Here are four strategies that experts say can make the process of eliminating programs less traumatic.
Involve faculty from the beginning.
Top-down mandates that result in layoffs are likely to be met with suspicion, if not outright rebellion and lawsuits. Faculty members know the curriculum better than anyone else and can join forces to create interdisciplinary clusters of offerings when individual programs can no longer be supported.
Slashing recklessly won’t save the money you think it will, but it’s guaranteed to stir up resentment — and maybe lawsuits too. Take a deep breath, level with your faculty, and consider challenges collaboratively.
Look beyond financial savings to justify cuts.
A college may not save that much money once it cushions the blow for faculty members and helps students finish their degrees. And framing program cuts as a cost-saving move is the surest way to anger professors, students, and alumni. A college would do better to focus on its mission and emphasize how freeing up money from some programs will allow it to take advantage of new opportunities to serve students.
Don’t underestimate the emotional impact of closing a program.
Alumni who take pride in their degrees may threaten to withhold donations or organize a protest using social media. Cuts, especially when done suddenly or without adequate consultation, can hurt faculty morale and inhibit cooperation.
Help students transfer or complete their degrees at the home campus.
Accreditors will probably demand this, but colleges will also want to avoid leaving students in the lurch when they pull the plug on programs. If a student has just declared a major in, say, theater, and that department is slated for cuts, the college should keep at least one faculty member to be sure the student can finish her degree. Colleges should meet one on one with affected students and help those who want to transfer by reaching out to other institutions and making sure they’ll accept the students’ credits.
Katherine Mangan writes about community colleges, completion efforts, and job training, as well as other topics in daily news. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineMangan, or email her at katherine.mangan@chronicle.com.
