Southern To Shed 2 Programs

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The LouisianaBoard of Regents has given Southern University permission to drop its master of arts in mass communication degree in a budget-cutting move that provoked the ire of faculty when the idea was first floated months ago.

Karen Denby, regents associate commissioner for academic affairs, says Southern's mass communication master's degree was recently denied reaccreditation by a national organization earlier this year, while the bachelor's program was conditionally approved.

The Advocate reports Southern System President Ronald Mason acknowledged that cutting a program is rarely a good thing, but called it a necessary evil in a time of financial uncertainty.

Southern also got the go-ahead Wednesday to end its doctor of philosophy in physical education program.