Program Closure and Tenure Policies

Over the past decade, institutions of higher education across the United States have faced increasing pressures driving program and departmental closures, including demographic changes, rising operational costs, changing public perceptions of higher education’s value, and enrollment declines. At the same time, shifts in student demand and the need for labor market alignment, along with federal accountability policies, have heightened scrutiny of institutional performance. Tenure policies around reassignment, buyouts, and termination of tenured faculty also influence whether and how institutions pursue program closures. Program closures have consequences for students, faculty, staff, and communities. Institutions also face reputational risks, while the closure process itself is lengthy and resource intensive. Prior studies have examined the closure of entire colleges and universities, but less is known about individual program and departmental closures. This project fills a gap by documenting program closures and exploring how factors including tenure policies shape institutional decisions.