143-year history. Each time, struggles notwithstanding, the University has grown stronger," Mattison said. "As we work together to face this most recent challenge, I’m confident we will leave a mission-focused legacy for another 143 years and beyond."