Cal Poly Humboldt moves to cut multiple programs amid enrollment shortfalls

Cal Poly Humboldt is doing the right thing—cutting programs and staff due to lack of students.

“According to enrollment counts sent by the University, 22 people were enrolled in the economics major in the 2024-2025 school year while 9 were a part of the education leadership credential.

Cal Poly Humboldt cited low enrollments for multiple years.

“These majors have had low enrollment for a period of several years,” the statement noted.

The German minor, for example, had four enrollees in the 2024-25 school year.

Capps said that discussions of discontinuing or suspending programs were ongoing at the University Senate’s Integrated Curriculum Committee before current budget challenges.”

This is what a business does.  Restaurants cut the menu when customers do not want the offerings. 

Cal Poly Humboldt moves to cut multiple programs amid enrollment shortfalls

By Sage Alexander, Times Standard,  5/23/25     https://www.times-standard.com/2025/05/22/cal-poly-humboldt-moves-to-cut-multiple-programs-amid-enrollment-shortfalls/

A few programs are getting cut from Cal Poly Humboldt, with the university citing low enrollment. The religious studies major and German minor are set to be discontinued, while an international studies major is in the early stages of being suspended.

“We will no longer be accepting new students to these programs, but current students will have a path to completion. There will be no layoffs as a result of these changes,” said Jenn Capps, provost and vice president of academic affairs in a statement.

The Lost Coast Outpost first reported in April on the program cuts, after the university notified the California Faculty Association of their intention to discontinue two programs, two majors and a minor.

Since then, a notice originally sent for two programs were withdrawn, for the economics major and the education leadership credential, after the California Faculty Association notified the university that the internal process for program discontinuation had not been followed, according to a university spokesperson.

“The university has withdrawn the original notice of discontinuation and will move forward with the process outlined in the guidelines,” a statement said.

According to CFA Humboldt faculty rights chair Loren Cannon, the proposed discontinued programs will now go back through a University Senate process.

According to enrollment counts sent by the University, 22 people were enrolled in the economics major in the 2024-2025 school year while 9 were a part of the education leadership credential.

Cal Poly Humboldt cited low enrollments for multiple years.

“These majors have had low enrollment for a period of several years,” the statement noted.

The German minor, for example, had four enrollees in the 2024-25 school year.

Capps said that discussions of discontinuing or suspending programs were ongoing at the University Senate’s Integrated Curriculum Committee before current budget challenges.

“We recognize the value of these disciplines and have been intentional in preserving some of the coursework by incorporating them into new or existing programming. For example, we made the decision to discontinue religious studies as a major due to low enrollment numbers, but all of the content and important work of religious studies have been incorporated into the concentration within the History Department,” wrote Capps.

She noted there are existing options related to international studies, like a minor, a global studies concentration in politics, the international service learning program, and study abroad options. She pointed out that the university’s polytechnic conversion brought 12 new degree programs, some of which will be launched in 2026, like applied humanities, media arts and health sciences.

Cannon, a philosophy lecturer at Cal Poly Humboldt, sees the program question less in terms of enrollment numbers — he said if programs are doing well by students, even if it’s a small number of students, they should be kept around if they’re important.

“But if faculty decide they wanna change their course offerings, that’s fine, those are the kinds of decisions faculty make because they’re the ones that know what’s going on in the classroom and the field,” he said.