The process that identified Southeastern’s degree programs as low completer programs by the Board of Regents was completed on April 27, and resulted in the termination of six out of 19 low completer degree programs: Health Education and Health Management, BS; Liberal Arts Studies, BA; Chemistry Education, BS; Physics Education, BS; Family and Consumer Science Education, BS and Speech Education, BA. Students currently enrolled in these programs will have until spring 2013 to complete their degrees. In
The academic departments that oversee these degrees are working to accommodate students in which they are enrolled.
“We are encouraging Liberal Arts studies students to major in English, and pursue their interest as a minor,” said Dr. Joan Faust, professor of English. “It will be very similar to their former degree. We’re disappointed that it was terminated. It was a very adaptable program, and it had no specialized faculty, so it didn’t cost much to maintain.”
Other departments are taking similar approaches. According to Dr. Edward Hebert, department head of kinesiology and health studies, students already enrolled in the Health Education and Health Management concentrations have little to fear.
“These concentrations are called two plus two programs,” said Hebert. “We have a partnership with the community colleges that allow students to complete two years of this degree there, and complete the other two here. Anyone who is enrolled now will certainly finish.”
Department Head Dr. Gerard Blanchard’s department of physics and chemistry will be taking a similar approach to that of the English department. Blanchard said that students are advised to pursue a degree in physics or chemistry. Afterwards they can attain alternate certification to teach within a year.
According to Dr. Jude Williams, head of counseling and human development, her department will take similar steps.
Six of the remaining 13 programs were merged into other majors as concentrations: Cultural Resource Management, BA; Art Education, BA; Biology Education, BS; Mathematics Education, BS; Music Education – Instrumental, BME; Music Education – Vocal, BME and Spanish Education, BA. The other five programs: Health and Physical Education, BS; Chemistry, BS; Physics, BS; Mathematics, BS and Spanish, BA were approved for continuation.
However, Health and Physical Education, BS; Chemistry, BS and Physics, BS will be reviewed again in two years to determine their number of graduating students. According to Provost Dr. Tammy Bourg’s message to the university, the Physics and Chemistry BSs were Identified as low completers. However, they were allowed to continue due to the achievements of their students and graduates .
The Special Education-Mild/Moderate, BA was also reviewed and terminated by the Board. However, the program had already been redesigned into new programs.