FAIRBANKS—The University of Alaska Fairbanks has assembled a list of more than 40 academic programs that it will consider eliminating to help slash its budget.
Departments were were notified of their status on the “special program review” list this week. The list consists of programs with low enrollment, significantly declining enrollment, or a low number of graduates, criteria set by UAF’s Planning and Budget Committee.
UAF programs go through the process each year, but the stakes are higher this time. The goal of the review is to achieve $3 million in annual savings, a target that can’t be met without trimming academic offerings. Chancellor Brian Rogers has asked that $14 million in savings be identified overall.
State revenue projections have become even more bleak as the year has progressed, with oil prices dropping from more than $110 per barrel to less than $80 per barrel.
The Planning and Budget Committee singled out a dozen programs on the list as worthy of continuing in some form. Those include a handful of Alaska Native language programs and several graduate degrees in mining and physics. See Full Story@ NewsMiner.com
