Reasons to cut academic programs
Administration
In a document sent from Provost DonnaJean Fredeen to Rider’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the administration’s criteria for the annouced cuts included the following:
- Minimum impact on enrolled students
- Low market demand for programs in which further investments are unlikely to increase enrollments
- Increased competition from programs at other institutions offering similar degrees with more flexible modes of delivery
- Low number of applicants and low yield rates
- Lack of participation in an external review and/or establishment
- Assessment of student learning objectives; and potential net saving
Task force
The criteria established by the prioritization task force included these 10 factors from Dickeson’s book:
- History, development and expectation of the program
- External demand for the program
- Internal demand for the program
- Quality of program inputs and processes
- Quality of program outcomes
- Size, scope, and productivity of the program
- Revenue and other resources generated by the program
- Costs and other expenses associated with the program
- Impact, justification and overall essentiality
- Opportunity analysis of the program
