Faculty recommends four EWU majors for cuts, as new education degree proposed

Eastern Washington University faculty recommends that four degree programs be discontinued following the graduation of current students.

The programs - master's of art in Interdisciplinary Studies, masters of science in Applied Math, bachelor's of science in Data Science and bachelors of art in English as a Second Language - were four of nine selected earlier this month by the university's provost for review due to low student enrollment.

The programs each averaged under 10 graduates annually over the past five years.

"When a university has low enrollment, you have fewer and fewer sects of students that can be spread between a large amount of programs, and that's less efficient," Provost Lorenzo Smith said. "It's important to look at where to put limited resources."

Meanwhile, the English program, bilingual education program and School of Education have proposed a new program: the bachelor's of arts in education in multilingual and elementary education, which would dually endorse students in elementary education and bilingual or English-learners' education, making an easier path for future elementary teachers to attain an English Language learners endorsement.

There are 100 bachelor's degrees, 55 masters degree's, two doctorates, 117 minors and 25 certificate options available at EWU, per the school's website. Fall enrollment neared 10,000 students.

Though recommended for continuation by the Faculty Senate, bachelor's degrees in applied technology; gender, women's and sexuality studies; international affairs; urban and regional planning; applied technology; and early childhood and special education also remain under review due to low enrollment.

Following the recommendation by the university's Faculty Senate, all nine at-risk programs will be evaluated by Smith, followed by President Shari McMahan. The Board of Trustees will make the final call on the future of the degree options on June 25.

Smith said he will make his recommendation to McMahan based on the number of graduates from each program coupled with feedback from the community and students.

Importantly, he said, even in the case that programs are discontinued, many of their courses will remain available and potentially tied to a minor. Keeping low-demand majors creates a significantly larger amount of work for registrars, catalogue makers, advisers and course assessors at the university.

A similar review took place last year. Chief of Staff Annika Scharosch wrote in a February email that the intention is to keep programs "healthy, relevant, and fiscally responsible." Such a process is commonplace in higher education.

Director for the English as a Second Language Department Gina Petrie wrote in February that despite the potential dissolution of her program, "there are many things that reassure me and give me great hope for the future."

Specifically, Petrie said that even if the major is removed, the courses that went into it still will be available for students who want to receive their foreign or domestic English-teaching certifications.

Carlos Castillo-Garsow, chair of EWU's Mathematics Department, said that while data science and applied mathematics "have great students going into high demand careers," both programs have had logistical problems preventing their growth.

"The math department has decided to instead focus on a single more flexible bachelor's in mathematics degree that offers similar opportunities to students," he wrote in an email statement.

Faculty for the masters in interdisciplinary studies did not respond to requests for comment.

In February, the gender and women's sexuality studies program responded to being listed for review by organizing an event detailing its own impact and importance. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, an interim director for EWU's women's center in the early '80s, was the keynote speaker to a crowd of over 100 people, many filled with an urgency to protect the major.

"The idea of approaching these issues of gender and sexuality and identity and intersectional differences and power relationships from various disciplinary perspectives is still very, very significant," Brown said at the time. "And it's not just going to happen in the silos of traditional majors."

Being the only Spokane County-headquartered public university, Brown said, "Eastern is it. Eastern's the one," when it comes to serving the community. Faculty, staff and students in the gender studies program have historically "energized and informed our region."

Fira Hedlund, a 2018 gender, women and sexuality graduate who uses the pronoun "they," was one of the event attendees in February. An abuse survivor, Hedlund said the program "freed" them from the internalized programming they had developed.

"It helped me confront a lot of internalized biases, a lot of things that I took for granted. It broadened my perspective. It made me more aware of my place in the world and the ways I can do good in it," they said at the time. "Without this program, I would not have the education I do. I would not be as comfortable and confident as I am. I would not be the person I am.

"This program freed me from lots of things that I learned. And to deny anyone else that possibility - that freedom - feels like a gross injustice to me, especially considering the current political climate."

While director of the urban and regional planning program, Jason Scully, declined to comment on the program review citing ongoing negotiations with university administration concerning a "path forward," wider community members have written letters to the Board of Trustees in a bid to preserve the degree.

The chairman for the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Gregory Abrahamson, was one such writer.

"Urban and regional planners stand at the forefront of society's most pressing issues, including affordable housing, homelessness, transportation and infrastructure," the Feb. 19 letter reads. "Our firm relies on EWU graduates to navigate environmental stewardship challenges like climate change and wildfire risk, as well as economic vitality through sustainable development and social equity."

Similar programs in the region are either cost prohibitive for students or lack the same level of accreditation, he wrote.

"We urge you to maintain your commitment to these essential programs," the letter said. "Losing these programs would create a significant professional vacuum and directly harm the communities we serve."

EWU urban planning alum Hal Hart said many of his peers in the '80s and '90s were Middle Eastern or Native American. Hart went on to direct planning in Stevens County.

"The more of those relationships you can build, the better," he said, adding that admitting Native American students have historically been an important part of Eastern's relationship with local tribes.

The EWU Urban and Regional Planning Professional's Council also penned a letter to the board, complete with over 100 signatures. EWU is one of only nine programs in the country offering both Planning Accreditation Board-accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees, the letter said.

Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies lecturer Jessi Willis highlighted in a text statement to The Spokesman-Review that a decision to cut the program would go against the recommendations made during a recent, multi-year resource allocation effort at the university.

Chief of Staff Scharosch wrote that a program being placed on a review list does not mean it will certainly be discontinued. In the case that a program is discontinued, though, the existing classes could find themselves incorporated into other majors.

Willis said this "sends a signal that certain kinds of information and education is just a side dish."

While some educators of cut programs could lose their position at the university if their major disappeared, Willis said educators are more concerned with ensuring students receive an "education that serves them."

At a February board of trustees meeting, multiple students spoke about the impact that gender, women's and sexuality courses have had on their lives.

"The professors that teach this work are some of the most inspiring individuals on this campus and they truly care about their students, they care about their work, and they intend - and they do - make the world a better place," Gender, women's and sexuality student Olivia Hopkins said. "We're at a time in history when that is more important than ever."

The June 25 Board of Trustees meeting will be held virtually.

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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 8:06 AM.