Indiana Commission for Higher Education

Six Hoosier university systems have volunteered to reduce more than 400 degree programs statewide, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education announced Monday at a meeting of its Academic Affairs and Quality Committee.

Indiana has about 2,200 degree programs, meaning about 19% statewide were volunteered to be reduced either immediately or as a future commitment. Statewide, 75 programs will be eliminated, and of those, 68 have zero enrollments, according to commission numbers.The commission invited seven institutions to take part of the voluntary action, said Matt Butler, ICHE senior associate commissioner and academic officer.

Indiana House Enrolled Act 1001 — the state budget bill — included language that allowed the elimination of various programs. Universities with programs that fall under quotas for three consecutive years must request permission from the commission to continue the degrees, according to bill details.

Quotas include an average enrollment of 15 or more students for three consecutive years in bachelor degree programs, 10 in associate degree programs, seven in master’s programs, and three in educational specialist and doctorate degree programs, according to Post-Tribune archives.

The statute went into effect Tuesday. Gov. Mike Braun signed the budget bill into law on May 6.

“During the most recent legislative session, one of our top agenda items included ensuring that Indiana’s higher education institutions are preparing students for career opportunities in the most in-demand fields of today and the future,” Braun said in a statement. “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. 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.”

Butler said Monday that universities had three options: elimination, suspension and merge or consolidate. Programs with a suspension would have a teach-out toward elimination option, which would phase out the degree if students are enrolled.

“With those options, the participating institutions were able to make re-prioritizing decisions to better align with student demand, evolving disciplinarian and workforce trends, and wisely allocate resources,” Butler said.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education will review the recommendations and finalize decisions on July 24.

Participating institutions included Ball State University, Indiana State University, the Indiana University system, Ivy Tech Community College, Purdue University system and University of Southern Indiana.

Vincennes University did not participate because the school has eliminated or suspended 18 degrees in the past three years and did not have any available to volunteer now, said Tony Hahn, vice president of government relations.

At Indiana University Northwest, no programs will be eliminated, but four will be suspended with teach-out toward elimination and 12 will be suspended with the commitment to merge or consolidate with another program.

University media representatives did not comment on how staffing might be affected by the changes.

The commission reported that Indiana University had 249 impacted programs, but Mark Bode, IU executive director of media relations and public affairs, said the net loss will be 222 programs across its campuses. Through mergers and consolidations, 27 programs will be created, Bode said.

Degrees with enrollment currently under the minimum threshold will maintain normal operations through the upcoming academic year, according to IU’s website.

“Campus leaders will work with deans to communicate directly with affected faculty and staff about the recommendations, and affected students will be notified following final Indiana Commission for Higher Education approval,” the university statement said.

Purdue University Northwest will eliminate four programs, including its M.S. Ed. in special education, M.S./M.A.T. in mathematics, B.S. in medical laboratory science and B.S.B. in entrepreneurship.

Three programs will be committed to suspension, two will be merged and nine will be committed to merge.

“Only a handful of (PNW) students are in the four programs identified in the preliminary draft of the ‘plan to suspend’ as published by (the Indiana Commission for Higher Education),” PNW Communications Specialist Kale Wilk said in a Tuesday email. “Other potential options may be pursued such as consolidating multiple low-enrollment programs into one program. In any case, all students currently enrolled at PNW will be able to complete their degree programs of study.”

Wilk did not address how staffing might be impacted.

Through all Purdue campuses, 83 programs will be affected, according to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education numbers. Purdue University officials did not answer how staffing will be affected at its campuses.

Purdue Spokesperson Trevor Peters said in an email Tuesday that at the institution’s West Lafayette campus, it affects 1 in 1,000 students in the five programs identified for suspension, and those students can finish their degrees.

mwilkins@chicagotribune.com