Delaware State University, the historically Black educational institution in Dover, has announced that it will “deactivate” 23 of its academic programs. This is more than one quarter of all academic programs at the university. The programs that will be eliminated have low enrollments and the university plans to place more emphasis on programs that will attract larger numbers of students.
Harry L. Williams, president of Delaware State University, told the Wilmington News Journal that “we have to make the decision in the best interest of our students and the taxpayers of Delaware and the best interest of the university as a whole. We were very diligent in taking our time going through the process, and we wanted all the voice heard. We’re looking at it from a very practical business perspective.”
Among the undergraduate programs being cut are several education programs in the sciences, world languages, special education, Spanish, French, and forensic chemistry. At the graduate level, programs being cut include eight that are focused on education, applied chemistry, family and consumer sciences, and historic preservation.
The restructuring will save the university about $900,000 annually. The university plans to funnel the savings back into our academic programs with wider appeal such as criminal justice, communications, sports management, and business administration.
