PROVIDENCE – Close to two dozen degree programs and concentrations offered at Rhode Island College will be suspended by the state-run school starting in the upcoming fall semester, with the college’s president citing significantly low enrollment in those programs.
Meanwhile, a group of RIC students will voice their displeasure of these upcoming program cuts at a protest Thursday afternoon at the Statehouse, arguing the cuts “betray” the college’s mission and vision.
According to RIC’s April 10 final report on program productivity and efficiency process, master’s and bachelor's degrees in art education, art history, creative writing, gender and women’s studies, global studies, health sciences, Latin American studies, liberal studies, French, Portuguese, music education, early childhood education, secondary education general science, technology education and world languages education will be suspended. Additionally, 15 programs will be consolidated and 21 programs will continue “on an approved program improvement plan.”
Discussions about RIC eliminating majors due to low enrollment and RIC trying to overcome financial losses date back to late 2022 not long after Jack R. Warner became the college’s interim president – and is now RIC’s full-time leader. Warner originally
told Providence Business News at the time that five undergraduate and two graduate majors, along with 21 concentrations or certificate programs, had been eliminated due to low enrollment.
But Warner, after a campus backlash,
subsequently announced that faculty committees would weigh in before any programs were eliminated from RIC’s curricula. Warner on Wednesday told PBN a “deeper review” was conducted by RIC officials, where impacted programs and those involved could offer presentations as to why programs should be retained. He also said RIC has not done this review “in a long time.”
Data from RIC shows that the number of degree completions in those 20 programs dropped from 31 in 2021 to an estimated 21 this year. Half of those programs are expected to have zero completions this year, per RIC’s data.
Also, Warner said that from 2008 through 2022, RIC’s total bachelor’s degree programming increased by close to 50%, but enrollment at the college dropped by 40%. While RIC’s enrollment has rebounded over the last couple of years, Warner said enrollment “doesn’t come evenly” across all programs.
“Some programs lost enrollments more heavily than others,” he said. “No higher education institution can operate in this era can just add programs without reevaluating whether or not the current array is still working.”
Not all are happy about RIC’s decision. A student group named “Save our Majors” will protest at the Statehouse Thursday at 2:30 p.m. over the decision.
Dan Hurowitz, Save our Majors group leader, told PBN Thursday’s protest will be the group’s second one in recent weeks over the planned program cuts. Approximately 100 students protested at a R.I. Council on Postsecondary Education meeting held at RIC, with one student expressing why the programs should stay.
Hurowitz, who is taking gender studies – one of the programs to be phased out – said the programs slated for elimination offer perspective and understanding on “how the world works and other people.” The programs’ curricula, Hurowitz said, could also be applicable to other majors, such as psychology or nursing.
“There’s more people enrolling in [these programs] who are taking classes and becoming majors,” Hurowitz said. “I haven’t heard any student who said they are for these cuts. It’s been a resounding support to keep these majors.”
Hurowitz also said the group has not met face to face with RIC’s leadership about the cuts to date.
Also, the R.I. Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus, chaired by Sen. Tiara Mack Rep. David Morales - both Providence Democrats - oppose RIC's plan to suspend the language programs as part of its cuts. The caucus said in a statement RIC's plan "undermines" the state's commitments to inclusive education and pathways to economic mobility, "especially for multilingual and immigrant communities."
Warner in response said he understands displeasure from some in the RIC community about the upcoming programming suspensions. He said that while RIC’s overall enrollment is up, enrollment is not up in the programs being phased out.
He also said RIC was careful to review programs containing similar content to continue with another degree program. For example, one Bachelor of Arts could be eliminated, but that programming could continue in a Bachelor of Science, he said.
Cost savings for suspending these programs and consolidating others will accrue “over time,” Warner said, allowing RIC to either reinvest in them or take the savings. He also said the looming “demographic cliff,” where declines in high school students graduating in the region, is expected to be realized very soon.
Stresses on the state’s budget due to any federal actions being taken could also impact any state funding for RIC going forward as well, Warner said.
“In that climate of uncertainty, it’s prudent to start taking a look at how we’re spending money and see if we can accrue savings over time,” Warner said. “I wouldn’t put a dollar amount on it just yet. But it will position us better if we have to make cuts down the line to make them.”
He also said RIC’s upcoming program cuts are also to make room for other degree programs that are in place at the college, such as cybersecurity, sports management, artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
Also, no faculty will be laid off as a result of these changes, Warner said. Options could include faculty teaching freshman- and sophomore-level courses in their discipline, Warner said, helping retain students.
Warner said those soon-to-be-suspended programs will still be taught out, allowing those students to finish their degrees. He said the process for those programs to be fully suspended and cut will take a couple of years.
Warner also said students, if there’s interest, can enroll in these programs for minor degree opportunities. If interest in the programs in question “are ramping up,” they could be reinstated as majors, he said.
Hurowitz expects significantly more RIC students to be at the Statehouse Thursday protesting the cuts than there were at the postsecondary council meeting. The group also hopes to meet with state leaders about their concerns and keep the programs online at RIC.
The RIBLIA caucus also filed legislation in the R.I. General Assembly, titled the "Bilingual, Dual Language and World Language Teachers Investment Act," to expand certification opportunities for language teachers at both RIC and the University of Rhode Island. The proposed bill, if enacted, also will establish a scholarship program to promote more bilingual teachers entering the field.
New enrollment as a result of the upcoming cuts has been mixed. Warner said some students who wanted to pursue those programs still chose RIC and opt for a different curriculum, while others chose to seek their higher education elsewhere.
Going forward, Warner said part of the 21 programs being continued pending improving plan approval will be ways to bolster enrollment. The college will also work with department chairs and program directors to have a strategy for RIC to invest in them “if we can promote them,” Warner said.
He also noted he wants to keep RIC in good financial after working to balance its budget over the last three years.
“We want to set ourselves up for the future to spend our taxpayer dollars wisely and our tuition dollars wisely,” he said.
(UPDATED to include comment from the R.I. Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus.)
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.
