Slippery Rock University students, staff and alumni are pushing back on a university decision to wind down its longtime Master of Science degree program in athletic training.

As of Friday, nearly 1,500 people have signed an online petition urging the university to change course on its decision.

On Monday, SRU’s administration reportedly announced its decision to close the MSAT program, bringing an end to more than 50 years of athletic training education at SRU.

The program will no longer accept new students, effective immediately. Current graduate students will be permitted to complete their education, with the final cohort graduating in May 2028.

“For over half a century, Slippery Rock University’s Athletic Training program has been a cornerstone of our community, shaping the futures and careers of countless students,” the petition reads. “Beginning as a Bachelor’s degree, and later expanding into the Master of Science in Athletic Training program, it has a long and proud history of producing skilled professionals who make significant contributions in the fields of sports medicine, rehabilitation, and athletic healthcare.

“We are distraught to learn that this esteemed program is set to graduate its final cohort in 2028, effectively shutting down thereafter. The decision to discontinue new admissions not only affects future students but also dismantles an essential educational pillar within Slippery Rock’s community.”

The petition was created by Alyssa Combs, a second-year MSAT student. It urges SRU to reconsider the decision to end the MSAT program and look at exploring alternative funding options, partnerships with healthcare organizations or “even re-evaluating the program’s structure” to preserve the MSAT program’s operations and “ensure its persistence beyond 2028.”

“Although I am still graduating, the thought of this program being discontinued saddens me for the future generations of Rock AT,” Combs said. “The program closing is more than a loss of an academic program; it’s a loss of a well-established pathway to enter the profession of athletic training, which makes a tremendous difference in the lives of children, young adults and other people who are sick, injured or preventing those conditions from occurring.”

According to Kim Keely, an associate professor and SRU’s athletic training program director, the program’s closure impacts about 90 undergraduate students enrolled in SRU’s accelerated 3+2 and traditional 4+2 pre-athletic training pathways. These pathways allow students to earn both bachelors and masters degrees in a continuous, five-or-six-year program.

“Many of these students specifically chose SRU because of the opportunity to complete both degrees at the university. The proposed alternative would require them to pursue graduate education elsewhere, despite the pathway under which they were recruited and, for qualifying students, offered direct admission,” Keely said.

Transferring to another graduate athletic training program is not necessarily seamless, Keely argues. Athletic training programs follow structured, cohort-based curricula with extensive clinical education requirements, she said. Changing institutions may affect students’ educational plans, expenses, clinical placements and graduation timelines.

“The closure eliminates a longstanding pathway for educating future healthcare professionals in Western Pennsylvania. SRU athletic training alumni work in healthcare settings throughout Pennsylvania and across the country,” Keely said.

SRU said it made the decision to stop admitting new students to the MSAT program “after careful consideration.” The decision, according to a university statement, reflects enrollment and fiscal trends and “allows the University to responsibly align our resources and academic offerings with our mission to provide a high-quality education at the lowest possible cost.”

“These decisions reflect SRU’s commitment to continually evaluate our programs and make strategic adjustments from a position of strength to ensure long-term institutional health and student success,” said Ken Bach, university spokesperson.

SRU claims students currently enrolled in the program will have the opportunity to complete their degrees and faculty in the program will continue to “serve the university.”

“SRU also is working directly with undergraduate students in pre-athletic training pathways to help them identify graduate programs that will help achieve their professional goals,” Bach said.

SRU’s student government has invited affected individuals to speak at its meeting at 5 p.m. Monday in the Smith Student Center Theatre.