College officials who close academic programs are entering —and creating —a world of hurt if they are not careful. Peter D. Eckel of the American Council on Education, in a new edition of his book Changing Course: Making the Hard Decisions to Eliminate Academic Programs (Rowan and Littlefield), outlines ways for administrators to deal with the institutional pain.
1. Pay attention to people. Closures take personal tolls on those involved. Affected staff and faculty members may need career and emotional support. The ability to move the institution forward will be compromised if the process leaves those remaining bitter and divided.
2. Understand that program closures are about institutional goals as well as cost savings. Closure decisions raise fundamental questions about the purpose and priorities of the institution. Leaders must be prepared for such discussions, which are neither easy nor predictable.
3. Make a compelling case for why closures are occurring. Institutions need a widely understood rationale for why such drastic change is necessary. Otherwise it will be difficult to gain needed support and commitment.
4. Develop a legitimate process. Leaders must pay attention to how they are identifying programs for closure. Well-crafted processes minimize the arguments that the outcomes are the results of faulty or unfair processes. Tap widely acknowledged leaders and decision-making bodies to avoid debates over representation and authority.
5. Expect negative fallout. Program elimination often generates other problems, such as negative publicity, perceptions of instability, alumni and donor resentment, and downturns in enrollments. What students will enroll if they believe their major may be in jeopardy? Leaders must weigh the pros and cons of such efforts. Closing academic programs is an important strategic decision for institutions facing difficult economic circumstances, and it can put the institution on a new trajectory.
Faculty members do have rights, and power, in budget-cutting situations. Ann H. Franke, an education risk-management consultant, has written a handbook, Faculty in Times of Financial Distress (American Council on Education), outlining these issues.
“Faculty layoffs may become ultimately necessary to maintain institutional financial viability,” she writes. “Layoffs are, however, a poor substitute for regular judgments about programs and people.”
Ms. Franke lists 90 ways other than layoffs to reduce expenses, like eliminating outside consultants and renting out campus facilities to other organizations.
She also lists several cost-cutting measures that can backfire. Among them: Not renewing contracts of nontenured faculty and then “rehiring” some of them (it generates enormous ill will both from those let go and those who stay), and eliminating tenure (it can lead to breach-of-contract lawsuits and loss of accreditation).