Penn State University is considering cutting 12% of its undergraduate programs.
The proposed cuts come amid an ongoing multi-year review of programs that claims to try to align the university’s offerings with student and market demand.
Since December, all 403 baccalaureate and associate programs were reviewed. This month, officials recommended 49 programs close in the coming years, citing low student demand, combined employment opportunities, program realignment, and other factors.
Of the programs that could be shuttered, Penn State says nine currently have no enrolled students, and 11 have submitted formal teach-out proposals and/or enrollment holds, with some overlap. At this time, 26 of the programs would be offered at the university through another college.
The closures would impact roughly 900 students, or about 1.3% of the undergraduate student population.
These recommendations are preliminary and will not be finalized until the fall. Until then, the programs will operate as normal. If the programs are eventually cut, the university says it will work with students to ensure they can complete their degrees.
This comes a year after the Penn State Board of Trustees voted to close seven branch campuses, including multiple in the Western Pennsylvania region.
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