A Southern Indiana campus that serves thousands of local students is set to decrease some degree offerings to stay in line with a new state requirement.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education released a list this week of more than 400 degree programs across colleges and universities statewide slated to be eliminated, phased out or merged, to comply with a provision in Indiana’s recently passed biennial budget bill.
The list outlines the voluntary submissions from six public colleges and universities recommending programming changes, according to a news release. It states that the institutions were proactive in identifying “degree programs with zero-to-low enrollments and completions.”
“Indiana’s institutions have set a national example,” Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Chris Lowery said in the release. “The thoughtful, voluntary review and reduction conducted by Indiana’s public institutions demonstrates their commitment to improving quality, cost, and delivery while strategically allocating resources.”
Language near the end of the more than 200-page Indiana HEA 1001 includes a requirement for institutions to seek approval to continue programs that don’t meet certain graduation thresholds.
That includes a minimum of 10 students for associate degree programs, 15 for bachelor’s degree programs and seven for master’s degrees, averaged over the preceding three years.
The measure, which went into effect Tuesday, says that if the commission does not grant approval, the institution must eliminate the degree program and any costs associated with it.
“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,” Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said in the news release.
He said the changes will help students make more informed decisions and make sure there is a direct connection between “the skills students are gaining through higher education and the skills they need most.”
The Indiana University system is set to make the most changes, with 249 impacted programs across all campuses, according to the commission’s list. Mark Bode, executive director of communications at IU Bloomington, said in an email the net loss would be 222 programs because of consolidations.
At IU Southeast, five programs are set to be suspended with a “teach-out toward elimination,” including bachelor’s degrees in French, economics and fine arts.
Fourteen other programs are slated to be suspended “with commitment to merge/consolidate.”
That includes bachelor’s degrees in journalism, media and strategic communication; bachelor’s of education degrees in mathematics and social studies; and bachelor’s degrees in chemistry, physics and international studies.
An IUS employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity told LPM News they felt overwhelmed when they saw the full list of all affected state schools.
But the person said at IUS, the active programs that have students enrolled are on the list to be merged, not eliminated.
“I'm glad to see the programs preserved,” the employee said. “That means we will still be able to serve the needs of our community, and that's our goal. That's our mission.”
LPM News reached out to a representative for IU Southeast about the changes, which referred the request for comment to Bode, with IU communications. He provided a link to a news release on IU Today.
“Degree programs that are currently enrolled under the minimum threshold will maintain normal operations through academic year 2025-26. Final decisions regarding programs under the threshold will not take effect until academic year 2026-27,” the release read in part.
It states that the commission for higher education will review the recommendations later this month and finalize their decision.
At an event Tuesday in New Albany, Gov. Braun said he wasn’t concerned that eliminating certain degree programs would discourage people from moving to Indiana.
“Not at all,” he said. “You can't afford to have degrees for everything out there, especially if there aren't any markets for it in our state.”
He said Indiana needs more opportunities for education in STEM fields, which he said produce the highest paying jobs.
“We need to get more of them, and I'm going to encourage colleges to do that,” he said. “Line up where the good jobs are that have the highest wages. Those are the degrees that are going to be most important.”
Information from the university shows IU Southeast had 3,752 students enrolled as of fall 2023. According to the IUS website, the campus currently offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 programs.
Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County.
