Purdue opts to cut or consolidate 7 programs ahead of new state law; more to be evaluated
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education said in a release Monday those 400 programs cut or consolidated across the state were those with "zero-to-low enrollment and completions."
Gov. Mike Braun said in the release that one of the state's 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."
'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," Braun said in the release. "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.'
Public Law 213, born out of House Bill 1001 in the 2025 legislative session setting Indiana's state budget, states that academic programs must meet a three-year average number of students who graduate from the program to automatically continue. That threshold is 10 students for an associate's degree program, 15 students for a bachelor's degree program, seven students for a master's degree program, or three students for a doctorate degree program.
Indiana state Rep. Chris Campbell in a statement Tuesday called the new law an "overreach of government into higher education, echoing a dangerous national trend."
"The majority isn't outright controlling students' education, but they're restricting it, which achieves the same goal," Campbell said. "Students should be able to study whatever they choose, especially since they're paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for it. Programs impacted include economics, secondary education, finance and three engineering disciplines. I was especially shocked to see special education degrees on the list."
The seven degrees Purdue University's West Lafayette campus submitted to the commission to be suspended, classified as "teach-out toward elimination," are bachelor's degrees in microbiology, mathematics with computer science, design and production, art history, and a master's degree program in health sciences.
A master's and doctoral program in comparative literature were proactively identified by Purdue's West Lafayette campus for merger or consolidation.
Indiana Sen. Spencer Deery said he sees the new law as an opportunity for public institutions, but he noted things to be cautious about.
"From my experience in higher education, these are very political environments, and sometimes there are actions that need to be taken that can be hard," Deery said. "Sometimes that's investing money in a program because it is being underserved, or it may not make financial sense to continue doing so. Which sometimes that could be because it is a program popular with a certain influential faculty member. So, I think it's a good idea to go back and evaluate, and this is that opportunity."
In its guidance to institutions, the commission said it didn't expect this voluntary round to encapsulate all "under-threshold" programs.
Students currently enrolled in any eliminated or suspended degree program will have the opportunity to complete their studies through an orderly teach-out, the release said, echoing a June 10 statement by Purdue officials.
Newer degree programs will receive special consideration as they need time to grow enrollment and produce graduates, the commission said. Those programs, however, must still obtain approval to continue.
"In requesting approval to continue an under-threshold degree program, institutions will have the opportunity to contextualize data through a fact-based, context-dependent narrative justifying the approval to continue category requested," the commission said in its guidelines. "It must elaborate on the program's essentialness to mission and planned fiscal support, as well as its relative importance in relation to evolving program offerings, career relevance, student outcomes, and service to the region/state/nation."
Campbell, who graduated from Purdue with a master's degree in audiology, recalled in her statement the small size of her own graduate program.
"It was offered because students were interested, and even though the discipline is small, audiologists provide essential services," Campbell said. "Our public university is arguably our state's greatest strength. Purdue is globally recognized. But to continue their record of success, Purdue has to be a great place to work and study. The General Assembly has continued to undercut these efforts with tenure reviews, monitoring instruction and now eliminating degree programs. It will get harder and harder for Purdue to pitch itself to out-of-state students and the nation's top researchers."
Looking at enrollment for programs such as soil science and artificial intelligence at Purdue, Deery said he was unaware those numbers were low enough to fall into consideration of the new law. He said his worry would be if the commission implemented the new requirements in a "heavy-handed or nonstrategic way."
"I don't think that's their intent, but I think there is some opportunity here and we have to watch out for it," Deery said. "My concern is in the next round if they start saying no on things like AI or soil sciences, if they cross those lines, I won't hesitate to voice displeasure."
In conversations with colleagues, Deery said he has found himself educating others on the reality of what cuts like this would do to a public university, explaining that cost savings by cutting a program aren't always so cut and dry.
"Elimination doesn't mean immediate cost savings," Deery said. "There are faculty teaching more than one class, and I would anticipate there will be some form of savings. Maybe it doesn't make sense to have an art history major, but we still want to offer that opportunity as a class to students."
Data from the 2024 fiscal year will be validated by the commission in early July, the commission said. The decisions will then be provided to Indiana's public institutions by mid-July.
"The commission and institutions will collaborate to validate and arrive at a Mutual Consensus List of under-threshold degree programs with newer degree programs flagged," the commission said. "Only degree programs on the Mutual Consensus List must obtain approval to continue from the commission."
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue opts to cut or consolidate 7 programs ahead of new state law
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