Iowa State University is the latest major research university to announce plans to close or consolidate several of its academic programs.gettyAs part of what it’s termed a Program Vitality Review, Iowa State University plans to close 10 academic program and merge or consolidate another 13. That news was shared this week with campus administrators and faculty by Iowa State’s senior vice president and provost Jason Keith.The university’s review was undertaken in response to a charge by the Iowa Board of Regents’ Workforce Alignment Review that’s focused on undergraduate programs with fewer than 25 majors and graduate programs with fewer than 10 majors at the three public universities it oversees — Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Iowa. Five undergraduate and five graduate programs slated to closeThe following 10 degree programs have been identified for closure:Undergraduate programsBioinformatics and computational biologyEnvironmental studiesInterdisciplinary designReligious studiesWomen's and gender studiesGraduate programsAccounting analyticsBiophysicsEnergy systems engineeringInterdisciplinary graduate studiesToxicology"Decisions to close programs are always difficult. But it’s just as important to critically evaluate low enrollment programs as it is to propose new programs that leverage new technologies and meet evolving workforce needs," Keith said, in his update. "Ultimately, this exercise helps us remain focused on the effective and efficient delivery of our land-grant mission and historical strengths."MORE FOR YOU13 programs identified for consolidation or mergerIowa State plans to consolidate or merge these programs:Ph.D. degrees in applied physics, condensed matter physics, high energy physics and nuclear physics will be consolidated into one degree program.Sociology and rural sociology will be merged into one graduate program.The undergraduate and graduate programs in earth science and geology will be merged into one program at each of the two levels.The graduate degree in rhetoric composition and professional communication will be consolidated within the rhetoric and professional communication graduate program.The graduate degree in gerontology will be merged into an existing program in the College of Health and Human Sciences.The experiential graphic design program will be consolidated as part of a curriculum that includes other bachelor's and master's degree programs.Certificates and/or minors will continue as options for many of the programs identified for closure, and elective courses may continue to be offered in those topics as well.Decisions about the program actions will “follow established university processes, including action from department, college and Faculty Senate committees,” according to the university. Ultimately, final actions will require the approval of the board of regents.According to Keith, students currently enrolled in the programs identified for closure will be able to complete their degrees after the changes become final, but no new students will be admitted.Exemptions and extensionsSeveral low-enrollment programs were given exemptions because they addressed critical workforce needs, were related to licensure, or served as a general umbrella program. At the undergraduate level, nursing and interdisciplinary studies were each spared. Five graduate programs — three of which were in education — were also exempted.A number of other under-enrolled programs were given two-year extensions to allow additional assessment of student demand and workforce needs before they are re-reviewed. They included undergraduate programs in dairy science and seed science as well as more than a dozen graduate programs in fields such as animal physiology, anthropology, community development, forestry, and nutritional sciences.The Closure Trend Continues Iowa State’s announcement continues the recent trend of large-scale academic purges at major universities across the nation. The cutbacks have occurred for various reasons. In some cases, like the University of North Texas, financial difficulties and sagging enrollments have prompted the decisions. In others, like Syracuse University, the primary justification has been said to be the desire to align academic curricula with shifting student demands.While programs in the humanities and arts often the hardest hit in such purges, that was not the case at Iowa State, an institution that is well-known for its strong programs in agriculture, engineering and the sciences. Although undergraduate degrees in religious studies and women’s and gender studies were on the hit list, most of the targets were spread across the sciences and social sciences.