As UNC-system schools continue to make tough decisions in a difficult financial climate, Elizabeth City State University is considering discontinuing its history program — a move that could be virtually unprecedented for a public university.
Earlier this fall, system General Administration staff directed the 16 system universities to recommend low-productivity degree programs for discontinuation by November. ECSU, a historically black school with an enrollment of about 2,400 students, received a nearly 10 percent cut to its state funding this year.
Ten programs at the school fit the system’s criteria for low productivity. ECSUadministrators determined that three of them — middle grades education, special education and a master of science in biology — are central to the university’s mission and will not be considered for elimination.
Seven programs — history, political science, physics, geology, studio art, marine environmental science and industrial technology — are still in limbo. If the seven are discontinued, some coursework in each area will still be offered at ECSU, said Ali Khan, provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs, in a statement.
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Jurgen Buchenau, history department chairman at UNC-Charlotte, said he knows of a couple of small private universities who have considered eliminating their history programs, though he said the move is rare. Buchenau said he’s surprised that system universities are held to the same standards as far as discontinuing programs, given large differences in student population.
Buchenau said cutting any university history program could have far-reaching effects in the long term, perpetuating worry among humanities departments throughout the system.
“It’s not going to stop at history,” he said.
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Posted by Libergirl
TheConfirmationFiles 
Why is the loss of the history the only program highlit here? Whike it’s important as a topic of a broadbased education, it’s value as a degree program is questionable.