The faculty of arts at the University of Alberta is cutting 14 programs affecting a total of 30 students, according to an internal memo obtained by CBC News.

The programs to be cut range from history and classics to Scandinavian studies. Students currently enrolled in the programs will be allowed to finish but new students will not be accepted.

Lesley Cormack, dean of the faculty of arts, says the cuts were deemed necessary because all the programs that were evaluated had 10 or fewer students enrolled as majors in each of the fall terms from 2009 through 2016.

"This isn't out of the ordinary," said Cormack, who has been the faculty dean for seven years.

"This is about managing our many programs and making sure that in a context of limited resources as one always has, that resources are going especially to programs that students find attractive."

The faculty of arts offers more than 90 different programs to students — and this isn't the first time cuts have been made. Starting three years ago, the faculty began evaluating its low enrolment programs and made similar cuts.

Eight more programs ranging from ancient and medieval history to honours sociology will be re-evaluated in 2020.

"I think it's less about students not being interested in these areas and more that they want a different way through the degree," Cormack said.

University of Alberta students' union president Fahim Rahman said the increasing lack of options for classes is a concern.

The classes are closing for low demand amongst the student body, according to Lesley Cormack. (Getty Images)

"A diversity of learning options for students is always desired," said Rahman. "I'm worried that this may make the U of A less attractive or less appealing to students down the road."

Cormack said these ongoing evaluations to the faculty's courses and programs are ways to make sure the arts faculty's offerings are in line with demand from incoming students.

"Streamlining a little bit allows students more leeway within a degree, and perhaps a little bit less specialization," she said. "That's to the benefit of students and gives them the kind of flexibility that's the real hallmark of a bachelor of arts degree."

'Universities have to adapt'

The University of Alberta is not alone in going through program-cutting, according to Ken Coates. Coates teaches at the University of Saskatchewan and is a Canada research chair in regional innovation.

Coates has taught at several universities across Canada and around the world, including the University of Victoria and the University of Waikato, in New Zealand.

"Universities have to adapt in the same way any organization has to adapt," he said. "The challenge of course is to respect the contributions that these departments and programs made in the previous years, but also to respect the fact that the student interest and the need within society as a whole has also shifted."

Coates said that even though the faculty of arts at the University of Alberta is cutting several programs, there are likely areas that are being added at the university because of more demand from incoming students and industry.

"It isn't even necessarily a sign that humanities or social sciences are losing their role on campus — simply that the world continues to shift," said Coates.

"Our questions shift as we go along and we look for new ways to connect our students with the modern world."