University of Vermont administrators are rushing to defend the proposal to cut 23 programs from the university’s College of Arts and Science, despite resounding protests from students and faculty. Bill Falls, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, proposed the budget reductions in a Dec. 3 memo without consulting faculty or students. The decision “does not mean we are not invested in liberal arts,” Patricia Prelock, the university provost, told reporters Monday. The provost is the university’s chief academic officer, reporting directly to the president.
