Academic Portfolio Review Update

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

At the outset of our Academic Portfolio Review, Syracuse University offered approximately 460 degree programs and certificates, well above the peer average of roughly 200 programs at institutions of comparable size. That gap was a clear reminder of our fundamental responsibility to students: to ensure every program we offer is worthy of their time, their resources and the trust they place in this institution. That responsibility drove this review and informed its outcome.

Based on our findings, we have made the decision to sunset 93 programs. Here is what the data show:

• 34% of our programs account for 80% of total student enrollments; the remaining 66% serve just 20% of enrollments.
• Of the 93 programs being closed or paused, 55 had zero students enrolled.
• Of the 93 programs being closed or paused, 28 are advanced certificate programs.
• In total, 258 students, roughly 1.2% of our student population, are enrolled in affected programs.

Every student currently enrolled in an affected program will have the opportunity to complete their degree. Some will do so this spring.

I want to emphasize this was not a cost-cutting exercise, and it was not aimed at eliminating departments or people. Based on portfolio review reports from each school and college, no positions have been identified for elimination. Every dean, working closely with faculty, department chairs and program leaders, reviewed their programs against student demand, academic quality and mission alignment. The seriousness and candor of that engagement reflects well on our academic community.

The decisions made through this process are not uniform in character. Some reflect programs that had already ceased producing graduates; others involve significant curricular redesign; some have merged with other programs to consolidate resources and enhance student experience; and some represent genuinely difficult choices about programs with dedicated faculty but small student communities. With the review process now complete, implementation is underway:

• Deans are working directly with faculty on teach-out plans, curriculum transitions and the development of new and reenvisioned programs that better position Syracuse for the decade ahead.
• Students, faculty and staff of each school and college will receive, if they haven’t already, direct communication from their dean with specific details about how the review affects their unit.
• Where programs require authorization for curriculum changes from the New York State Education Department or the Senate curriculum process, those procedures are underway.

This review is an important step in developing a portfolio that is more focused, more distinctive and more aligned with student demand. The outcomes position us to strengthen the University’s ability to attract talented students, support exceptional faculty and fulfill our mission as a leading research university. This is the kind of disciplined stewardship that students and families deserve from us, and it is work we are committed to sustaining.

If you have questions about how the review affects your program or department, please start with your dean’s office. I am grateful to everyone who contributed to this work, and I look forward to what we will build together from here.

Sincerely,

Lois Agnew
Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer