More Information on Academic Restructuring at NSU

This week, Northwestern State University submitted a proposal to the University of Louisiana System that would eliminate 8 bachelor's degree programs, 1 master's degree offering, 12 academic minors and 5 concentrations in baccalaureate degree programs.

The full Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System will meet Friday, June 25, 2010, to consider the plan.

NSU President Dr. Randall J. Webb said the academic realignment "still leaves students a vast array of offerings through redesigned academic areas and strong interdisciplinary programs to pursue career opportunities directly related to fields in which majors or degrees are proposed for elimination."

Degree programs that would be eliminated under NSU’s proposed reorganization are the master’s degree in heritage resources and bachelor’s degrees in physics, physics education, chemistry, chemistry education, heritage resources, journalism, sociology and political science.

Existing minors to be eliminated include aviation science, geology, physics, chemistry, journalism, sociology, German, French, historic preservation, philosophy, political science and food and nutrition. Concentrations in aviation science, recreation administration, fashion merchandising and housing and interiors, economics and German would also be eliminated.

Under the proposed academic streamlining plan, the College of Business will become the School of Business under the reorganized College of Science, Technology and Business. The University College, College of Liberal Arts, Graduate School and Louisiana Scholars’ College will merge to form the College of Arts, Letters, Graduate Studies and Research.

In addition, the College of Nursing will be expanded to become the College of Nursing and Allied Health, and the College of Education will become the College of Education and Human Development.

A number of academic departments will be consolidated and shifted to appropriate new colleges. Newly created or consolidated departments include Language and Communication; Engineering Technology and Computer Information Systems; Mathematics and Physical Sciences and Criminal Justice, History and Social Sciences.

The Bachelor's of Arts in Journalism will be replaced by a new track in the bachelor's degree in communication in the Department of Language and Communication.  The supervision of remaining journalism courses will transfer to that department.

The bachelor's in computer information systems and its related minor and concentrations, along with the faculty, will move to the Department of Engineering Technology and Computer Information Systems.

The Department of Chemistry and Physics will be eliminated.  Those faculty and courses that remain will transfer to the Department of Mathematics and Physical Sciences.

With the loss of bachelor programs in sociology, heritage resources and political sciences, remaining faculty and courses will be supervised in the new Department of Criminal Justice, History and Social Sciences.

If approved, the program eliminations and changes will go into effect in August 2011 after a one year, three-month "teach-out" period.  Webb said students enrolled in programs affected will be assisted in completing their degrees in the "teach-out" period, selecting a related major or transferring to another university.

"We will closely monitor the students in these programs to ensure a smooth transition or completion of degree," he said.

The proposal for academic reorganization comes after a comprehensive review of academic programs that began in July of 2009 and continued through March of 2010, Webb said. The university’s Program Review Committee was comprised of representatives from each academic college and the NSU Faculty Senate.

All academic programs were reviewed in the process that involved faculty and staff from all levels, the Northwestern president stated, and a campus forum was held in the spring semester to inform students about the program review.

Webb said proposals to eliminate or consolidate programs were based on “costs, efficiency, completion rates, semester credit hour production, ties to the University Core Curriculum, enrollment and other pertinent factors.” He added that annual reviews of remaining academic programs “will be conducted to evaluate retention, student success, recruitment and the overall effectiveness of the programs.”

Academic reorganization was necessary, Webb said, because of $9.7 million in state budget cuts over the past 18 months and projections of additional reductions in state funding of up to $10 million during the next year. State allocations to the university have been cut by 19.5 percent since July of 2008.

Northwestern has eliminated 160 positions through layoffs and abolishing vacant positions since the 2007-08 fiscal year, reducing the size of the faculty and staff from more than 960 positions to just over 800.

The academic realignment plan submitted to the board this week will result in the elimination of an additional 21 positions by the end of the new fiscal year beginning July 1. The positions of three academic deans, four department heads or directors and three program coordinators will be abolished.

Webb said program elimination and other aspects of academic reorganization will result in cost savings of approximately $2.5 million. The 160 positions that were previously abolished “reduced personnel costs by some $5 million,” Webb stated.

In addition to reducing the number of faculty and staff positions to offset dramatic budget cuts, the university has curtailed funding for adjunct instruction, athletics, student employment, graduate assistantships and departmental budgets for travel, supplies and operating services.

The Northwestern president expressed “deep concern and compassion for the faculty and staff members whose lives are being negatively affected by these unprecedented budget cuts and for students who could feel the impact of academic reorganization and other funding reductions.”

Webb added, “Every effort is being made to maintain essential programs and services for students, to assist faculty and staff affected by budget cuts and to ensure the continuing strength and stability of this 125-year-old university.”

In a meeting with students, NSU Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs Dr. Lisa Abney said the programs submitted for elimination have had low completion rates for many years.  She said only 257 students currently make up the nine degree programs, less than 3% of the 9,247 total students enrolled at NSU.  There are 21 faculty members associated with the programs.

The proposal to eliminate academic programs must also be approved by the Louisiana Board of Regents.