TOLEDO, Ohio — A new higher education bill will go into effect this summer. To comply, the University of Toledo announced it's getting rid of nine undergraduate programs. 

What You Need To Know

  • A new bill, which was signed in March, bans diversity efforts in colleges and universities across Ohio

  • University of Toledo said it has identified a variety of programs that either violate the law or have low enrollment

  • The undergraduate programs will remain as minors for students

Senate Bill 1 was signed into law in March by Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio. The bill bans diversity efforts, as well as puts diversity scholarships at risk, controls discussions in classrooms, creates post-tenure reviews and more. 

Additionally, the bill requires universities to eliminate undergraduate programs that have had fewer than five degrees annually over any three-year period.

In a statement, the University of Toledo said a committee completed a review that identified low-enrolled program, as well as evaluated them on certain criteria, including workforce needs, research activities and profit margin. 

In compliance with the new law, the university has decided to get rid of the following programs for the 2025-26 academic year:

  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Africana Studies
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Asian Studies
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Data Analytics
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Disability Studies
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Middle East Studies
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Philosophy
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Religious Studies
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Spanish
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Women’s and Gender Studies

These programs will remain as minors for students, the university said. 

“It is important to keep our academic portfolio current with the degree programs our students want and that industry needs from their higher education partner,” said Dr. Scott Molitor, interim provost and executive vice president of academic affairs, in a statement. “This is now our third year of an annual process to evaluate our programs and make sure we are allocating resources to areas in high demand, which requires us to both look for new programs we should start offering and existing programs that we should stop offering.”

However, students who are currently enrolled in any of the above programs won't be affected by changes, the university stated.

Additionally, the university idenified more programs across all levels that will be suspended because of the new bill:

  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership and Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Health Information Administration
  • Master of Arts in Philosophy
  • Master of Arts in Sociology
  • Master of Education in Educational Research and Measurement
  • Master of Education in Educational Technology
  • Master of Education in Educational Psychology
  • Master of Music in Music Performance
  • Master of Science in Geology
  • Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction: Early Childhood
  • Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction: Educational Technology
  • Ph.D. in Foundations of Education: Research and Measurement

The University of Toledo said it will continue to offer master’s and doctoral degrees in education, but under a different organizational structure.

More information can be found here.

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