University of Akron Closing Six of 11 Colleges

Looking at the list it may not mean closing down programs or departments in a college.  If the goal is cutting administrative costs they are talking consolidation rather then elimination and that is consistent with the story mentioning interdisciplinary programs. 

That could mean keeping but moving most programs and changing others relatively slightly.  It could mean consolidating Departments within what is now a college. I imagine this to potentially be a relatively small change for students, but a big change for college administrators.

Can't imagine the business college being eliminated but could imagine it becoming the home of some other programs or combining departments within the college.  Or, let an engineering school becoming home of applied technology.  Actually two engineering schools, make them departments...  3 colleges become one.    They apparently have an arts and science college which no doubt houses all the liberal arts and science departments which might now include other departments, for example the Health professions and the Honors College. 3 become 1.   The Orrville Campus could be toast as a separate entity.   The Law School could be a division of the Grad School.  We've cut 6 Dean positions, or more likely consolidated and made them associate Deans with less staff and office space. 

BSU is going the other way with the new Health Sciences College but it could be Center within the science and humanities college and eliminate some college staff.

I am surprised Ohio is cutting higher ed as much as 20%, they have historically done a pretty good job and have a good system.  These cuts appear to be permanent and not just short term in response to temporary conditions.  The good news is I am sure some of that is fat accumulated in the good years.

You are right about everyone cutting.  That makes sense and can easily be reversed when revenue picks back up.

Having lived through many University reorganizations, I am a little skeptical about the scope of this one and how well planned it is.  When you cut without thinking it through you not only make a lot of work for those who have to spend time on this instead of actually doing the work needed to take care of necessary business, but this time you are also  putting that work on people who have even less time available to do it. 

I'd go with some consolidation and staff cuts, but I'll be interested in how they manage to cut 6 college organization structures without regretting it and having to rebuild some the same again in a couple of years after creating serious problems.