Morehead State University's Board of Regents has approved an Academic Affairs Self-Study that realigns the school’s programs, eliminates some of them and invites proposals for new offerings.
MSU's Provost Dr. Steven Ralston says the changes also save the university one-point-five million dollars.
The plan calls for reinvesting 200-thousand dollars in new and existing academic programs. He says the overhaul is intended to make MSU more efficient and put it in a better strategic position for the future.
Dr. Ralston says one of the most significant moves is the creation of a new business college that incorporates advanced engineering and computer science. Overall, the plan eliminates 8 academic programs, modifies 6, retains 52 and puts 19 in “monitoring” status.
Dr. Ralston says people at Morehead State University are losing their jobs because of the changes that will come about following a comprehensive review of the school’s academic programs and departments. He says it will not mean a flurry of pink slips across the campus.
“There were a number of positions that were unfilled that we didn’t fill. That’s where the greatest amount of cuts occurred so, truly…there were very few people in jobs displaced.” –MSU Provost Steven Ralston
In all, the academic review recommended elimination of eight programs and changes to six others.
Morehead State University President Dr. Wayne Andrews believes the just-completed thorough analysis of the school’s academic offerings has not spawned discontent among its faculty and staff. He says morale is a relative thing and there are always some people unhappy about such scrutiny.
However, Dr. Andrews believes they are vastly outnumbered.
“I think on balance though, people think this is a good place to work. That’s not to say that we can’t improve some things. That’s not to say that people haven’t been anxious about expected changes, but I think as the self-study was concluded it should be obvious to everybody, that it was done in a fair and balanced way.” –MSUPres. Dr. Wayne Andrews
Dr. Andrews says, it does not recommend a revolutionary overhaul of Morehead State’s academic mission.
