University of North Texas President Harrison Keller offered new details this week after announcing plans to cut or consolidate more than 70 academic programs, minors and certificates as it works to close a projected $45 million budget shortfall driven by a sharp decline in international enrollment and reduced state funding.
“We weren’t directed to eliminate programs by any state official,” Keller said in a March 24 interview with The Texas Tribune about a plan that includes phasing out its linguistics degrees, eliminating a women’s and gender studies master’s program and cutting a bachelor’s degree in Latino and Latin American Studies, along with 25 undergraduate minors and more than 40 certificate programs.
