Our Opinion: Degrees should remain a priority over other classes and programs and should be one of the last things cut.

North Carolina is facing a $3.4 billion budget shortfall for 2009-2010, and the UNC System has prepared for it by cutting 77 degree programs within the UNC System’s 16 schools at Thursday’s meeting in Chapel Hill.

The UNC Board of Governors has combined majors at the University, such as special education, into broader, more general degrees.

It also cut courses that have not been offered for several years, according to Gerald Ponder, the College of Education’s associate dean for academic affairs.

The Board of Governors voted to make these degrees more general, and tried its best to affect the least amount of people and lessen budget shortfalls.

Though the Board of Governors was careful when making the cuts and looked for ways to affect the least amount of people, it, along with the University, must make sure to keep degree programs a priority.

The University made wise decisions for next semester and tried to affect the fewest students when making the degree cuts, but the University and the Board of Governors must be sure to keep in consideration how cuts will affect students, even if the economic situation gets worse in the future, which seems is likely at this point.

The Board of Governors has dropped majors at the University, but it also added a Native-American minor this semester and a global perspectives certificate.

Adding an undergraduate minor in the midst of budget cuts is not a wise decision, no matter what the subject matter is.

It is not that the Native American minor is not important or is less significant than other minors offered. It just comes at a bad time.

It would be better if they planned to add any programs after budget problems are alleviated.

The University must realize that unspecializing is not OK for every major and must take into deep consideration which programs have room to combine degrees.

The Board of Governors must use caution when cutting programs and degrees and combine degrees rather than just completely abandoning them.

The Board of Governors must also be open to comments and concerns from students in the UNC system.

Students can let Board of Governors members know their opinions by e-mailing Board of Governors members.

Their e-mail addresses can be found at the northcarolina.edu