The results of the academic program review prescribed by the state Coordinating Board of Higher Education (CBHE) are in, and the prognosis is grim for 10 undergraduate degree programs and one education specialist program.

The CBHE's investigation of low-producing programs uncovered 16 undergraduate majors that have failed to produce an average of 10 or more graduates per year in the past three years. Those 16 programs were announced Oct. 14.

Friday, the University submitted a written response to the CBHE outlining the actions it will take regarding those programs. A total of 21 undergraduate programs now face changes, and ten will be eliminated after a three-year phase out.

The 10 undergraduate majors facing elimination are speech communication, liberal studies, general recreation, earth science, geography, journalism, agricultural technology, industrial technology, French and tourism. The agricultural technology, French and tourism majors were not listed on the CBHE's original list of endangered programs.

Programs that will not be eliminated but face renovation include occupational education, occupational safety and health, medial technology, actuarial science, computer science, mathematics, chemistry, studio art, crisis and disaster management, economics and Spanish. All of those programs were determined to "share a substantial number of courses and faculty with other similar programs," so they are not a great financial burden to the University, according to information released by the University this past Friday. Development plans to increase completion rates are in place for all of those programs, with specific deadlines for results.

The occupational education major was also protected because it was deemed to be critical to UCM's mission. Several programs - occupational education, medical technology, actuarial science and occupational safety and health - were deemed to "meet a unique need in the region, state or nation," and thus should be preserved, as stated in the University's response to the CBHE.

Other programs - crisis and disaster management, economics and Spanish - will be "offered as part of a multi-university collaborative agreement."

Development plans are also in place to increase completion rates for six master's degree programs that have failed to produce an average of five or more graduates in the past three years. Those programs include mathematics, psychology, theatre, music, history and industrial hygiene. The education specialist degree program in curriculum and instruction will be eliminated.

UCM provost and vice president for academic affairs George Wilson told University Relations last week that programs facing elimination will be phased out over the next three years. Students currently enrolled in those programs will be allowed to finish, but no new students will be admitted.

Wilson hinted that certain courses from programs facing elimination will continue to be offered to supplement similar degree programs.

"We will continue to offer courses in those areas, we just won't have a major program," he said.

Deans and department chairs of the majors facing elimination are currently working to inform faculty and students about the University's plans. Some departments are holding meetings with students who are enrolled in the soon-to-be-terminated programs in order to dispel rumors and discuss options.

The University made its decisions regarding the low-producing programs based on input from Wilson, college deans, department chairs and faculty members, as well as consultation from Gordon Lamb, a longtime higher education professional who served as interim president at UCM this past July.

As announced a few weeks ago, UCM plans to extend the academic program review to all programs offered by the University. Through that review process, programs will be grouped into four categories. "Signature" category programs will be focused on as strategic priorities for the future, UCM President Charles Ambrose said. Programs that are "robust but in need of additional resources" will be grouped into the "Enhancement" category. A Maintenance and Support category will include programs that require "continuous improvement and plans for advancement." Other programs the University deems to be low-producing or superfluous will fall into the final category, in which they will face "reduction or elimination."

Individual college departments will use both objective and subjective data to conduct the extended review, and will judge programs based on academic quality, productivity, viability and sustainability, as well as orientation to institutional mission and state needs.

The extension of the program review to all University programs is part of the next step in the University's strategic governance model to prepare for the 2012 state funding cuts. The next step is to create a new model for "strategic resource allocation." Changes in academic administration structure will be a part of this new model, in addition to the CBHE's program review and the University's extension of the review. The new strategic resource model will be developed throughout November, Ambrose said. A preliminary report of the program review and any changes that need to be made will be released later this month.

After such information is released, the campus community will have a two-month period in which to voice comments, concerns and suggestions for improvements to the University's plans, Ambrose said. Ambrose's goal is to submit a final report of the resource model to the Board of Governors in February.

A review of administrative efficiencies is also underway, Ambrose reported, that will ensure that the focus of "doing more with less, better," is applied across the entire University.