U. of Wisconsin at Stevens Point Pulls Back From Plan to Cut 6 Liberal-Arts Programs

U. of Wisconsin at Stevens Point

The University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point said Wednesday that a highly controversial plan to cut six academic programs is now off the table.

In March 2018 the university proposed cutting 13 majors, primarily in the liberal arts, while adding 16 vocational programs. The plan was announced in the face of declining enrollment and a $4.5-million budget deficit. The cuts could have led to layoffs for tenured professors and other faculty members.

Following widespread criticism, the number of proposed program cuts was scaled down in November to six, with art, French, geography, geoscience, German, and history remaining on the chopping block.

In a news release sent on Wednesday to The Chronicle, the university said those six majors would be retained, with updated curricula and additional degree options. The geography and geoscience majors will be combined into a geospatial science program, according to the release, and two B.F.A. degrees, in graphic design and in integrative studio practice, will be added.

The university said that budget reductions from resignations and retirements had mitigated its financial struggle, so the cuts are no longer needed. In October 2017 another University of Wisconsin campus, in Superior, announced a plan to streamline its offerings by eliminating two dozen programs, including political science and sociology.

Bernie Patterson, the Stevens Point chancellor, said in the news release that the decision had followed constructive conversations with student leaders and faculty and staff members. He emphasized that the liberal arts would be integrated across the university’s curriculum.

“Our new direction has been crafted by many voices,” Patterson said. “We have all listened and learned. I am grateful for the dialogue and look forward to collectively implementing these bold changes on behalf of our students and our community.”

Follow Terry Nguyen on Twitter at @terrygtnguyen, or email her at terry.nguyen@chronicle.com.

Correction (4/11/2019, 1:54 p.m.): This article originally misstated the year when the Superior campus said it would eliminate two dozen programs. It was October 2017, not 2018. The error has been corrected.