Plan Still Evolving for UNI Budget Cuts, New List of Potential Program Changes Shows

As the considers which academic programs could be eliminated or restructured to offset budget cuts, a document distributed among some faculty Tuesday night shows some changes were made to the list of proposed cuts after a meeting between UNI administration and the senate faculty Monday.

The Des Moines Register and a number of other news outlets reported Tuesday on a list of proposed cuts provided to the faculty senate before a Monday meeting. The new document, obtained by Cedar Falls Patch, is an updated list provided after Monday's meeting.

This new list was made following the last consultation with the senate and was distributed by some deans to department heads, who in some cases sent it to faculty.

University spokespeople have stressed that any lists being circulated are drafts only, and further changes could still be made. An official list of recommended changes will be available after the affected faculty and students have been informed of the changes.

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On the new list, the philosophy and study of religion bachelor of arts degree programs are to be restructured or suspended. The earlier list had listed the philosophy program as one to maintain and the religion program to be closed.

Additionally, the new list shows the humanities bachelor of arts program would be moved to PWR, a common abbreviation for the Philosophy and World Religion department.

On the new list, 65 programs are listed as potentially facing closure, four are listed as potentially being restructured, 10 are listed "suspend/restructure" and one is listed "suspend."

What those different designations could mean was not clear.

Some of the programs listed as possibly to be closed include French, German and Russian bachelor of arts and minors, geology bachelor of arts and bachelor of science programs and bachelor of science programs in physics and applied physics.

The full updated list of proposed program changes is attached to this article as a PDF.

Students enrolled in closed programs will be able to finish their degrees, but no new students will be enrolled.