Editors express concern about students affected by prioritization

Class and program cancellations, terminated professors, and budget cuts were a result of the prioritization process, which began in April 2014.

Prioritization allowed university officials to see where money was spent and determine if programs should change.

Officials released the prioritization report in April 2015. The report estimated the phasing out or elimination of certain programs would impact fewer than 35 students. It also stated that officials would contact affected students individually and provide individual advisement.

Students then were told in August their classes were canceled because officials thought enrollment may increase. More should’ve been done to warn students earlier than a week before school.

As prioritization recommendations continue to be implemented, intermediate French courses for Fall 2016 were canceled. Officials said they didn’t have enough beginning French students to justify keeping the courses.

Students were not told about course changes until right before enrollment. Students already planning on enrolling in intermediate French were left scrambling to find other classes to fill their schedules. Now students who took French for two semesters must ask for permission to take another foreign language. Students’ graduation plans won’t be disturbed, but this isn’t an ideal situation.

Officials said intermediate French courses could return in the future, if enrollment numbers are high enough. But that also means other classes could be canceled if enrollment numbers are low. Spanish are the only language courses guaranteed. It’s hard to be enthusiastic about taking a language course you know might not be offered next semester.

It’s also difficult to say that prioritization affected fewer than 35 students, since it seems like most students have either dealt with a canceled class or program, budget cuts in their programs or the loss of a professor.

Prioritization is necessary and we hope it will help the university in the long run, but it’s affecting more students than officials initially said. Inconveniencing current students by canceling required gen-ed classes while trying to better the university seems counter-productive.