The Academic Affairs Program Prioritization process took another step forward with the May 5 release of a summary of recommendations from the provost and colleges, as well as plans of action.

The A2P2 process began in 2007 with a task force that designed a review process for all academic programs. In Phase II, the task force made recommendations to the provost on April 15, 2008. The provost issued his report a month later, based on the task force’s recommendations and input from deans and Faculty Senate leaders, according to the report.

In September 2008, the colleges submitted revised recommendations and plans based on the provost’s report. Associate Executive Vice President Larry James, who co-chaired the Phase II Task Force, said the provost’s office and colleges have been in close contact since then.

“We’ve spent almost the entire academic year going back and forth between the provost’s office and the colleges, and the colleges and the departments,” he said.

In a Tuesday news release, Provost and Executive Vice President Warwick Bayly said A2P2 has become an unintentional guide for the university’s new budget.

“Although not intended to be a budget reduction process, A2P2 has helped to guide 2009-2011 budget planning and to position the institution to move ahead in a strategically determined manner when the economy improves,” he said in the release.

BUDGET REDUCTIONS
Four programs were slated for elimination as part of WSU’s $54 million reduction for the 2009-11 biennium, including the German major, the sport management program, the Department of Theatre & Dance and the Department of Rural and Community Sociology.

In the summary, the CRS department was the only one of the four programs the colleges recommended be phased out.

Foreign languages and culture was recommended for growth and investment by the college, and the provost’s recommendations included emphasizing Spanish and Pacific Rim languages, as well as emphasizing language and culture. The department was recommended to minimize upper-division offerings in other languages and consider reducing some majors to grow others. German wasn’t mentioned specifically.

For sport management, the college recommended maintenance for undergraduate and graduate programs. The provost’s report suggested phasing out the master’s program in sport management and to consider consolidating the undergraduate program with kinesiology and moving it to the Division of Health Sciences.

The summary states the sport management program is inconsistent with the College of Education’s mission, and is proposed to be phased out in the budget reduction.

Theatre and dance has “reorganization, consolidation or reduction” listed in the college recommendations, with an asterisk that notes the department was also recommended for growth and investment.

“Just about every department in the College of Liberal Arts was recommended for growth and investment when the college made its recommendations,” James said. “We told the college, ‘you can’t put money in every program, you have to pick the programs that are your highest priorities.’ As a result of those interactions, theatre dropped off the growth and investment list.” James said the asterisk was meant to be removed before the summary was released. As of press time, the asterisk was removed from the summary’s Web site. The summary listed the provost’s recommendation as moving the program and faculty to the School of Music or phasing it out, but the provost’s report available online recommends moving the program to the now-defunct proposed Division of Arts, Culture, and Humanities. There is no mention of phasing out the program.

OTHER PROGRAMS
The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication is phasing out five degree programs, including broadcast management, communication studies, general communication, media and the law, and speech communication.

Dean Erica Austin said the faculty made a decision last spring to identify and support the core of what the college wanted to do and ensure its quality.

“(The degree programs) weren’t very relevant or necessary anymore,” she said. “In one or two cases we felt we can’t really serve the program and the level of quality and efficiency we need to in order to serve keep our promises to students.” Austin said all students currently certified in those programs will be allowed to finish their degrees. The college will also still offer courses in those disciplines.

“It doesn’t mean we don’t offer anything in those areas,” she said. “We just don’t offer degree programs.” The CLA will also see changes to some of its departments. Digital Technology and Culture, a cross-discipline program operated by the Department of English, will be overhauled.

“(WSU-Vancouver) developed a unique program that emphasizes more of the technology side of things. The program that’s been offered in Pullman has tended to emphasize the culture side of things. What we’re saying is, ‘let’s go with the Vancouver-type model’ and headquarter the program in Vancouver,” James said.

The summary also states the CLA will phase out the Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. James said the decision was made by the department because it also offers a Bachelor of Science in the discipline. He said the B.A. hasn’t been as popular as they thought it would be, so the department will be focusing its efforts on the B.S.

Though the planning process is over, the A2P2 process isn’t just a one-time thing, James said.

“Some of the A2P2 processes we’ve gone through we’ll continue to go through on a regular basis,” he said. “I guess it won’t be called A2P2, but some of the processes will live on.”