Students could major in two new programs if the state Board of Regents approve the plan at its meeting in Council Bluffs this week.

Regents will vote on whether to accept UI officials’ requests for a bachelor of arts programs in ethics and public policy, as well as in environmental sciences.

Regents will vote on the two new programs on Thursday.

The ethics and public-policy program would provide a cross-disciplinary approach connecting the study of philosophy, economics, law, and sociology. The program would be unique to the UI, with no other institutions in the state offering it.

The environmental sciences program would provide students with a more flexible alternative to the existing bachelor of science program in environmental sciences, teaching an overview of the field rather than a specialized knowledge of one technical area.

The regents meeting will be held Wednesday and Thursday, though most of the first day will be closed to the public, said ISU junior Greta Johnson, who is serving as the student regent.

While regents may approve adding new UI programs, others face elimination.

UI officials have requested to terminate the bachelor of science program in oral health sciences indefinitely and the master of arts and Ph.D. programs in German for a two-year period starting next fall.

The university has already suspended admissions to the German program for this year. The German department received only four applications this fall for its graduate programs.

UI German Society representative Katharina Kley said an increasing interest in Spanish may be fueling the lack of interest in German from students.

“[German] programs are closing all over the state; it’s not just here,” she said. “But there is still an interest in it, and we continue to plan activities for the organization.”

Another important item on the board’s agenda, Johnson said, is the operating appropriations request regarding financial situations at the UI, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa.

“With the budget cuts [coming], we’re going to try to look ahead to how we will handle that,” Johnson said.