Fewer students major in humanities nationally and in NC

[TexasTowelie]

by John Hood, John Locke Foundation board member


RALEIGH — Most students attend colleges or universities primarily to acquire the knowledge, skills, and credentials required to get a rewarding job.

That’s what most college students say in surveys. That’s what most parents think they are helping to finance. You can also divine student intentions by looking at how they choose to spend most of their academic time while on campus.

-snip-

Some argue that many students are entering those vocation-specific majors reluctantly, having taken on substantial debt to finance the ever-escalating price tag for the four or more years it takes to get an undergraduate degree. If relieved of the financial burden — either by federal debt forgiveness or higher state subsidy or both — they’d welcome the opportunity to major in literature, classics, history, or philosophy for their intrinsic value rather than having to prioritize the prospect for success in the job market.

Others argue that whatever the merits and appeal of the humanities may be in theory, current academic practice is a major turnoff. Too many professors prefer to teach courses based on their own narrow, often idiosyncratic research interests rather than teaching about the great ideas, institutions, people, and works of art that students actually want to study. And because so much of the content is drenched in grievance, identity politics, and radical leftism, many potential majors are either bored or actively repelled by it.

Personally, I’d love to see more students majoring in the humanities. If policymakers agree, there are two steps they can take. First, reduce the actual cost of getting a degree (which is not the same as increasing the subsidy). Second, depoliticize the subject matter.

Both are, sadly, easier said than done.

Read more: https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/opinion/2021/07/27/humanities-face-strong-decrease-numbers-colleges-universities/5384165001/
(Wilmington Star News)

[MyMission]

1. Many humanities courses and programs have been cut

Or offerings are being reduced. It's been a trend for a while. When courses aren't available it's hard to major in it.

A professor friend who used to teach introduction to philosophy lost enrollment in classes, when their humanities requirement was reduced from 12 credits to 6 a number of years ago. Then they cut the program due to reduced enrollment.

I earned a BS but minored in Humanities, with an emphasis in English, French and Art. I love humanities and feel they are needed for a well rounded education.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I graduated with a degree in liberal arts in 1979.

Nothing but Humanities.

Art History, Music History, Theater History, European Civilization (2 semesters), German, Spanish, Italian, Chemistry, Modern Dance, Logic, and that's not counting my courses for my major in Music (Rudiments, Advanced Harmony, Composition, History during the Romantic Era, Baroque History, Modern History, Counterpoint, and more). Plus I researched, wrote, and defended a 90+ page thesis and performed a solo recital.

When I entered college on Day One, I had no idea whatsoever what I was going to do after graduation. None. So I simply enrolled in classes that seemed interesting.

Was I prepared to enter the work force after graduation? Not really. I opted for a backpack trip through the U.K. and Europe the summer following graduation, and saw sights that mirrored my courses.

What did I get out of this educational experience? More knowledge about western civilization than most college graduates. The apparently rarified skill of critical thinking. Three foreign languages. The ability to teach myself in the future.

That is what's lost with the disinterest in the Humanities.