Horticulture students at Algonquin College help maintain one of the school's greenhouses. (CBC)

Programs in photonics, toolmaking and horticulture may survive in some form at Algonquin College over the next few years, Algonquin College's board of governors has decided.

The three programs are among 10 that were originally slated for a phase-out. But the school now plans to examine the potential for new programs in those fields, the Ottawa-based college announced Monday.

Ten others, including the florist, professional illustration and golf and ski operations management programs, will be completely phased out.

The board of governors also voted in favour of 51 new programs, such as dental assisting e-Health record management, and the expansion of 26 others.

The changes were all recommended in a report from the college's program review steering committee, which was intended to help the college focus on "relevant, high-quality programs and services."

The approval means that the college can start drafting implementation plans for the program changes.

Teachers and industry observers in fields such as horticulture and toolmaking had earlier protested plans to cut those programs, saying it would have an adverse affect on local businesses that rely on Algonquin graduates.

The committee had argued that student enrollment in many of the programs was too low or the programs weren't relevant enough, and the resources could be better used to expand more popular and more relevant programs. But in the end, the committee decided that some of the programs slated to be phased out could instead be possibly replaced by new programs in the same field.

Algonquin College currently offers 172 full-time, 142 part-time, 21 apprenticeship and 18 co-op programs to 18,000 full-time students and thousands of part-time students. It has campuses in Ottawa, Pembroke and Perth.