Northern to cut some, grow some programs

Montana State University-Northern’s leadership this morning released the university’s plans for revising programs, with the institution considering adding three new programs, planning to target 19 programs for growth, and eliminating or placing into moratorium 25 others of Northern’s current 74 programs.

The plans include eliminating Northern’s secondary education program, growing high-demand programs such as the recently added criminal justice program and the elementary education program, and planning for expansion of others once facilities are ready or strategies are in place, like the university’s four-year diesel and automotive programs and the high-demand nursing program. Others will be considered for revision or expansion, such as the computer information program.

In a press conference this morning, Chancellor Jim Limbaugh said the decisions have been made after an extensive review process that started last September.

The review of all programs at Northern — Limbaugh said it is the only review of its kind in the state of which he is aware — will help the institution focus and grow in the increasingly competitive field of higher education.

The review is just the beginning of the process, he added.

“Just because we made these decisions doesn’t mean we all go home early… ,” he said. “The hard work really begins now.”

Limbaugh said part of the next step will be processing the programs to be eliminated or placed into a moratorium, figuring how to work to grow programs and shift resources, and starting the discussion of creating new programs.

Christine Shearer-Cremean, dean of Northern’s College of Education, Arts and Sciences and Nursing, and Greg Kegel, dean of the College of Technical Sciences, said the revisions will allow Northern to focus resources on areas that are in demand and, at the same time, provide a better opportunity and environment for their students.

Kegel said running a program entails costs to the university, regardless of what its enrollment is.

“What we’re really trying to do is just make sure the students going through the program are placed and that there’s a reason we are running the program,” he said. “If we find a program that isn’t what we call carrying the water we have to make some changes, and that’s what we’re doing here.”

Shearer-Cremean said, in her college, part of the challenge is to provide resources for all students in every major in general education requirements, and the university has not always been doing that.

She said, especially in offering an education to first-generation college students, the university has to make sure the university is offering the services the students need and offering the opportunity to alter their social and educational circumstances. Part of that is making sure academically at-risk students are helped.

“What we need to do … is alter the campus culture so that that becomes enfused into the experience the minute students set foot on campus or enroll in an online course,” she said.

Not all are pleased with the proposed changes. Northern professor John Snider called the Havre Daily this morning and said he believes the elimination of secondary education is unfortunate, adding that the faculty and staff did not support that decision. He added that many high school teachers up and down the Hi-Line have graduated from Northern.

“Northern has been training high school teachers for 75 years … ,” Snider said, adding, “The school has no plans to save any money by ending this program

He said the cut also will hurt elementary education majors by ending the chance to get secondary endorsement.

Shearer-Cremean said she has heard no opposition to cutting the secondary education program, and that many local high schools hire teachers who graduate from other Montana schools.

The Havre Daily emailed local superintendents before the press conference this morning asking for comments on the proposal. The Havre and Chinook superintendents had responded by printing deadline, with Chinook Superintedent Jay Eslick saying his district has hired several elementary education teachers from Northern in the last few years, although not many high school teachers due to low turnover and the areas of instruction needed.

Havre Superintendent Andy Carlson said, without more information about the decisions or the reasons behind them, he could not comment.

“Any comment on my part would be speculation at this point,” Carlson said.

The program has seen a decrease in graduation in the last several years, with 18 graduating from the six areas in 2011, with none in general science or mathematics; 14 in 2012; and the graduation list from this year showing 11, with none from industrial technology or mathematics.

Limbaugh said part of the review process was seeing what still worked well and provided a good education and experience for the students and what did not.

“Just because we did something for 30 or 40 years doesn’t mean we have to continue to do it,” Limbaugh said. “The world has changed.”

The response called for initiating three new programs — rural futures, border studies and a technical and professional writing program — and integrating technical and business programs to provide additional opportunities for graduates of the technical programs.

It called for growing the automotive, diesel and ag technology programs once the new building to house those programs is complete, maintaining them until then. Other programs also are targeted for growth, including Northern’s new criminal justice program, which received high recommendations for growth by all four entities cited in the Academic Council report.

The business program also is targeted for growth, as is the civil engineering technology program and the electrical and plumbing technology programs. The health promotion program, which provides education in areas such as creating or marketing wellness programs for businesses, also is targeted for growth.

Northern’s nursing program is targeted for maintaining while decisions are made to find ways to grow the program.

The biology program is targeted for revision to tie it to other programs such as criminal justice, community leadership or programs in the College of Technical Sciences, or to focus on areas like pre-medicine or pre-pharmacy.

Some other programs are scheduled for termination, generally with consensus of the groups cited in the Academic Council report. Those include the civil engineering technology minor, the land survey technology certificate, and the associate degree in graphic design.

The bachelor degree program in graphic design is targeted to be maintained, with examination of revising the program. The design drafting technology program is to be placed in a moratorium while the program is examined to consider revision, possibly eliminating the bachelor’s degree and melding it into an associate degree.

Several other programs also are proposed for a moratorium, in which no new students would be accepted while revisions or termination are considered.