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Universities and faculty clash over bill to review low‑enrollment degree programs
Summary
SB 5,909 would require boards to list undergraduate programs averaging fewer than 10 graduates annually and initiate discontinuance review after three consecutive years; Eastern Washington University supported the bill for accountability, while faculty and student representatives warned of politicization, fiscal costs, and loss of curricular breadth.
Senate Bill 5,909 would require governing boards of state and regional universities to annually identify undergraduate programs averaging fewer than 10 graduates per year (5‑year average) and, if a program appears on the list for three consecutive years, initiate a discontinuance review with required considerations and a teach‑out plan.
Michelle Alishahi, staff to the committee, summarized the bill’s requirements and fiscal notes; some…
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