FACTORS LEADING TO THE CONTINUANCE OF HOME ECONOMICS PROGRAMS IN PUBLIC DOCTORATE-GRANTING UNIVERSITIES (ADMINISTRATION).

Abstract

Enrollment shifts, declining public expenditures, and retrenchment characterize higher education in the 1980s. The prevailing atmosphere of attenuation has resulted in the excision of academic programs and units no longer central to institutional mission. Like other areas of higher education, home economics has become a subject of analysis in universities dealing with financial stress as evidenced by program reorganization and discontinuance. The purpose of this study was to identify factors leading to the continuance of discontinuance of home economics programs or units. Specifically, significant indicators of enrollment and financial stress were identified as they relate to home economics programs that have continued or have been partially discontinued in public doctorate-granting universities. The results of the current study were derived from the analysis of responses from fifty-six (74% return) home economics administrators in public doctorate-granting universities. The major conclusions drawn from the results include the following: (1) No empirical evidence was found to establish a relationship between accreditation status and the continuance or discontinuance of home economics programs in public doctorate-granting universities. (2) Ten statistically significant factors were identified which were characteristic of or related to home economics programs which have discontinued academic units. Eight factors supported previous contentions, including increased teaching loads; encouragement of unselective early retirement; reduced supplies, equipment and travel budgets; decreased diversity of student profiles; decreased rate of applications for admission; decreased rates of funding for additional students; decline in the flow of students from high school; and decline in the level of the socioeconomic status of the student population. (3) Findings regarding two factors contradicted previous contentions. Decreased federal funding was not characteristic of home economics programs that have experienced retrenchment to the extent of discontinuing academic units. Likewise, a shorter period between the closing date for applications and registration characterized continuing home economics programs, not retrenching programs as previously thought. Consideration of these significant factors could aid college and university administrators in strategically planning for the future of higher education, and of home economics in particular, to maintain institutional and programmatic quality and flexibility.