It’s no secret that post-secondary education has largely lost its footing. It’s clear that a lot of people think it’s a waste of time, and in some ways that’s true. I do think, though, that it has a lot to do with proper planning (or a lack thereof).
I would venture to say, for example, maybe don’t pick something like… puppetry.
From The College Fix:
Amidst an approximately $45 million budget shortfall, West Virginia University may cut more than 30 academic programs and 160 faculty jobs.
After several months of review,” the public university “has made preliminary recommendations to adjust its academic offerings,” according a recent news release.
The release referred to a July announcement of 128 academic programs that would “undergo further review,” meaning they could be retained, merged with another program or slashed.
The College Fix emailed WVU Executive Director of Communications April Kaull to ask when the university expects the reviewed programs to be formally cut or retained, whether WVU plans to cut administrative roles and for general comment.
Officials said the programs in limbo were chosen based on “student demand, career opportunities and market trends.”
Majors on the chopping board include programs in civil engineering, education administration, art history, musical theatre, and puppetry, according to a July news releases. The puppetry major has faced elimination threats before, according to the student newspaper.
As an aspiring historian… I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed to see Art History on the same chopping block as a degree in Elmo-fluency (not to mention the fact that civil engineering sounds like something that would also be useful/marketable).
I took a few art history courses during my first two years of college, and I enjoyed them immensely. That was at the local community college though, and after moving to a four-year institution this semester… I can see why people are distrustful of these places. None of these people care about sh*t, and it shows… When I tell you there was a guy eating two Marie Callender’s chicken pot pies in the front row of my Ancient Israel class yesterday… yikes.
The only way for higher education to regain a sense of trust with the general population is a return to what really matters: professionalism.
Teach people how to think, rather than what to think. Also.. teach young people how to be good, respectable members of society… because they’re obviously not picking it up anywhere else. And maybe stop offering degrees in stuff nobody will be able to realistically transfer to the job market… that’ll probably help too.
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