Regents Cut 37 Programs; DSU Loses 2

The South Dakota Board of Regents is meeting in Aberdeen this week. Among items already disposed of on their agenda: cutting low-enrollment academic programs at our six public universities. Last fall, we opened the school year with new Regents exec Jack Warner telling us that majors and specializations producing 20 graduates or fewer every four years would have to justify their continued existence. 176 such programs faced a "comprehensive productivity study."

Yesterday, the Regents pulled the trigger on 37 of those programs. The full list of programs cut is available in PDF here.

Madison's own Dakota State University was a bit nervous: we're small already, so it's not hard to find small programs. And the smaller the school, the more numbers fluctuate. Still, we got off easy, it appears: The Regents are targeting just two of DSU's programs for termination:

• BS in Scientific Forensics Technology (3 graduates)
• AS in Office Management (7 grads)

Two programs cut. Not bad, considering Northern State is losing six programs. SDSU loses five, USD nine. Hardest hit: Black Hills State, which loses 15 programs, eight of which had no graduates in the last four years. (So if a tree falls in the woods and no one is studying it, does it really make a sound?)

The Regents make three other sets of recommendations for small programs: Consolidate with another program in the system, retain but review further, and retain for critical need. DSU's list:

Consolidate

• BS in Physical Science (2 grads—merge with BHSU)

Retain, but further review (so stay nervous)

• BS in English for Information Systems (14)
• BS in Biology for Information Systems (17)
• AS in Application Programming (3)
• BBA in Management for Information Systems (11)
• BS in Professional Accountancy (9 grads; 26 more in BBA in accounting)

Retain for critical need (off the hook!)

• BS in Health Information Administration (18 grads, fed by AS program with 29 grads)
• BS in Respiratory Care (13 grads, fed by AS prog w. 69 grads)
• BSE (Education) in Biology (5)
• BSE in Business (7)
• BSE in Computer (11)
• BSE in English (5)
• BSE in Mathematics (8)
• BSE in Physical Education (18)