The decision to review those programs that university officials say span across the institution comes in light of current and projected enrollment numbers as well as changing student demographics.
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“Enrollment drives what we do here. That is a challenge right now for us and for a lot of places,” said Wittenberg’s President Mike Frandsen.
As of September, Wittenberg had a total of 1,619 students enrolled. That is a decrease of 175 students compared to the same period last year, according to data from Wittenberg.
There has also been a drop in full-time students enrolled at the university, which decreased from 1,731 students to 1,567 between September of 2018 and 2019.
Frandsen said enrollment is expected to stay relatively the same over the next few years, but he also anticipates a future decline in students. He said the birth rate decreased during the time of the Great Recession and thus the number of future high school graduates are projected to be lower.
However, Wittenberg is not alone when it comes to a decline in enrollment. Most universities in the state have either seen stagnate enrollment or a drop in new students over the past couple of years, according to the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
Earlier this year, the university decided to cut eight teacher positions for the 2020-2021 academic school year. So far no further staffing cuts have been made, Frandsen said.
An additional 10 faculty members opted for early retirement. Frandsen said whether those positions will be filled depends on the results of the university’s current program review.
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Wittenberg’s provost Michelle Mattson recommended that several of the university’s offerings be reviewed in September by an educational policies committee that includes faculty as well as academic administrators and students in an ex officio capacity.
Frandsen declined to name the programs under review, but he said the committee is expected to share their recommendations early next year.
“We will have smaller programs in some cases. We will have fewer programs in some cases,” he said. “One of my goals in this, is that as we have fewer programs we are able to create better programs in the things that we sustain. Part of that is driven by student interest.”
However, representatives of the university say students already enrolled in programs that may be affected will have the opportunity to complete them. Frandsen said they may have fewer elective courses to choose from, but core classes would still be available.
Currently the university has seen strong enrollment in business programs as well as in biology, psychology and communications. Wittenberg also expects growth in its nursing program, implemented last year.
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