Indiana public colleges cut almost 20% of degrees

Public Indiana colleges and universities will eliminate 19 percent of their degree programs to meet requirements added to the state’s budget, according to the Commission for Higher Education.

The institutions volunteered to cut, suspend or merge more than 400 programs with low enrollment and completions. The commission provided each institution with an analysis of which programs were in question. The changes will be finalized in July.

Indiana University made the most cuts: 249 programs across all campuses. An IU spokesperson said if the cuts, mergers and consolidations are approved, it would result in a net loss of 222 programs across all campuses.

Other universities made smaller cuts:

Ball State University: 51
Indiana State University: 11
Ivy Tech Community College: 10
Purdue University (all campuses): 83
University of Southern Indiana: 4
 

Seventy-five programs were eliminated, and 101 programs were suspended. More than 230 were merged into other programs. Sixty-eight programs had no students enrolled.

Indiana now has about 2,200 degree programs across the state.

To meet the requirements, the programs must have 15 graduates for a bachelor’s degree and seven for a master’s.

The language was added into the state’s budget bill at the 11th hour without public comment or debate. Gov. Mike Braun said legislative priorities included preparing students for careers for in-demand fields.

“Just in the past month, our state institutions have taken bold, proactive steps to increase the value of higher education for both students and families, first, through keeping tuition flat, and today, by beginning the process to streamline degree offerings,” Braun said in a press release. “This will help students make more informed decisions about the degree they want to pursue and ensure there is a direct connection between the skills students are gaining through higher education and the skills they need most.”

Universities and colleges must receive approval from the Commission for Higher Education to create new degree programs or continue programs that do not meet enrollment and completion requirements. For approval, they must provide information on demand, career opportunities, job placement rates and graduate retention and more.

The budget goes into effect Tuesday.