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Ten academic programs would be phased out under a proposal to direct Marietta College's resources toward programs more in-demand by students and in the region.
The plan is set to be voted on by Marietta's Board of Trustees in October.
"These decisions are not about the quality of the programs or the quality of the faculty or the quality of the students graduating from these programs," Provost Kathleen Dougherty said Thursday. "I think this is what is right for the future of our communities and the future of our college."
The affected majors are Asian studies, environmental engineering, global leadership studies, land and energy management, music education, music therapy, Spanish and vocal performance, along with the athletic training master's program and English as a second language and linguistics courses.
The recommendations came from an Academic Program Review task force established in the 2022-23 academic year and led by faculty members, Dougherty said. The goal is to ensure the college is meeting the needs of its students and region, she said, noting some of the affected programs had students numbering in the single digits.
If the plan is approved by the Board of Trustees at its fall meeting, which Dougherty said will take place on campus sometime prior to the Oct. 21 Homecoming football game, seniors, juniors and most sophomores will be able to finish their degrees.
It's projected that 1.9% of students in the affected majors would be unable to complete a degree in their declared major at the college.
"That is a total of 22 students, and we are working every day to get that number down," she said.
One of those students is freshman Megan Mestuzzi, a 2023 Marietta High School graduate planning to double major in music education and vocal performance.
"My first reaction was honestly anger because I put a lot into going here," she said of learning about the plan Tuesday morning.
Mestuzzi and some of her fellow students started a petition at change.org to keep the three majors in the Music Department. As of Thursday afternoon, it had gotten more than 3,000 signatures. They also plan to reach out to members of the Board of Trustees and stage a protest next week, Mestuzzi said.
If the plan is approved, she said she will transfer.
"They welcomed me with open arms, and I was so happy to be here," Mestuzzi said. "And then this happened and I have to reconfigure my whole four-year plan. … And I'm not the only one."
Dougherty said she believes the steps being taken are for the best, but she acknowledged it is still a challenging situation for the students in the affected programs.
Higher education institutions, both public and private, around the country are wrestling with similar issues, Dougherty said.
For example, West Virginia University's Board of Governors earlier this month approved the elimination of 10 undergraduate and 18 graduate programs in an effort to close a $45 million budget deficit.
A set of frequently asked questions posted on Marietta College's website said the school will operate with a balanced budget for the 2023-24 school year. "However, there are areas that we need to strengthen, the expenses for which are not in the budget," it says.
Dougherty clarified that elimination of the global leadership studies major will not affect the McDonough Leadership Program, which has its largest ever cohort of students this year and is intended as a complement to other majors. And while Marietta has seen a decrease in the number of international students in recent years, should that change, the college would be able to bring back its English as a second language courses to serve those students.
While students will no longer be able to major in Spanish, Spanish courses will still be offered, Dougherty said.