Some 20 professional organizations, from the American Anthropological Association to the Society of Biblical Literature, on Thursday issued a joint statement opposing the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point’s plan to cut 13 majors — including those in English, history, political science, sociology and all three of the foreign languages offered. The plan has attracted widespread criticism in Wisconsin and outside the state, as the humanities-heavy cuts are linked to program expansions in what the university has described as more in-demand fields. They include business, chemical engineering, computer information systems, conservation law enforcement, fire science and graphic design. Stevens Point’s initiative, which will likely involved tenured faculty layoffs, is also shaping up to be the first application of controversial changes to state tenure law and University of Wisconsin System policies making it easier to terminate tenured professors.
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