Students in 38 majors at BGSU could be the last graduates of their programs following the implementation of Ohio’s Senate Bill 1 (SB1) last March.  

SB1 requires public universities to cut programs that graduate fewer than five students annually over a three-year period. 

According to university data, 38 majors and programs have graduated fewer than five students since the 2021-2022 school year, which puts them at risk of being eliminated under the provisions of SB1.  

Some of the impacted programs include art history, American culture studies, popular culture, geography, microbiology and jazz studies. 

Ram Veerapaneni, BGSU’s vice provost for academic affairs, said in an email statement to BG Falcon Media that in compliance with state law, the university evaluates and assesses academic programs based on the number of graduates each year. 

Veerapaneni also said in the email statement that other factors, such as evolving workforce needs and requirements in Ohio and beyond, also drive shifts in BGSU’s programs. 

“For years, BGSU has evaluated and adapted its academic programs to ensure a Bowling Green education remains relevant to both students and employers,” Veerapaneni wrote.

Veerapaneni noted that academic programs at the university can be merged or “re-imagined” to better serve student and workforce needs. 

Other Ohio universities, including the University of Toledo (UT) and Ohio University, have also eliminated or merged undergraduate programs following SB1. At UT, programs including Africana studies, Asian studies, disability studies and women’s and gender studies were suspended.  

Other Ohio universities merged multiple programs into one instead of completely suspending them due to SB1. Ohio University merged its six bachelor’s of music degree programs into one program with different concentrations, according to its website. 

At BGSU, the world language education program was cut this year and didn’t accept any incoming students. Any student currently enrolled in the program can finish their degree. 

According to past BG Falcon Media reporting, the university cited low enrollment within the program as reasoning for its elimination.

One of the BGSU schools most likely to be impacted by SB1 cuts is the School of Cultural and Critical Studies. 

Director Angela Nelson said the school has about 21 majors, including women’s, gender and sexuality studies, popular culture, ethnic studies and American culture studies, which have each graduated fewer than five students since 2021-2022.

Nelson said while some of the school’s majors, specifically women’s, gender and sexuality studies, popular culture and ethnic studies, have had few graduates each year, they have not yet been identified as majors being removed. 

“These sort of humanities type of programs, you just don’t have hundreds of students majoring in them,” Nelson said. 

She said while enrollment numbers may not seem large in comparison to programs in business or science, majors like popular culture continue to attract students, even if they study it as a minor. 

“What our majors are good for is that they can attach to something else,” Nelson said. “Basically, any of our degrees would be nice compliments.” 

Nelson said the school is moving toward providing one major in cultural and critical studies with specializations in areas such as popular culture, ethnic studies, women’s studies and American culture studies. 

She said changes to the major have been in progress since last year, and last semester, the school has worked with the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the chair of the curriculum committee and the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE).

The process still has to be approved by the provost, a university-wide committee, the Board of Trustees and then through the state legislature in Columbus, Nelson said.

Nelson said ODHE told the program that it is possible for universities to request an exception to the SB1 requirement of removing majors with low graduation rates.

After consulting BGSU officials, Nelson said they are hoping they could be safe from cuts under SB1’s requirements after changes to their program. 

“We felt that because of the work we’re doing to merge into one major, that we are doing something very actively, very proactively, to help with our numbers and to help with kind of combining the work we’re doing into one major,” Nelson said.