DURHAM -- N.C. Central University will phase out five degree programs under a restructuring program that the board of trustees approved Wednesday.
The changes, which need final approval from the UNC Board of Governors, will free about $2 million for the university to spend in higher-priority areas, Chancellor Charlie Nelms said.
All told, 14 programs are being eliminated or merged, including the consolidating of the colleges of science and technology and of liberal arts into a new College of Arts and Sciences.
The restructuring responds to recent state funding cuts and "the cumulative effects of historic underfunding," including a $50 million reduction since Nelms arrived on campus nearly five years ago, he said.
"The cuts are painful; they're real," he said in an interview. "But the real question is how do we deploy our resources in the most strategic manner."
Campuses across the UNC system are taking a hard look at their academic programs in the aftermath of budget cuts. N.C. State University launched a reorganization a year ago and is now mulling the future of 260 academic programs. UNC Greensboro has merged some schools, and East Carolina University is considering 56 options for altering the university's academic structure.
NCCU's restructuring is the most comprehensive academic review in more than 30 years. The university held six forums attended by more than 800 people, in addition to several meetings with colleges and departments.
The academic changes are expected to free approximately $500,000 by having fewer deans, department chairs and adjunct instructors, Nelms said. Adjuncts teach about a third of NCCU's courses, he estimated.
Another $1.5 million will be produced over the next 18 months from "administrative efficiencies," such as speeding up the hiring period, reducing paperwork, and centralizing some printing.
Nelms estimated 250 to 300 students are in the affected degree programs. Elective courses will continue to be offered, and all declared majors will be able to meet their degree requirements.
Last week, about 40 sociology students and others marched against the cuts, which eliminate the department's undergraduate and master's degree programs. They carried signs with messages such as "What would W.E.B. Du Bois say?" - a reference to the pioneering black sociologist.
Department Chairman James Davies, who joined the silent protest, told the Campus Echo newspaper he was marching to support the students. Efforts to reach him Wednesday were unsuccessful.
The university reviewed 51 departments, and the number being eliminated is "very modest," Nelms said. The university is requiring all programs to submit plans for recruitment, retention and enhancement.
"Because a program is not on the cut list does not mean it is protected forever," he said.
"We should have been reviewing our programs on a continuous basis even before now. For whatever reasons, that has not happened."
