Appalachian State University Chancellor Kenneth Peacock and Provost Lori Gonzalez informed university faculty and staff Tuesday of their final decision concerning the program prioritization plan.

Peacock and Gonzalez announced in an email the elimination of five academic programs: the Master of Arts in Music Education, Master of Arts in Gerontology, Master of Arts in History and Education, Master of Arts in Child Development: Birth through Kindergarten and Master of Sciences in Criminal Justice and Criminology.

Both the Master of Arts in Music Education and Master of Arts in Gerontology were recommended for elimination in the Prioritization Final Report published Dec. 16, 2013. The Academic Policies and Procedures Committee further supported those recommendations at their Feb.19 meeting.

Despite recommendations from the AP&P Committee to keep the Master of Arts in Child Development: Birth through Kindergarten and the Master of Sciences in Criminal Justice and Criminology, the original plan of elimination from the Prioritization Final Report will stand as presented.

Peacock and Gonzalez accepted the recommendation of the AP&P Committee to consolidate the three undergraduate programs of Business Education, Family and Consumer Sciences and Technology Education into a single program, now called Career and Technical Education.

Decisions about how the programs will be consolidated and where they will reside will be made through discussions with the faculty of the units and the deans of the respective colleges, according to the release.

Peacock and Gonzalez also accepted the recommendation of allowing the Master of Arts in Romance Languages to continue for two years. The changes will be effective fall 2014 academic term.

Appalachian’s program prioritization process began in December 2011, when it completed a required biannual “low productivity review,” consistent with University of North Carolina instruction and accrediting body standards, according to the Prioritization Final Report.

“This was a process that extended over a two year period,” Gonzalez said in an email. “I believe the process had integrity and demonstrated what has been true at Appalachian since its inception – we are good stewards of our resources.”

Story: Gerrit Van Genderen, News Reporter