Education

June 19, 2026

In this article, originally published in the South Carolina Daily Gazette, I discuss how South Carolina ensures that our higher education degree programs are delivering meaningful, high-quality education through regular program review by the Commission on Higher Education and the colleges themselves.

Columbia, S.C. (SC Daily Gazette) – Suddenly, one of the most pressing issues in higher education in America is academic program review.

Indiana, Ohio, and Utah are among the states that have undertaken major reviews of state university degrees, intending to terminate programs with low enrollment, low completion, and, in some cases, degrees for which employment prospects are poor.

The Indiana General Assembly was aggressive, leading to the decisions of six state universities in the Hoosier State to consolidate 232 programs, suspend 101, and eliminate 75 — putting nearly 20% of degree offerings on the chopping block.

Academic program review is on the radar in the Palmetto State as well.

As a part of the budgeting process before the House Ways and Means Committee subcommittee on higher education this past spring, every college president was asked about his or her campus process for reviewing academic programs.

And as he had done for several years running, Gov. Henry McMaster proposed in his 2026-27 state budget recommendations a systemic study of higher education to “ensure that academic programs offered in our public institutions of higher education are aligned with the current and future workforce needs of our State.”

Budget writers again did not go for the systemic study.

Instead, the House version of the spending package’s “tuition mitigation” plan ordered state universities to “suspend admission for at least fifty percent of all academic programs that operate at a financial loss for at least four academic years.” Tuition mitigation is the arrangement between the state and higher education institutions where the General Assembly provides support for colleges with the understanding that universities will hold tuition flat.

In 2026, program review flowed from tuition mitigation.

The Senate’s approach was to require institutions to maintain a program review process and report the actions they took and the resulting outcomes.

It also requires the Commission on Higher Education to report to the General Assembly which programs it recommended for termination that the universities did not terminate.

Academic program review is a part of the mission of the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.

The agency reviews all active academic programs at state universities every two years, covering each program’s productivity/activity.

All active programs are eligible for general review except new programs and stop-out programs. (A stop-out program is often a master’s degree program that allows a student pursuing a doctorate degree the ability to earn at least a master’s degree if he or she decides not to complete the doctorate program.)

The Commission on Higher Education rates academic programs “compliant,” “under review” (formerly “on probation”), “exempt,” or “terminate.” Programs rated “under review” require a response from the universities. Ultimately, the commission may recommend continuing under review status or advancing to termination.

Colleges’ governing boards may agree or disagree with the commission’s determinations, and the boards have the final say on whether a program should be terminated.

As per state law, the commission has the authority only to recommend termination. Often, the institutions welcome the commission’s findings or have already acted to terminate. In other cases, the campus may declare the academic degree program “exempt” from enrollment and completion requirements.

Fortunately, the universities themselves have already proactively withdrawn 43 programs the commission has recommended for termination in its recent Academic Program Productivity Report.

State universities in South Carolina have already dedicated varying levels of resources to academic program review, some quite robust.

Most institutions have some form of data dashboard that tracks not only enrollment and completion in real-time, but also whether the degree program represents a net financial gain or loss to the university.

For example, some academic departments may enroll few students in their degree programs, but serve the university in other ways, such as teaching courses that are a part of the general education requirements necessary for a well-rounded liberal education.

In a series of meetings this year, the Commission on Higher Education’s board has emphasized the importance of robust and timely review of academic programs by the agency across all campuses in the Palmetto State.

The commission knows that whether the state budget includes the House or Senate version of “tuition mitigation,” or a hybrid on the matter, the General Assembly will rely on the agency for ongoing program reviews.

The General Assembly, college boards, and all higher education stakeholders deserve the most accurate academic program data available and quickly.

For this reason, the commission has accelerated academic program reviews, publicized its reports, and is currently crafting a stronger program review policy to guide future analysis.

This is welcome news for taxpayers as well as the higher education community and the families they serve.