Michigan State proposes shutting 2 departments, cutting 40 programs

Marisa Schultz / The Detroit News

East Lansing -- Michigan State University has proposed eliminating 40 academic programs and shutting two departments in effort to save the university money.

The university proposed today closing the Geological Sciences department in the College of Natural Science and the Communicative Sciences and Disorders department in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, according to recommendations made today by Provost Kim Wilcox and Vice President for Finance and Operations Fred Poston.

The recommendations called for eliminating two doctoral programs, two education specialist programs, 13 master's programs, four graduate specializations, 16 undergraduate majors and three undergraduate specializations.

Among them: bachelor's programs in plant pathology, veterinary technology, and general business administration-pre-law.

"We are in the early stages of a focused MSU budget reduction process," said MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon. "We have committed to making that process transparent. As we saw at today's meeting, many voices will continue to be heard as we work through the process."

The MSU Board of Trustees would make the final decision on the closures. Any changes to academic programs would follow the established academic governance system consultative process. If programs are disbanded, current students could complete their requirements for that degree.

Over the next two years, nearly 600 funded positions at MSU would be affected and budgets for MSU operating units would be cut by 10 percent, or about $50 million.

For more information, visit: www.shapingthefuture.msu.edu.