Florida A&M University (FAMU) recently announced changes to some degree programs. Seven degrees will be consolidated and one will be restructured.
African American Studies is among those being impacted. This is notable given that FAMU is consistently one of the highest ranked HBCU’s in America (Historically Black Colleges and Universities).
The state does a periodic review and makes recommendations about programs that should be considered for removal. According to the State University System Board of Governors, it’s up to individual universities to determine whether to follow the recommendations.
We discuss changes to degree programs in Florida on today’s Speaking Of.
The FAMU Board of Trustees voted this month to terminate Studio/Fine Art with a plan to integrate it into Digital Arts and Graphic Design. Other degree programs will be consolidated:
- Environmental Sciences
- Environmental Studies
- African American (Black) Studies
- Electronic Engineering Technology
- Philosophy & Religion
- History
- Ed. Admin/Leadership, General
Some students have been critical about what they see as a lack of transparency about the degree changes and how those decisions were made.
“Education has become a business in this country, but the value of our education should not be quantified by these metrics like ‘productivity,’” says Justin Jordan, president of the FAMU chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
FAMU issued a statement in an effort to allay concerns about the impact on African American history and studies. A university spokesperson did not offer any further information about the changes but sent an email saying they want to reiterate that all impacted students will be able to complete their current degree programs.
These changes are happening around the state. For example, a few years ago, Florida State University combined its College of Education with the College of Health and Human Sciences. FSU said the move was designed to increase collaboration in research.
But, as state lawmakers have moved to end university-sponsored programs that relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), there are concerns that this is now impacting degree programs.
It’s an issue popping up in some other states as well.
“Some of the bills (legislation) that look at minimum graduation thresholds, those reviews are independent of, but they were in bills that also looked at DEI,” says Ben Unglesbee, a senior reporter with the media outlet Higher Ed Dive, which goes in depth into trends in higher education.
“A lot of the programs that have low graduate numbers are often in area studies or other kinds of liberal arts that might include coursework looking at race or looking at gender, like women’s studies,” Unglesbee says.
He notes that changes to degree programs are “happening in a lot of places, not just at public universities.”
“It’s a very complicated question to ask -- what is the financial cost and benefit of a program,” Unglesbee says, “and the answers are not straightforward.”
Click LISTEN above to hear the full conversation.
WFSU intern and FAMU student Jalen Scott contributed to this story.
