Regents JC Risewick, left, and Jim Lindenmayer attend an Iowa Board of Regents meeting on Feb. 27, 2025. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Ahead of a review of all academic programs at Iowa’s public universities, certain degrees with low interest are being eliminated with approval from the Iowa Board of Regents.
Representatives from Iowa State University and the University of Iowa brought forward new programs of study and requests to shutter certain degree programs due to low interest and enrollment, all of which the board approved during its Thursday meeting.
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ISU Provost Jason Keith proposed one new program for the university and the pausing or elimination of two others. The new degree, a bachelor of science in integrated health sciences, would develop students’ knowledge and skills for a broad range of health-related careers, Keith said.
Colleges contributing to the degree program include the colleges of agriculture and life sciences, health and human sciences and liberal arts and sciences, Keith said, and students and families were consulted in creating the program’s curriculum. It has received the support from the UI and UNI, and expects to enroll as many as 35 students when it launches this fall.
“While any multidisciplinary degree like this will have some overlap in coursework programming with the other regents institutions, there’s widespread agreement that more professionals are needed for Iowa’s health workforce,” Keith said.
Keith proposed to suspend admissions for the university’s doctorate program in rural, agricultural, technological and environmental history. He said fluctuating enrollment and lack of funding have prompted the ISU history department to request a five-year sunset period to allow the 11 enrolled students to graduate from the program.
Closing the program would save the university $110,000, Keith said. He also brought to the board a request to eliminate a master’s degree program in transportation, which has no enrolled students.
UI Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Tanya Uden-Holman requested the board approve the closure of bachelor’s degrees in American studies and social justice, citing low enrollment and faculty departures. Neither closure will impact workforce needs in Iowa, she said, and any saved costs will return to the university’s college of liberal arts and sciences.
Regent David Barker asked university representatives who brought forward program elimination proposals whether decreases in popularity were caused by neglect from the university or declines in student demand, to which both agreed it was lack of interest from students that caused enrollments to go down.
Many students have sent emails to Regent Christine Hensley, she said, expressing concern that these programs did not go through a fair process before being put on the chopping block.
“I would just like to make sure that students understand that this has gone through a specific process that’s outlined, that’s not something that is taken lightly,” Hensley said.
Regent Jim Lindenmayer said since September 2015, the University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University have closed 67 academic programs, with a few more currently under admission suspensions, and have added 88 programs, showing their quick response to market and workforce demands.
“I appreciate the universities looking inward and making these tough decisions,” Lindenmayer said. “It’s really labor intensive, and it’s difficult from a personal point of view of those people involved.”
In addition to the internal program reviews universities conduct, Lindenmayer said programs are also under constant review by the Iowa State Auditor’s Office and regularly have evaluations conducted by accrediting bodies.
“Not to mention the daily evaluations done by students as they go with their feet,” Lindenmayer said. “A fair amount of scrutiny, for sure.”
Referencing a bill that would have state universities conduct a review of all of their academic programs to determine their alignment with workforce needs, Lindenmayer said examinations like this are already being done on campuses, but it will be advantageous for university staff to work with the board office and complete this work.
Creating a report on this topic will help inform both the public and the Legislature about what the universities have to offer, Lindenmayer said, and communicate their efforts to keep their programs relevant.
“I know as a fact that we currently have three great presidents with very dedicated and competent administrative teams, and there is strong faculty on every campus,” Lindenmayer said. “I am confident that our regents universities will stand up well to, and learn from, any objective scrutiny that comes their way.”
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