'Utterly ridiculous': Clark students react as university plans to eliminate programs

WORCESTER — “Utterly ridiculous” is how Sophie Lee described the elimination of several academic programs at Clark University. 

Lee, a junior, is frustrated because she’s a studio art major, one of four programs on the chopping block. 

The others named in a March 25 update from university officials include ancient civilization, French and francophone studies, and comparative literature. 

Majors and minors in those three programs will stop being offered at the start of the 2025-26 academic year. Same with studio art; however, a minor in that discipline will continue to be offered.

Students who have already declared their majors and minors in the programs will be able to finish them. Incoming students in the fall will not have the option of declaring the programs as their academic focus.

Clark faces financial challenges

In a Dec. 6 email to faculty, John Magee, the university's interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, said decisions have to be made to ensure the long-term success of the university. That includes a short-term strategy for a more "fiscally sustainable structure."

The email noted that higher education institutions nationwide are taking a hard look at their operations in a changing landscape. Falling enrollment and rising costs are behind a number of U.S. colleges and universities that have eliminated majors, according to reports.

Clark's short-term strategy is centered on elimination of the four programs that will likely result in some faculty and staff losing their jobs. No decisions have been made on who will get pink slips, the university said.

"While we also realize that the overall size of our community is currently out of line with our fiscal resources and that staff and faculty reductions are essential to regaining a financially secure future, the decisions made regarding people will be made with as much care and thought as time allows," read Magee's email.

His memo added: “We must accept that our current situation could quite easily erode our institution further if we fail to address these core fiscal and academic issues."

Magee was unavailable for an interview, according to a university spokesperson. A faculty-led governance committee signed off on the programs to be eliminated, said a university statement to the Telegram & Gazette on Monday.

The decisions resulted from a planning process that started in January 2024, according to the statement. Clark officials anticipated a potential student enrollment decline due to national demographic shifts. However, the planning took on "heightened intensity," the statement said, when the number of students in this year's freshman class was less than expected.

Problems with the rollout of student aid through the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid program coupled with “existential” challenges facing higher education were cited as contributing factors for the falling enrollment. 

The time is now to make changes, said the university's statement. “It would be not only a missed opportunity but irresponsible not to act while the University is in a solid position to consider options and adapt.” 

Magee’s December email noted several reasons for the cuts: student interest, program and capital expenses, and job prospects after graduation.

A university spokesperson said the December email was intended to share ideas and foster collaboration with faculty. That communication is now considered outdated, said the spokesperson, and doesn't reflect the current status of the process as the school is in its next phase of planning.

The email listed a total of five programs slated for elimination, including Asian studies. The March update made no mention of Asian studies, only the four programs slated for closure.

Gaming over humanities?

"Not happy" is what Clark junior Simon Pinchbeck, a screen studies major, said about the loss of the four programs.

Pinchbeck believes it's happening because Clark is pumping money into electronic gaming courses in its School of Design and Technology, a field of study that is popular with the current generation of students. Clark absorbed the school from the defunct Becker College.

"The humanities are being funded less and less for video game classes," he said.

"Worrisome" is how Clark sophomore Dean Swanson described the decision to eliminate the programs. Swanson has noticed signs of financial problems on campus, including last year's tuition hike and what he said was a noticeable decline in quality in the cafeteria.

"The food is a lot worse," said Swanson.

The March 25 update noted a reimagined department of language, literature and culture that will include some elements from the majors in ancient civilization, French and francophone studies, and comparative literature. The goal, according to the statement, is to better meet student interest and boost career preparation.

Meanwhile, the studio art major is being adjusted. One challenge is a reliance on part-time instructors, the statement said. The new major could start in fall 2026.

More programs shut down?

Magee's email mentioned several potential changes beyond the elimination of the four programs. Years of consideration with faculty and the campus community would occur before any of the potential additional actions are taken, according to a university spokesperson.

The additional changes mentioned in the email included a pause in some graduate programs pending further review. Those include the master's programs in English, communication, and community development and planning. 

Five additional programs will be restructured, the email said: theater arts, music, philosophy, combined languages and education. Graduate programs will be the focus in the Education Department, according to the email, as that area of study accounts for 40% of all graduate studies in the U.S.

Also noted in the email is further investigation and analysis of current undergraduate and doctoral programs in chemistry and physics, the finance major and a "reconceptualization” of the Center for Gender, Race and Area Studies.

Students disappointed

Frida Jackson, a Clark sophomore majoring in studio art, is experiencing budget cuts in the department. Jackson said their job in the photography dark room had its hours cut by 20%. They were also told by their adjunct professor that Clark didn't want the professor back in the fall.

As Jackson sees it, losing studio art and other humanities courses will erode Clark's tradition as a true liberal-arts experience. It will also end the Art Department's long-standing connection with graduates, who often return to classes to guide students in their studies and careers.

What troubles Jackson is the university continues to host "extravagant" on-campus events, noting a recent one in the dining hall with a disc jockey, fancy cheese hors d'oeuvres and roast beef carving stations.

"I don't look around and see the financial burdens," said Jackson. "Clark seems to still be throwing money at costly, more extravagant events. It's hard to have my hours cut and professors are let go without it feeling tangibly justified."

Lee credits her studio art professors with giving her the skills and confidence to open an on-campus jewelry-making business. If it wasn't for her professors, Lee doubts she would have received last year's honor of being named Clark's student entrepreneur of the year by the university's entrepreneurship program.

She's proud of the award, but it's a downer to have her beloved art history major end up on the academic scrap heap.

"After I graduate, I'm not gong to recommend Clark (to prospective students)," said Lee. "This ruins the image of the university."

Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram.