Majors trimmed at two UNC System schools

(The Center Square) – Eighteen academic programs at two University of North Carolina System institutions have been eliminated because of budget shortfalls and enrollment declines.

The decision was rendered Wednesday by the Board of Governors, slashing 14 at UNC Greensboro and four at UNC Asheville.

“The chancellors at UNC Asheville and UNC Greensboro have been consulting with academic officers and faculty and determined that certain academic programs should be curtailed,” board member Terry Hutchens said. “These requests for curtailment followed deliberate, inclusive, extensive and in-depth examinations. These were intent on addressing budgetary shortfalls and enrollment declines while staying true to the academic core.”

In a video announcement last month, UNC Asheville Chancellor Kimberly van Noort said she was recommending eliminating the ancient Mediterranean studies, drama, philosophy and religious studies programs. The university has suffered a 25% decline in enrollment over the last five years and is facing a $6 million budget deficit.

“This is a historical challenge for higher education,” the chancellor said. “Significant declines in the number of new high school graduates and growing skepticism over the value of a college degree are affecting nearly all colleges and universities.”

Programs that will be eliminated at UNC Greensboro include anthropology, religious studies and physical education.

System President Peter Hans briefed the board Wednesday on efforts to increase graduation rates which have declined at some universities, including UNC Asheville, which has dropped by 10% over the last six years.

The COVID-19 pandemic is at least partially to blame for the declines, he said.

“The pandemic certainly played a role,” Hans said. “We know, and we knew then, that school shutdowns and the disruption for middle and high school students would create long-range challenges, affecting the academic readiness of the students we serve. We see lots of evidence of that in the data.”

But different institutions in the system have experienced various outcomes, with graduation rates actually increasing at some schools.

“One of the benefits of having a diverse and well-connected system is that we can learning from one another,” he said. “There are institutions that have made great progress in eliminating needless barriers to graduation, targeting outreach and support to students who need it the most and investing in the kind of mentoring, teaching and social support that allows students to thrive. We need to apply those solutions as we recommit to student success.”

Families should trust that if the university system admits a student, “We are also promising every reasonable opportunity to succeed, in a timely fashion,” Hans said.