Eliminating, consolidating programs last budget gasp for universities - Theodora Kalikow, President University of Southern Maine, Morning-Sentinal

In this column, I’m going to give you more about strategies for college cost containment: Today’s topic is eliminating or consolidating programs. Universities turn to this reluctantly, when other strategies already have been used. When budget gaps are large enough or have gone on long enough, and when the budget is still not balanced — when you’re out of elegant choices, as one of my mentors liked to say — changes or cuts in academic programs must be looked at. I am not going to argue for or against particular cuts. You will have lots of opportunities to follow these debates. Here’s a scorecard to use as these dramas play out across our state and nation. http://www.onlinesentinel.com/opinion/THEODORA_KALIKOW__Eliminating__consolidating_programs_last_budget_gasp_for_universities_.html