The University's bachelor's degree
program in Latin was one of four degree programs terminated by the Board of Regents on Wednesday and the last public installment in the state of Louisiana.
The program was terminated after an intensive evaluation by the Regents' Academic and Student Affairs Committee. It was one of 456 state programs reviewed based on low graduation and retention rates.
And while the Regents justified the cut with talk of "efficiency," not everyone agrees.
"I find it scary that not one
university is going to have a [bachelor's degree] in Latin anymore," said board member Robert Bruno. "It's our foundation for communication."
"If you want to be a scientist, an attorney or a doctor — Latin can help," Jane Poynter Webb, Latin and classical studies instructor and University Latin alumna, said. "It introduces a depth to thinking and a whole culture."
