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Regents approve suspensions, discontinuations and accreditation-driven program changes
Summary
The Board of Regents ASA approved temporary suspension of a sixth‑year teacher specialist certificate, discontinuation of low‑demand graduate certificates (including addiction counseling and several reading credentials), and modifications to counseling degrees to meet accreditor standards.
The Board of Regents Committee on Academic and Student Affairs on Feb. 6 approved a package of program actions aimed at consolidating low‑demand credentials and aligning programs with accreditor expectations.
Dean Christopher Tremblay told the committee the Classroom Teacher Specialist sixth‑year certificate will be suspended because K–12 educators have not shown consistent interest in the extra credential; the regents approved the suspension and will revisit the program later. Tremblay said the addiction counseling graduate certificate was discontinued after enrollment remained low even after the program was converted from a post‑master to a graduate certificate in 2022, and because related content has increasingly been incorporated into master’s offerings at the state level.
The committee also approved the discontinuation of three reading certificates — including a six‑year reading certificate and a reading postmaster certificate — citing duplication with the institution’s master’s program and limited district demand for additional specialist credentials. Regents discussed teaching out currently enrolled students and asked that the motivation for the clustered approvals be noted in the minutes as a single, intentional package to strengthen graduate programs rather than a retreat from the field.
Separately, the committee approved the discontinuation of a sixth‑year special education specialization in applied behavior analysis (ABA). Tremblay and faculty described ABA as “increasingly professionalized,” with accrediting bodies raising expectations; the institution will focus on ramping up the 39‑credit master’s ABA program to meet accreditor requirements.
Votes recorded in the meeting transcript show motions were made, seconded and approved for each item; the transcript records multiple “Aye” responses but does not include a line‑by‑line numerical roll call in the packet excerpts shared during the virtual meeting. The committee emphasized that current students in affected programs will be taught out and that changes are part of a broader curricular strategy to concentrate resources on programs with clearer career pathways and accreditation alignment.
