Loyola Reconsiders 71 Academic Programs in Review Process

Since September 2025, the Office of the Provost has been conducting the Program Array Review — a process of reevaluating each program offered at Loyola and designating each for growth, modification or sunsetting. Now that designations have been handed out and the 2026-2027 academic year has begun the results of the process are beginning to take form and raise questions for students about what the changes will mean for Loyola’s academics.

Vice Provost of Strategic Initiatives and Graduate Education Micheal Rozier has been heading the Program Array Review and is joined by a faculty workgroup. Program decisions were handed out in early March 2026, and departments designated for sunset or modification were then allowed the opportunity to appeal to a faculty group afterwards. Final decisions following the appeals process were made by the end of the following April. 

Programs designated for modification have until the end of November to make changes such as modifying modality, changing course timelines and credits and aligning with shifting industry standards, according to the Program Array Review Milestone webpage.

The university had to make changes in resource allocation to account for both cuts in federal funding and the upcoming enrollment cliff created by the 2008 decline in birth rate, The Phoenix previously reported.

To decide which programs at Loyola will serve a changing student body, the Program Array Review team and its faculty work group make decisions based on multifaceted criteria.

“They reviewed every academic program at the university with the understanding that there are some programs that we’ve historically had that might not have the level of student interest that they once did,” Rozier said. 

In addition to helping the university comply with budget cuts, the Program Array Review helps discern what programs the university’s energy should focus on to maintain a quality learning environment, according to Dean of the School of Social Work Patricia Findlay. 

“It’s like a plant or a tree where we’re trimming off the branches that aren’t doing as well,” Findlay said. “It gives life to the entire tree.” 

The most common thread among programs designated for sunset – phasing out or discontinuing – or modification – change or update – was low class enrollment, according to both Rozier and Dean of the Quinlan School of Business Micheal Benham.

“The whole Program Array Review was not just an economic exercise, to be clear,” Benham said. “This is really also, ‘Does it make sense for us to offer this? Can we provide students with a meaningful educational experience?’”

Benham also emphasized the importance of switching the modality among programs designated for modification, such as switching between synchronous or asynchronous programs.

“There’s a lot of variety and opportunity in how you offer things, and when you offer things and how do you do it in a way that meets what students want?” Benham said.

While the Vice Provost’s Office said the Program Array Review is being conducted based on student interest and educational experience, the variety in programs offered distinguishes Loyola as a school upholding Jesuit values and curating a unique learning experience, The Phoenix previously reported. Although all program designations have been made and shared with the affected students and professors, there’s no comprehensive list including all programs being either sunset or modified. 

Listing out program names and their designations would likely leave out important distinctions between majors, minors and program types, according to Rozier.

Without these details, Rozier said he feels a list may create unnecessary confusion and stress amongst students.

“One of the reasons that we haven’t put a comprehensive list is because it wasn’t a simple matter of closing programs,” Rozier said, “There were sometimes an online version of a program and a residential version of a program, and we closed one and kept the other, so we didn’t want to create confusion.” 

Students are able to find courses in the official course catalog. Those designated for sunset or modification contain, “As of Fall 2026, this program is no longer accepting applicants” in bold at the top of their course overview tab. 

There’s a variety of affected programs, including bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, undergraduate minors and concentrations and subprograms. In total, 71 programs across the university catalog were designated for discontinuation by either modification or sunsetting.

Thirteen bachelor’s degrees and three concentrations within were discontinued, notably including African Studies and the African Diaspora Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bilingual/Bicultural Education Bachelor of Science in Education (BSEd), Human Services Bachelor of Science (BS), Latin (BA), Mathematics and Computer Science (BS), Photography and Video Art (BA), Religious Studies (BA), Sculpture and Ceramics (BA), Strategic Digital Communication (BA), Web Technologies (BA) and three concentrations within Music (BA) programs. 

Twelve master’s degrees and seven concentrations within were discontinued, notably including Community Counseling Master of Arts (MA), Digital Humanities (MA), Health Informatics Master of Science (MS), Language, Culture, and Curriculum Master of Education (MEd), Modern Languages and Literature/Hispanic Studies (MA), Public Policy (MPP) and Social Justice (MA) and 7 concentrations mostly within Pastoral Studies and Divinity Master’s programs.

The Trial Advocacy, Appellate Advocacy and Alternative Dispute Resolution Master of Laws degree was discontinued.

Fifteen undergraduate minors were discontinued including Asian Studies, Environmental Communication, French Language and Literature, Italian Language and Literature, Latin American and Latino Studies, Photography and Video Art, Shakespeare Studies, Spanish Language and Literature and Urban Studies Sustainability.

Additionally, 20 graduate and professional certificates were discontinued, including Business Ethics Certificate, ESL Endorsement Certificate, Instructional Coaching Certificate, Professional Certificate in Instructional Design, Public Affairs and Management Certificate, Religious Education Certificate, School Discipline Reform Certificate, Social Justice Certificate and Post-MSW School Social Worker Endorsement Certificate.

Students already enrolled in these programs have been notified, and they will be graduated in their respective programs as is always the rule, according to Benham.

Dean of the School of Communication Virginia McDermott described the Program Array Review  as a means of honing in the university’s areas of focus to better serve the student body’s interest. 

“I want to be able to say we do something particular, and we do it particularly well,” McDermott said.

With program designations handed out, affected students and professors are now preparing for the changes being brought to their programs.