Dear Community,
I am writing to inform you of an important development. Lane Community College had a Special Board Meeting on April 22, 2026. In it, the Board approved a motion supporting the college’s recommendation to close two academic programs: Health Information Management and Criminal Justice. I want to speak directly to you about the academic program decisions Lane Community College has recently made and share with you how we made them.
These were not easy decisions. Behind every program is a community of students, faculty, and partners who have invested deeply in what we offer. I carry that weight seriously, and I want you to know that these choices were made with care, with data, and with our long-term mission at the center of every decision.
Lane faces a structural financial challenge that requires us to make ongoing, sustainable reductions. We undertook a comprehensive review of our academic program portfolio. We defined academic programs as those leading to an educational credential or meaningful educational outcome. We also included academic support areas in our review, even where they fall outside the formal portfolio.
At the foundation of every decision were the values our Board of Education articulated in July 2025. Student success sits at the top of that list. The mission-critical framework that guided our review, and included transferability, clear pathways to employment and further education, and sustainable access for students throughout their careers, is a direct expression of those Board values. We did not apply these criteria mechanically. We used them because they reflect what this institution believes about the value of postsecondary education.
Our review examined each program through multiple lenses: student enrollment and Full Time Equivalent (a calculation that combines full-time and part-time students), course success rates (a grade of C- or better, or a mark of “pass”), course capacity and utilization, program completion (e.g, certificate or degree attainment), labor market wage value for graduates, and the potential contribution to the budget mitigation we needed to achieve. Faculty within each division were part of this process. Twenty-one programs or areas were identified in an initial review based on low enrollment or limited utilization. From that group, further analysis applied consistently and transparently narrowed the list to two programs: Health Information Management and Criminal Justice.
I recognize that this process, and its outcome, has raised questions. I have heard clearly from students, faculty, and community members that more communication and greater clarity about how these decisions were made would have been more understandable.
Going forward, we are committed to articulating this process more clearly at every step, engaging the right people at the right moments, and communicating broadly and consistently throughout. The community's investment in Lane, that is, your investment matters to us. You deserve to understand how decisions of this magnitude are made, and you deserve to be heard along the way.
We remain committed to two things above all: the long-term financial sustainability of this institution, and offering the highest quality postsecondary education to every student, at every stage of their career and life.
Thank you for your continued partnership and your belief in what Lane is here to do.
With gratitude,
Dr. Stephanie Bulger
President, Lane Community College