Like all universities, UConn reviews its academic programs regularly to ensure they allocate appropriate faculty and other resources to areas of study that will help train our future workforce. Some academic areas see an increase in demand (such as cannabis science currently), requiring an influx of adjunct professors and other responses to keep up with demand as programs grow. Others may experience lower enrollment over time (which may be explained by many reasons, including fluctuations in the economy or more basic branding issues).
The College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, which houses the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, has recently consolidated its programming based on a review of completion rates or enrollments in some majors. For instance, Horticulture, Turfgrass, and Soil Science, which have historically been their own majors, are now concentrations within the Sustainable Plant & Soil Systems Plant Science major. Note that these program adjustments will NOT impact the Landscape Architecture major, which has recently seen an increase in enrollment, requiring additional space. Read CAHNR Dean Indrajeet Chaubey’s letter to the community about recent program adjustments in UConn Today.
In related news, following the LAAB accreditation in Spring 2024, the Landscape Architecture program increased from four to five faculty members. Over the past five years, the LA program has seen 50 students graduate from its bachelor program.