Culinology program to be terminated

Despite national accreditation, the University of Cincinnati is eliminating the culinology program in the College of Applied Sciences.

The program will be axed at the end of the 2009-10 school year with only current UC students finishing the program.

The culinology program is the first program of its kind in Ohio and third in the United States.
Culinology students begin their schooling at Cincinnati State, where they learn all aspects of the food preparation process to prepare them for work in hotels, clubs, restaurants and catering.

With the pathway partnership, students graduate with their associate degree from Cincinnati State, then come to UC for their remaining two years.

Spring quarter serves as the final term for culinology. Current enrollment in the university’s program is approximately 48 students — the university mandates at least 250 students must be in the program to exist.

Students already at UC are grandfathered into the program and can finish their degree. Students at Cincinnati State will not be able to continue the program at UC.

Bill Earley, a third-year student in the culinology program, will earn his degree, but is frustrated with the decision.

“Culinology is an exclusive degree that only a few universities offer and that made UC unique,” Earley said. “This is the future for chefs — learning the science behind the food.”
The program had classes specifically created for culinology, said Drew Schoelle, a recent graduate of the program.

“The people that are graduating are receiving excellent jobs and doing well even in the hard economy,” Schoelle said. “There are a wide range of jobs that you can get with
this degree. IIt lessens the value of my degree when the program is getting canceled,” he said.

The program also teaches students how food is supposed to taste and how to develop a strong relationship with employers.

“I feel that the program is key to product development to the nation in general as far as food goes,” said Lisa Sanders, a culinology professor at UC. “It’s a shame the university hasn’t supported the program.”

Sanders, who is also employed for the Women in Flavors and Fragrance Commerce in Cincinnati, is worried how the program closure will affect the business.

“It affects the future of my company,” said Sanders. “We already hired two students from the program and we would like to hire more in the future.”

The culinology program is ranked in the top 10 in the United States in the Research Chefs Association.

In the last three years, culinology students have placed first twice and second once in the National Culinology competition, which pitted UC against various other colleges.

Cincinnati is considered the flavor capital of the United States and UC just didn’t market the program enough, Schoelle said.

“I worked really hard for this program and I feel like it was all for nothing,” he said.

Calls to Greg Hand, university spokesperson, were not answered as of press time.