ALEXIS PODGERS, The Sojourn, Indiana Wesleyan University and MORGAN KELLER, Managing Editor, Chronicle-Tribune
In November, Indiana Wesleyan University announced its decision to cut or reduce some academic programs on campus.
Some of the programs impacted include addictions counseling, photography, theatre and theatre education, sports ministry and songwriting. Some of those programs, such as songwriting, are being closed entirely. Others, like theatre, are being restructured to eliminate the major while students can still earn a minor.
Dr. Aly Williams, the vice president of Academic Affairs and the university chief academic officer, said academics works through a process to determine which programs can be cut.
“It’s more of … identifying what the trend has been over those years … not only the trend in enrollment but also the trend in completions,” she said. “When a student enrolls in a major, that … doesn’t mean they actually finished that major.”
Chief Marketing Officer for the university, Tod Dalberg, said the university makes adjustments to program offerings based on the marketplace demands and trends.
Williams said credit hour load and student-to-faculty ratios are additional factors that are considered along with budgets and costs.
Students who are currently enrolled in the programs that have been cut will still be able to graduate with that major.
“We have adjuncts, and we have some other ways to make sure we fulfill the course requirements of the courses that they need to take to be able to graduate,” she said. “Really the closure only impacts incoming students from next fall.”
Dalberg echoed the lack of impact on the academics of students currently pursuing the affected degree programs.
In addition to existing adjuncts, for some courses, remaining credentialed faculty members will “teach-out” existing courses.
“In other situations, we will offer alternate courses or convert a course from onsite to online,” Dalberg said. “However, all program outcomes will be met regardless of the method of delivery.”
While all impacted students will have the chance to finish their degrees, if a student in an impacted degree program needs to take a class that has been moved online, the change in delivery method does result in a different classroom experience, even if all the program outcomes are fulfilled.
“That’s one thing we’ve really tried to figure out, even aside from program closures, like what’s the right number of online courses to offer to our on-campus students,” Williams said.
Out of all the programs impacted, the majority are humanities or arts related, while STEM remained largely unaffected.
“While the program closure list does include several programs in these areas, what isn’t represented is the work being done by faculty members to evaluate program curriculums to determine how to offer some of these and other content areas within existing majors and minors or as a part of a new, reimagined program,” Dalberg said. “IWU is a Christian liberal arts university and remains committed to supporting the arts. However, given the marketplace analysis and the need to create new programs, the University must find a more cost-effective delivery system to maintain a healthy balance sheet.”
Photography classes are one example of how the school is working to integrate art classes into other programs. As the photography major closes, there may still be a chance for incoming students to photography classes under a different art program.
“Hopefully soon, we would be able to market… and say no, we don’t have photography, but here’s a way you can still achieve what you want to do by taking this major with this concentration,” Williams said.
Dr. Steve Wood, an associate professor in the Division of Music and Theatre, said that the theatre department already knew a cut was coming.
“Nothing was out of the blue,” Wood said. “We were aware of programs that were underperforming in enrollments, and we knew we were one of them.”
He said the current seniors finishing with this degree are experiencing many emotions.
“They’re the last seniors to graduate with the actual degree recognized by the university and they obviously are invested in the lives of juniors, sophomores and freshmen,” Wood said.
Students who have yet to declare a major also reacted to the university’s announcement.
“I will say I was surprised to see that Sports Ministry was leaving,” freshman Paige Hout said. “It was a thought that I had to potentially go into sports ministry and be able to combine ministry with coaching.”
Hout said that she is a little concerned about the closing of the programs.
“I am still exploring my options, so I cannot say that I am stressed from the change,” Hout said. “However, it makes me a little concerned about what else could be removed as well.”
The academic administration is still making plans for students to complete their course requirements.
When asked how much money the reductions saved the university, Dalberg said, “Healthy universities are constantly evaluating and pruning programs as the marketplace changes. The primary focus on the program reductions has more to do with adjustments in the marketplace demands for these programs and lack of prospective students’ interest than trying to achieve a financial outcome. IWU maintains a healthy balance sheet.”
Changes go into effect for the Fall ’24 incoming freshman class.ll ’24 incoming freshman class.