The University of Toledo has announced the suspension of nine undergraduate degree programs in response to a newly enacted Ohio higher education law, Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), which is set to go into effect in June 2025. Beginning with the 2025-26 academic year, admissions will be halted for programs in Africana studies, Asian studies, data analytics, disability studies, Middle East studies, philosophy, religious studies, Spanish, and women’s and gender studies.
In a statement released Monday, university officials said the decision aligns with the new requirements outlined in SB 1. While these programs will no longer accept new majors, they will continue to be offered as minors. Students currently enrolled in these majors will still be able to complete their degrees without disruption.
Dr. Scott Molitor, the interim provost and executive vice president of academic affairs, emphasized the university’s continued commitment to these fields. “Faculty will continue to teach courses that are part of minors, certificates, or concentrations, as well as significant components of our core curriculum,” Molitor said. He reaffirmed that the academic value of these disciplines remains recognized at the institution.
Impacts of Senate Bill 1 on Ohio’s Higher Education
Senate Bill 1 introduces sweeping reforms to Ohio’s public colleges and universities. The law imposes restrictions on diversity initiatives, limits classroom discourse, bans faculty strikes, mandates post-tenure reviews, and puts certain scholarships at risk. A key component of the legislation requires institutions to eliminate undergraduate degree programs that have produced fewer than five graduates per year over a three-year period.
The bill was introduced by State Senator Jerry Cirino in January and swiftly passed through the Ohio General Assembly before being signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine on March 28. In response to its implementation, faculty members at Youngstown State University are actively seeking to place a referendum on the November ballot in an effort to overturn SB 1.
According to the University of Toledo, the affected programs enrolled 57 students during the spring 2025 semester, with only 15 graduates recorded from those programs during the 2023–24 academic year. The university was already conducting a scheduled review of low-enrollment academic programs when SB 1 was signed, aligning the suspension decision with both legislative and internal evaluation processes.
Additional Program Cuts and Strategic Revisions
In addition to the nine programs suspended due to SB 1, the University of Toledo is discontinuing 12 other degree offerings that were not directly influenced by the new law. These include a mix of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs such as the Bachelor of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership and Management, Master of Arts in Sociology, and Ph.D. in Foundations of Education: Research and Measurement.
Dr. Molitor emphasized that these changes are part of an ongoing effort to modernize the university’s academic offerings. “It is important to keep our academic portfolio current with the degree programs our students want and that industry needs from their higher education partner,” he said. This marks the third consecutive year of the university’s academic program review process aimed at reallocating resources to high-demand areas and identifying new program opportunities while retiring outdated or under-enrolled ones.
The University of Toledo’s decisions reflect a broader shift in higher education strategy across Ohio, as institutions adapt to new legislative mandates and evolving academic and workforce demands.
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