A discussion of college and university retrenchment based on interviews with 40 faculty and 20 administrators at 2 research universities looks at programs threatened with termination as terrains contested among academic fields, where wide divergences in professional/discipline-based power become evident. Results appeared to have less to do with…

Four key criteria used in academic program review (quality, centrality to institutional mission, competition, and demand) are defined and discussed. They are then applied to the process of strategic planning for an unspecified private university. Decision-making matrixes and their use are illustrated. (MSE)