TOLEDO, Ohio — Some University of Toledo students were left unsettled when they learned this week that 48 programs would be suspended or merged beginning in fall 2024.
"Shock," said sophomore Nick Livucchi. "I was pretty shocked by that."
University officials announced Monday that UT would cut "low-demand degree programs" beginning in the fall of the 2024-2025 school year.
The list of programs affected by the decision is extensive and affects almost every category of education at the school.
"They really were in the low single digits, we really had very few students in those programs to begin with," Interim Provost Scott Molitor said.
Some programs affected by the decision didn't have as low of enrollment as others, but were instead considered redundant.
"When you share enough coursework, you shouldn't call it a separate degree program," Molitor said.
So, what will this mean for the school year beginning in the fall of 2024? If you're already enrolled in an affected program, you will still be able to finish without any changes. New enrollments, however, will not be accepted.
If you're enrolling in the fall of next year, you'll find that a bachelor's or master's degree in French or German has been cut down to just a minor and the four separate undergraduate pharmacy programs will be merged into one.
And what about the faculty members whose classes have been affected by the cuts?
Molitor said the university is "focusing the efforts of those professors on areas that potentially do generate enrollment or attract interest."
The interim provost acknowledged that affected faculty members are unhappy with the decision.
"Certainly, there's a lot of angst over this," he said.
Students with whom WTOL 11 spoke aren't thrilled either.
"I think they need to put more effort and care into the academic side instead the sports side," sophomore Candice Oladape said.
But Molitor said it's a necessary decision due to declining admissions in recent years.
"By concentrating our efforts, that allows us to grow enrollment and help us re-balance in that way," Molitor said.