Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, announced Friday its proposal to eliminate nine undergraduate majors and one graduate program.
In a statement from the university’s board of trustees, the school announced the elimination of its bachelor’s degree programs for art, economics, English, history, math, philosophy, sociology, secondary education, theology and religious studies, and the Master’s degree program for English and humanities.
The university said the cut programs were ones “no longer serving Marymount students.” The school also said the changes were not financially driven but instead would allow for investing in programs that would give the school a competitive advantage.
“Over the long term, it would be irresponsible to sustain majors [and] programs with consistently low enrollment, low graduation rates, and lack of potential for growth,” said university president Irma Becerra in a letter ARLnow received. “Recommendations and decisions on programs marked for elimination are based on clear evidence of student choices and behavior over time.”
The school also included the total of students currently enrolled in each of the cut programs, with none of them exceeding 15.
Students already enrolled in those programs will be able to finish their degree. The school, however, will no longer be offered as majors, and the coursework will continue to be implemented in the school’s core curriculum, they said in the statement.
Ariane Economos, the director of Marymount’s School of Humanities, said the changes would go against the school’s promise of being a comprehensive Catholic university with a foundation in the liberal arts.
“Marymount will always be dedicated to the education of the whole person. Every one of these foundational subjects remains part of our core curriculum, which supports our mission and Catholic identity. All University programs will continue to be grounded in the liberal arts and the Marymount University Board, President and Cabinet remain committed to continuously improving the student experience,” the university said in a statement.
An online petition in support of saving of the programs started a few days ago and received more than 2,000 signatures as many faculty and students spoke out about the cuts.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report.