This story was updated Wednesday, April 23 after the university responded to Signal Ohio’s request to clarify why programs were eliminated.
The University of Toledo will stop offering nine undergraduate majors in response to Senate Bill 1, the controversial higher education overhaul legislation signed into law last month.
Africana Studies, Disability Studies, Philosophy, and Women’s and Gender Studies majors will all end, according to an April 21 news release. The university is also cutting Asian Studies, Data Analytics, Middle East Studies, Spanish and religion.
Senate Bill 1 calls for many changes to Ohio’s campuses, such as ending diversity, equity and inclusion (or DEI) programming. It also mandates cutting academic programs that graduate five or fewer students annually over any three-year span.
School officials told Signal Ohio each program was cut due to falling below the legislation’s new enrollment thresholds. None, they added, were suspended for any DEI-related reasons.
Less than 60 students in total were enrolled in these majors this semester, according to data provided by the university. All of the impacted programs produced just a handful of graduates over the past three years.
New students won’t be able to enroll in these programs beginning this fall, but those already enrolled can finish their degrees.
Other universities across the state are following suit. As Signal Ohio reported last month, leaders at Cleveland State believed they would have to end four unnamed academic programs. The law officially goes into effect June 27.
University of Toledo makes additional cuts not related to Senate Bill 1
University of Toledo leaders also moved to eliminate a dozen additional programs. These other cuts, though, aren’t related to Senate Bill 1.
The university was working on its own “comprehensive review” of its academic offerings at the same time, officials said in the news release. It said the review gives a chance to take a look at current programs, think about adding new ones, and make sure resources are going to high-demand areas. This is a common practice at many colleges and universities.
Because of those results, Toledo will end its Organizational Leadership and Management and Health Information Administration bachelor’s degree programs. The university also plans to eliminate seven masters’ degrees and three PhD programs.
“It is important to keep our academic portfolio current with the degree programs our students want and that industry needs from their higher education partner,” Scott Molitor, interim provost and executive vice president of academic affairs, said in the news release.
Molitor added that all affected areas are still part of the university’s coursework, including as parts of minors or certificate programs.
Toledo enrolled about 14,440 students in total last fall, about 4% fewer than the year before.
