Penn State University could slash 12% of its undergraduate academic programs this fall if school leaders follow through with preliminary recommendations to eliminate low-demand offerings.
Forty-nine of Penn State’s 403 baccalaureate and associate degree programs are potentially on the chopping block after a months-long review of the university’s academic programs and portfolio, officials shared this month.
Discussions will continue throughout the summer, with final decisions expected by the fall semester. The university has employed the consulting firm McKinsey & Company Education Practice to assess its academics and organizational functions.
“Higher education is changing, and we must rise to the occasion,” Penn State Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos said in a statement. “A full accounting of our academic offerings, and a commitment to an ongoing cycle of program reviews moving forward, are critical parts of the work we all must do to position our students, and Penn State, for long-term success.”
The commonwealth campuses would bear the brunt of cuts; 39 programs could be slashed at these campuses.