Overlap, low demand led Syracuse University to close iSchool’s IST major
SU sunsetted the School of Information Studies’ Bachelor of Science in innovation, society and technology. The decision was due to low demand and overlap with other majors, as the major only brought in 10 new students a year. Photo by Avery Magee | Photo Editor, Design by Sophia Burke | Digital Design Director
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Almost four years after it was created, Syracuse University’s School of Information studies is closing its Bachelor of Science in innovation, society and technology.
The major was first paused in the fall semester but is now officially closing following its academic portfolio review — one of several across the university — according to the university. The results found innovation, society and technology has “substantial overlap” with the iSchool’s B.S. in information management and technology.
Bruce Kingma, a current SU professor who teaches at the iSchool and the Whitman School of Management, was responsible for adding the IST major to Syracuse in 2020 when he served as the iSchool’s director of undergraduate programs.
Kingma said that when he started working as the programs director, there was an opportunity to increase undergraduate programs and Chancellor Kent Syverud was promoting online majors. In addition to the IST major, Kingma added a B.S. program in Applied Data Analytics and an online B.S. in IMT.
“We did a lot of analysis, an extensive analysis of similar majors all over the country to see what fit with the iSchool and what students were interested in,” Kingma said.
In response to the IST program closure, Kingma said the university must be “nimble and willing” to close programs that lack sufficient demand.
“If there’s student demand for something, we should be offering it, and if there isn’t student demand for something, we shouldn’t be offering it,” Kingma said “And you don’t get things perfect, right?”
Referencing SU’s claim of overlap between the IST and IMT majors, Kingma agreed that a lot of the coursework is the same, but that the IST major focuses more on social justice, while IMT focuses on “management technology.”
Representatives from the iSchool’s dean’s office declined The Daily Orange’s request for comment. Laurie Ferger, the current iSchool undergraduate programs director, did not immediately respond to The D.O.’s request for comment.
Sophomore and IST major Katha Strenk said she was unaware her program had been closed. She said it makes sense as she always thought there wasn’t a need for both IST and IMT.
“For a while, I thought about switching to IMT, but every time I would look at the coursework, literally, IST and IMT have the exact same coursework,” Strenk said. “It would just be more work for no difference.”
Students currently majoring in IST, and any other “sunset” program, will be able to complete their degree.
Strenk said she found the program to be “more people-focused with a side of business.”
Maddie Casamento, an SU senior and current IST major, said she never expected Syracuse to close her program because the iSchool is “small as it is.” Casamento said she chose to major in IST because it “felt like the only creative major” in the iSchool.
“It is very bittersweet that the program is being closed. I loved my time in the iSchool. Especially as a graduating senior, it is sad to see my major go,” Casamento wrote in a statement to The D.O. “I think with the creator economy opening it makes sense that my major would close.”
Other programs at the iSchool impacted by the portfolio review include an online M.S. in information systems, which is closed due to SU’s “online program restructuring,” according to an April 2 report by SU’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness.
Seven of the iSchool’s advanced certificate programs are closed, six of which have zero students enrolled, according to the report. The information technology management, online and in-person, programs are closing as advanced certificates but “will continue as an extension of the school’s M.S. program.”
Other closing certificate programs include Cloud management and online and in-person data science and information security management.
Kingma said the IST program had only 40-50 students total and was bringing in roughly 10 new students a year, not reaching the enrollment that may have protected it from closure.
“I think some of the faculty were hopeful that a lot of students would be drawn into it,” Kingma said. “But that simply wasn’t the case.”
