MU task force meeting as possible program cuts approach

The University of Missouri Task Force on Academic Program Analysis, Enhancement and Opportunities met Wednesday as possible program cuts approach.

As ABC 17 News previously reported, the task force is working to examine every academic program and will ultimately make recommendations to the provost’s office on which programs could possibly be cut.

The task force’s final report is due to the provost on January 15. University leaders have previously said they will begin making decisions on program investments, consolidation and cuts in the spring.

The task force, which was forced in June 2017, is comprised of 15 faculty members, along with co-chairs Matthew Martins, Faculty Fellow of Academic Programs and Cooper Drury, Associate Dean of College of Arts and Sciences,

Throughout the fall semester, the task force has been meeting with the MU community about their findings. They have had several meetings with different campus groups, including MU’s faculty council, and once those are complete, an open forum will be held.

Prior to engaging with the university community, the task force developed an analysis strategy that is being used to evaluate programs. That analysis strategy is outlined in the phase 1 report, which was released on Sept. 1.

The co-chairs previously told ABC 17 News that the task force has three main objectives-look for programs that need to be invested in, identify programs that could be consolidated, and identify which programs the university can no longer support.

“I think the most important thing that we’re going to have to do as a group is to actively engage with the campus. The full campus community,” Martins said back in August. “The real work, I think, of this group is getting out, getting feedback and ideas from faculty, staff, from students from alumni, from leaders on campus. So, whatever recommendations this group ends up with, it’s almost a certainty that there are folks on campus who will not be pleased with some of this. That’s just a natural part of this process. But it’s really important for us to make sure that we can say that everybody had an opportunity to provide input and ideas.”

ABC 17 News will have a full report at 5 p.m.