Post Makes Some ‘Minor’ Adjustments

By Jada Butler, Dondre Lemon
News Editor, Assistant News Editor

As the job market continues to change and new areas of expertise are required, many of the minor programs at Post are falling in enrollment numbers. Minors that have had zero student enrollment for a consistent amount of semesters are now being temporarily removed. This university wide sweep is expected to go into full effect in the fall of 2018.

Programs that have been temporarily “taken away” had little to no enrollment, and the resources used to run those programs will be allocated to programs that students are interested in and provide them with the tools they need upon graduation.

Within the political science department, an accelerated five- year plan for a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) has been removed, according to Amy Freedman, chair of the political science department. The accelerated plan is all that has been removed, not the MPA as a whole.

As of now, two minors are being removed from the department of communications, according to Barbara Fowles, chair of the department. The public relations and specialty reporting minors are being removed. “The criterion is that they have zero enrollment for a number of semesters,” Fowles said. “I believe they kept, for the time being, any minor with even one student enrolled. That would presumably be cut as well when that student graduates, unless another one enrolls.”

Steven Breese, dean of the College of Communications, Art, and Design, stated that the minors being dropped depends on the students. “How many students out of the thousands of students on campus are taking specific minors?” According to Breese, the art history and photography minors are only two of the four confirmed minors being removed in the college.

“Students who have previously declared a minor will be able to complete their program of study,” he said. Although, these two minors are being dropped from the departments, each department maintained 12 minors across the board.

Not every department is undergoing these minor adjustments. The School of Health Professions and Nursing has reported no minors with zero enrollment. “All programs are being looked at carefully and being assessed to [ensure] that students receive the best educational programming possible, leading them to successful careers and job opportunities,” Stacy Gropack, dean of the School of Health Professions and Nursing, said.

“The faculty and administration remain committed to ensuring that LIU Post students are well prepared for their future, and part of that is a constant assessment of course and program offerings,” she said.