ITEM ONE
�Program Review Summary for Montana State University-Northern
On Thursday March 23, 2000 in Havre the Montana Board of Regents approved the program review recommendations made by the Montana State University campuses of the Montana University System.� Recently, there have been many questions and misunderstandings about how the programs reviewed and eliminated at Montana State University-Northern have affected the institution.� The following is a summary of what programs were eliminated and why, and also a glimpse into the future of MSU-Northern.
����������� Montana State University-Northern Chancellor Mike Rao explained that there is difficulty in eliminating programs when hard working members of the faculty have invested so much in them.� Ultimately, however, the elimination of some programs relates much more to an overall decline in enrollment and regional population in the last six years.� This decline was reflected in budget reductions that ultimately took place in 1999.� He indicated that the challenge lies in �how MSU-Northern can maintain a reasonably healthy budget situation, avoid returning to an overspending pattern, manage overall declining enrollment, and balance resources among a set of programs with sustainable enrollments.� Despite its challenges, at this point, state systemwide program review can be viewed as a mechanism to help Montana State University-Northern focus on its program offerings, meeting the needs of students in areas that are growing, and the taxpayers and employers of Montana� stated Rao.� According to Rao �The challenge that remains is how to move forward with new program offerings.� I remain confident that my faculty colleagues will continue to pursue programs that offer a chance of accommodating new students� needs.��
����������� The following is a summary of the 20 programs eliminated at Montana State University-Northern with the reason the programs were eliminated.� 64 total program offerings were under program review consideration.
� Recommended for elimination by departmental faculty
� It is being proposed that this degree be replaced with a Master�s in Education in Adult Learning and Training
� This does not include all master�s degrees in education�just the one in Voc Ed, which is being replaced by a degree in Adult Learning and Training.�
� Recommended for elimination by departmental faculty.
� It is being proposed that this degree be replaced with a Bachelor�s Degree in Industrial Technology, which has far greater application in industrial arts teacher education.
�
It is being proposed that this degree be replaced with
a Bachelor�s Degree in Computer Engineering Technology.
Minor in Drama
�
Zero graduates in the past six years.
� No Students listed this option as a minor during the past six years.
� Zero graduates in the last six years.
� One student currently lists this as their minor.
� Two graduates in the last six years.
� Two students currently list this as their minor.
� Some of the courses offered for the minor are scheduled to enroll one student.�
� All general education mathematics courses, statistics, trigonometry, and two calculus classes will remain as part of the curriculum.
� Two graduates in the last six years.
� Zero students� currently list this option as a minor.
� Recommended for elimination by Dr. Joyce Scott, Deputy Commissioner for Academic���� Affairs in the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.
� One graduate in the last six years
� Three students are currently listed as taking the degree program
� The teaching major and minor in English remain in the curriculum
�
Nine graduates over a four-year period, with no
graduates the first two years.� This
averages out to 2.25 graduates per year.
�
Twenty current students list this degree as their major
�
The History major will be folded into the Bachelor of
Science in Education Social Sciences Option.�
This degree currently contains 21 credits in history.� The eliminated history degree contained 27
credits in history�two additional classes more than the consolidated degree.
Bachelor of Science and Minor in Biology
� Seventeen students graduated in the last six years
� That is 2.8333 students a year, over the last six years the number of graduates in Biology was 4,7,3,1,1,and 1.�
� Twenty Six current students list Biology as their current major
� This degree will be folded into the Bachelor of Science-General Science option
� The biology faculty is currently exploring a number of options to present for consideration
� A.A.S. had four graduates in the last six years or .6667 graduates a year.
� B.S. had 13 graduates in the last six years or 2.16667 graduates a year
� Minor had six graduates in the past six years
� One-student currently lists the Associate of Arts and Sciences in Manufacturing as a major.
� Seven students currently list the Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing as their major
� A.A.S. had ten graduates in the last six years or 1.6667 graduates a year.
� Fifteen students are currently enrolled as metals technology majors.
� The certificate in welding technology is being kept as part of the curriculum.
� Many of the metals and manufacturing courses will continue to be offered for other majors, including a new industrial technology major that may offer both a teaching and non-teaching track.�
�
Recommended by faculty to eliminate this degree because
the two-year degree in this field is no longer marketable.
� This degree was eliminated several years ago.� The program continued to appear on MSU-Northern�s program inventory so it was removed through the program review process.