The University of Maine system is moving through a new round of proposed academic changes after the faculty senate at the university’s Orono campus backed two decisions affecting degree programs, according to faculty senate members. On Wednesday, members of the Faculty Senate voted to eliminate a master’s degree in teaching Spanish and to suspend for three years a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory sciences, with both items still subject to additional layers of university review before any changes could take effect.
Faculty senators said the Spanish master’s degree is the only such master’s program offered within the University of Maine System. The Faculty Senate passed a resolution to eliminate the master of arts in teaching Spanish, citing low enrollment and noting that the Spanish language faculty supported the decision.
For the medical laboratory sciences program, the senate also approved a resolution to suspend the bachelor’s degree for three years. Faculty senate member Mary Jean Sedlock, who co-chairs the Program Creation and Reorganization Review Committee, said the medical laboratory sciences bachelor’s has not been enrolling students for a number of years. After the suspension ends, Sedlock said the program would be reviewed for possible elimination.
Officials said the proposed changes would not immediately lead to job losses or department closures. Sedlock said that although the senate endorsed both program actions, the proposals would still require additional review and ultimately approval from the University of Maine System Board of Trustees. No changes would result in the elimination of faculty or closure of a department, Sedlock said.
In response to the Spanish program decision, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Emily Haddad said the action reflected program demand. “It’s unfortunate for the reasons that were articulated at the senate meeting,” said Haddad of the elimination of the Spanish master’s program, “But it’s also an appropriate decision based on the demand for the program.” Haddad said enrollment for the master’s degree in how to teach Spanish has been historically low, with enrollment ranging from zero to just three students each year over the past five years. She also said the master’s in teaching did not provide a pathway for students to become licensed to teach in K-12 schools, unlike typical master’s in teaching programs.
Haddad said the university would still allow students to study Spanish through other options. She said enrollment at the undergraduate level for the Spanish minor is “very healthy,” and that the number of students selecting Spanish as their major is “steady.” She added that she does not foresee reopening a Spanish master’s degree in the future.
The faculty senate’s endorsements are part of a longer committee review process. Sedlock said the proposals would next go to the provost and UMaine’s president for review and endorsement, followed by review by chancellors and, ultimately, a decision by the board of trustees. University of Maine system spokesperson Samantha Warren said the board of trustees would likely discuss the issue at its next full meeting in May.
Warren said the system has procedures for proposing new or revised programs, including eliminating programs “for which there is no longer sufficient demand to sustain.” She said that when programs are eliminated, universities still offer required courses or substitutions so that students already working toward degrees can complete them. The system has approved other program suspensions and eliminations within the past fiscal year, including changes involving degrees in cybersecurity, English, liberal arts and French, Warren said.
The proposed program changes come amid a broader budgeting process and strategic planning exercise. The strategic planning document released in the fall evaluated academic programs using metrics including enrollment, credit hours, degrees awarded and potential for job growth. In that document, a master’s degree in Spanish was flagged as needing “review,” while the medical laboratory sciences bachelor’s degree did not appear on the list, according to the reporting. In December, UMaine announced budget cuts of 7% across the board to address an $18 million budget shortfall projected for the next fiscal year.
Earlier this week, UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy sent an email to colleagues describing how she would close the gap. Ferrini-Mundy said she would close the projected shortfall with “fewer than 10” staff layoffs, attrition, a $2.3 million increase in state funding, and use of grant, gift and reserve funding. She also said the proposed budget for the next school year reflects a 2.6% decrease in credit hours, the number of course hours students take. The system said this fall that it had its highest enrollment—25,870 students—since 2021, and that for next school year it had accepted 26,164 students, though it was not yet clear how many would ultimately enroll. A full budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal year is expected to be made public next week.