By LAUREN FLANDERS ’28
Updated 11:50 a.m. EDT, 30 Oct 2026
Houghton University (HU) will combine some academic programs, restructure others and phase out several degrees beginning in Fall of 2027. The changes follow a university-wide review that, according to the university, is meant to strengthen HU’s long-term sustainability by directing resources toward programs with greater enrollment potential.
President Wayne D. Lewis Jr. announced the plan on Oct. 23. The Academic Portfolio Review Task Force evaluated undergraduate and graduate programs and submitted recommendations to Lewis and Provost Dr. Joshua Ziefle. Lewis then developed the final plan with counsel from Ziefle and the Executive Leadership Cabinet, according to the university’s announcement.
The changes include combining English and Writing into one major and consolidating Physics and Applied Physics into a single Physics major. Digital Media & Marketing will become a concentration in Business Administration, while Media Arts & Communication will become a concentration in Applied Design & Visual Communication. Data Science will be offered as a minor rather than a major.
Other programs, including Global Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Chemistry, Forensic Science and Rhetorical Communication, will be phased out. Changes will also affect music degrees, graduate education programs and certain ministry-related concentrations.
Lewis said that Houghton’s ability to grow depends on having “a portfolio of academic offerings that are attracting students to the institution.”
According to HU’s announcement, some programs continue to attract and graduate healthy numbers of students, while others have experienced persistently low enrollment. The review considered enrollment and financial data, external market conditions, HU’s mission and the future potential of individual programs.
Ziefle said the university sought to weigh those considerations together rather than base decisions only on finances or enrollment. He described the review as an effort to balance HU’s identity as a Christian liberal arts institution with the practical demands of sustaining its academic programs..
“We want to make wise decisions that are informed by the market, by enrollment, by finances, by our mission, as a Christian liberal arts institution, creating scholar servants,” Ziefle said.
The review also considered whether programs could remain viable within HU’s broader academic offerings. Ziefle emphasized that phasing out a major should not be understood as a judgment that its field of study lacks importance.
“It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have value,” Ziefle said. “It doesn’t mean it isn’t something that is worth caring about. It just means that with our limited resources, we don’t know if we can focus on that with the students that [are] coming to Houghton at this time.”
Although some majors will no longer be available to incoming students, related courses may continue when needed for other academic programs. For example, chemistry coursework will remain available for students in fields such as biology and pre-medical studies.
Faculty members also participated in the review. Dr. Christian Esh, professor of history and faculty moderator, served on the task force. “I think that the faculty had an appropriate role in the decision-making process,” Esh said.
He described the review as a long-term consideration of HU’s academic direction rather than a process focused solely on immediate changes. “This is a kind of strategic document about which programs we want to have five years from now,” Esh said.
The changes take effect for students entering HU in the Fall of 2027. Programs being phased out will continue to be taught, or taught out, for the next four to five years to allow current students to complete their intended majors and graduate on schedule. The university has announced no immediate personnel actions.
Ziefle said protecting current students’ ability to finish their degrees was an important distinction to communicate. “No one should be concerned that they can’t graduate with their degree,” he said. HU’s FAQ, posted on the university’s website under “Stewarding Houghton’s Future,” states that admissions counselors will work individually with applicants affected by the changes to identify alternative academic pathways, and fewer than 5% of current applicants are affected by the plan.
Alongside the changes, HU is considering future growth, including an expanded Master of Arts in Teaching, a new Master of Music in Music Education and an undergraduate music therapy program, which Lewis said the university hopes to launch within the next year.
Zeifle said the review is part of a broader effort to ensure the university can continue serving students in the years ahead. “We want Houghton to be here, not just next year, not just 5 years from now, not just 10 years from now, but 25, 50, 100 years from now,” he said. For HU, the beginning of planning the future is already underway. ★
