The Office of the Provost hosted a town hall meeting regarding the Simmons academic planning process on Nov. 19, specifically discussing majors that are on the table to be “sunsetted” or “reimagined.” The undergraduate majors that are currently proposed to be sunsetted are economics, accounting, physics, humanities, and applied Spanish.
No undergraduate minors are currently being discussed. The graduate major of Gender and Cultural Studies is on the table to be sunsetted.
Originally part of the discussion to be sunsetted, the majors chemistry, mathematical sciences and public health are no longer being proposed “after additional conversations and listening to feedback from students,” according to Provost Stephanie Cosner in an email to the Voice.
During the town hall, Provost Cosner addressed the classroom full of students. Many of these students, who later asked questions aloud, were members of the affected departments.
“The Board of Trustees asked us to take a look at our academic portfolio as well as other financial metrics, to really understand what we could do to strengthen and make sure that Simmons is here in perpetuity,” she explained.
Provost Cosner’s process to examine each major was meeting with “every single faculty unit,” looking at data within the Common Application and student enrollment, whether it be in the major, minor, or in classes. Provost Cosner emphasized to students during the meeting, “Your Simmons experience is a lot more than your major. It is your clubs, your activities, your friends, your residents.”
Brief explanations were provided following each major discussed as a possibility presented to students.
For accounting, Provost Cosner cited a small number of accounting students and limited accounting faculty, saying it is “more challenging to uphold it as a top interest area, and it is an incredibly difficult and linear thing to deliver on.” As she looked at accounting, she said that “we don’t see any growing interest in that area,” citing around 20 students in the major.
Originally part of the sunsetting discussion, the public health major was described as having growing interest, but a “very resource intensive major to uphold,” Provost Cosner said. Simmons University has accredited Bachelor’s and Master’s of Public Health programs. She also said that “it’s very difficult to be competitive in the Master’s of Public Health Market.”
Regarding physics, also referencing chemistry at the time of the meeting, Provost Cosner explained that, even if sunsetted, they are part of the discussion to be reimagined. “In this proposal we say we might close them or sunset them as they’re being delivered. But please, faculty, come back to us. We have a lot of students who want to study STEM, we just built these beautiful labs,” she said.
Also originally part of the discussion to be sunsetted, mathematical sciences has only been a major following the 2023 sunsetting, replacing the former math major to “make it more applied.” Provost Cosner said that they “still did not get the robustness in terms of more enrollments, more student interest.” The major humanities had a similar explanation, as it has only been a major following the previous sunsetting, existing as a combination across different areas of the humanities. She cited that many students wanted to major in more specific areas, and that they “are actually breaking them into separate literature and writing and history departments to re-elevate those areas.”
Reimagined from the previous Spanish major, Applied Spanish was meant to move from a major covering culture, language, and literature into more of a language-based focus. Provost Cosner said that it “did not take off” and that “faculty have come up with a certificate,” rather than the major itself.
Still in the proposal phase, faculty continue to be in the discussion. Although faculty members vote on proposals regarding the academic portfolio, ultimately, the Board of Trustees has the final say.
Students enrolled in the impacted majors will be emailed directly following the Board of Trustees meeting, while the general body can expect to receive an email later in the week. Those in impacted majors will be contacted by Vice Provost Leanne Doherty with more information regarding advisors and more support during the week of January 12.
Students had many questions regarding the information presented. During the Q&A session, around 40 minutes into the hour-long meeting, questions were taken online and in person. Some students also submitted questions ahead of time via Google Form.
Isheeta Krisha, a senior with a double major in finance and economics, attended the town hall meeting. In an interview with the Voice, Krishna reflected on her initial reaction: “This can’t be happening.” Following the meeting, she created a petition to save the economics and accounting majors.
“Love our professors, love the alumni connections,” she said when called upon during the meeting. Later, Krishna cited her professors from early in her Simmons career, as she was taking accounting, as a large part of why she declared her economics major. She also cited alumni connections.
When majors are sunsetted, students currently enrolled in that major are permitted to finish their major. Krishna’s question covered supports for students in sunsetted majors, “so they don’t feel the need to transfer,” citing a previous student who had been enrolled in a sunsetted major in 2023 and transferred.
Provost Cosner answered that “We are committed to sunsetting, which means that you have an opportunity to take your degree. Whether you have every single offering of the courses that are available now, I can’t say if every single course will continue to exist at the same level. But you will be able to get your degree at Simmons.”
Other concerns brought up included losing male-dominated majors that women want to go into. Snaps were heard across the room before Provost Cosner told the room she agreed as well. She addressed the comment, saying, “It is an overextension of what we’re doing to suggest that it’s moving away from the commitment to male-dominated fields and helping women and people who are non binary break into those spaces… We can’t do it financially in every single area.”
This proposal will be voted on in the Board of Trustees meeting in early December.
