Appendix D - Discontinuance or Reduction of an Academic Program

1. Definition
   The term ‘program’ used herein includes departments and programs, the academic organizations described in Section 2.4  and Section 2.5 , respectively, of the Faculty Handbook.
2. Programs Identified for Discontinuance or Reduction
   1. The program(s) identified by the provost for program discontinuance or program reduction shall be judged reasonable in light of the criteria employed in program review and, as appropriate, (1) the nature of the budgetary problem, (2) the need for a change in educational priorities, and (3) the overall contribution to the Mission of the College.
   2. The procedures set forth herein shall be followed in effecting program discontinuance or program reduction. If the discontinuance or reduction of a program entails removal of faculty members having tenure or the removal of non-tenured faculty members prior to the end of the specified term of appointment, the procedures in Section 6 shall also be followed.
   3. If a program is identified for discontinuance or reduction by the provost, a Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee shall be appointed.
3. Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee
   The Administration and the Faculty Senate shall each appoint one (1) member from the Faculty Senate Committee on Departmental Affairs, one (1) member from the Faculty Senate Committee on Faculty Status, and one (1) member of the Ordinary Faculty at-large; the president of the Student Congress or his or her designee shall also be appointed. No faculty member or student from the program being reviewed for possible discontinuance or reduction shall serve on the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee. The Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee shall elect its own chair.
4. Procedures for Program Discontinuance or Reduction
   1. If a decision is made to discontinue or reduce a program, the provost shall immediately notify:
      1. each faculty member within the program individually in writing, and the students within the program by public notification that a review is under way. The notification shall inform the faculty and students within the identified program of their right to present their views to the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee; and
      2. the president of the Faculty Senate, who shall announce at the next meeting of the Senate, that a review of the identified program is under way and to whom views on the identified program can be sent.
   2. The provost shall provide the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee and the president of the Faculty Senate a written statement of the reasons for proposing discontinuance or reduction of the program.
   3. In its review of the program, the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee shall consider the reasons for the proposed program discontinuance or reduction and assess the impact, including the financial and educational consequences, of any such discontinuance or reduction on:
      1. the integrity and the excellence of the academic enterprise of the College as a whole;
      2. the academic priorities of the College as a whole in light of its goals and objectives, and the priority of the department or program when viewed in the light of the College’s goals and objectives;
      3. Faculty members who are teaching in the department or program; and
      4. students who are pursuing a major, minor, or certificate in the department or program.
   4. The Program Discontinuance Appeals Committee shall seek advice from related departments and programs on the short-term and long-term impact on the College without the department or program whose discontinuance or reduction is under discussion, and advice from other departments or programs that might be affected by the discontinuance or reduction of the concerned department or program.
   5. The Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee is encouraged to hold open meetings and is expected to keep the faculty of the program being reviewed informed of its progress and meeting schedules. The Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee shall complete its review and present its written report to the provost within 90 calendar days (excluding the period from June 1 through September 1) from its appointment.
   6. The Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee shall keep a complete record of its proceedings and all data or documents gathered or presented to it.
   7. When the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee has gathered the information it believes sufficient to formulate a recommendation to the provost and the Faculty Senate, it shall announce and hold an open meeting to gather final comments and responses. Prior to the open meeting the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee shall prepare a brief written summary of its procedures, findings, and preliminary conclusions. At least 48 hours before its open meeting, this summary also shall be made available to each faculty member in the program being reviewed. Copies of the summary also shall be available for all who attend the meeting. Views on this summary shall be solicited at that open meeting.
   8. The Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee shall present to the provost and the president of the Faculty Senate a written report containing a description of its procedures and the information collected, a summary of the comments at the open meeting, a statement of impacts, and its findings and recommendations on the program discontinuance or reduction.
   9. Within 30 calendar days after the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee’s report is presented to the provost and the president of the Faculty Senate, the provost shall consider the report of the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee and shall announce his or her final recommendation to the Faculty Senate. If the provost rejects any recommendation made by the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee, the provost shall explain the nature and extent of his or her disagreement, if any, with each ground advanced by the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee to justify its recommendations.
5. Final Recommendations and Action by the Faculty Senate and the Provost
   1. A decision to recommend discontinuance or reduction of a program will be made by a majority vote of the Faculty Senate, following its review of the recommendation of the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee. The recommendation of the Faculty Senate shall be sent to the College president.
   2. A decision to recommend discontinuance or reduction of a program by the provost shall be sent to the College president.
   3. The decision of the College president shall be final.
6. Removal of Faculty for Reasons of Program Discontinuance or Reduction
   1. The removal of tenured faculty, or the removal of non-tenured faculty prior to the end of a specified term of appointment, may be effected upon program discontinuance or reduction within the College. Such removals shall be termed “removal for reasons of program discontinuance or reduction.”
   2. Removal because of program discontinuance or reduction may be effected only in conformance with procedures and provisions set forth in this Appendix.
   3. Notification
      1. Each faculty member proposed by the provost for removal because of program discontinuance or reduction shall be so notified in writing by the provost immediately upon the appointment of the Program Discontinuance or Reduction Appeals Committee required under Section 2.c.
      2. When the decision to discontinue or reduce a program becomes final pursuant to Section 5.c., and the subsequent decision is made as to which faculty members notified under Section 6.c.1. are to be removed, each faculty member to be removed because of program discontinuance or reduction shall be notified in writing by the president and the effective date of such removal shall be stated. No faculty member shall be removed because of program discontinuance reduction prior to the end of the academic year following the one in which a final decision is transmitted to the faculty member.
   4. When a decision has been made to discontinue or reduce a program, and it involves the termination of tenured faculty members, the College shall make every reasonable effort to place the faculty member in other College employment for which the faculty member is qualified with comparable terms of employment. In addition to the required notification period, special assignments with pay may be provided to enable the faculty member to prepare for changed employment responsibilities. Retirement incentive or the reduction of the faculty member’s responsibilities from full time to part time should be considered as possibilities.
   5. The provisions that should be followed to safeguard the rights of the faculty member are as follows:
      1. When termination of appointment is based on discontinuance or reduction of program, a faculty member shall have a right of appeal as provided below in 6.f;
      2. If it becomes necessary to reduce the number of faculty members rather than discontinue a program, the termination of tenured faculty members in the program shall be considered only after all visiting faculty, followed by probationary faculty members, have been terminated. The termination of tenured faculty members shall be selective on the basis of the academic needs of the College, and need not be determined by seniority, except that serious consideration should be given to the seniority status of the faculty member.
   6. Appeal. Each faculty member notified of removal for reasons of program discontinuance or reduction may appeal the removal utilizing the procedures of Appendix G . Affected faculty members may raise issues related to the criteria and the procedures used in, or applied to, the removal. Such appeals shall be made utilizing the procedures of Appendix G.7.e  . Appeals alleging a violation of academic freedom or discrimination shall be made utilizing the procedures of Appendix G.7.a .
   7. Reinstatement. In the event that the academic program which has been discontinued or reduced is reinstated within a period of three years, new positions shall not be filled through normal appointment search procedures until removed faculty members qualified for the position have been offered reappointment on terms at least comparable to terms which applied to the position previously held. Such removed faculty members shall be given 30 calendar days to accept or decline an offer of reinstatement.