University Program Growth: Revitalizing Liberal Arts

There have been a myriad of program cuts across Higher Ed in the last few weeks. Buffalo State recently announced 37 Programs that will be cut over the next two years. But they are hardly alone. Indeed, we are seeing a spate of program and college closures that doesn't seem to want to abate. Yet, counter intuitively we're seeing an increase in the number of programs on offer. Per an article in the Chronicle what we're seeing is the growth of many programs.

Yet... aren't there fewer students?

Yes, somewhat. Since 2010, we've seen a decline of about 2.3 million students, or about 13% decrease in FTE. The largest decreases have been seen at 2 year public and private, for-profit colleges along with 4-year private, for-profit institutions. Enrollment at 4-year public and 4-year private, not-for-profit institutions has increased.

The bulk of the declines have been seen in the private, for-profit category where campus-based and online providers have been shutting down. New regulatory requirements along with changes to student appetites has gutted their business. Yet, many of the program cuts we're seeing are happening in institutions posting growth. So, what gives?

Well, per the Chronicle, much of the growth can be attributed to business, engineering and health sciences (nursing, allied health professionals, etc.). So, in short, programs highly correlated to career readiness are doing really well, but traditional liberal arts programs are struggling.

Is anyone surprised?

Go on TikTok or Reddit around graduation time and the number of posts criticizing graduates of obscure, arts-related fields abound. Seen as detrimental to one's career, these programs are increasing seen as a bad investment. Students take on thousands in debt but at the end of the road, are they really all that employable? Studies have shown those graduates do well, but the gap between graduation and employment is far longer than students in professional programs. Consequently, students are voting with their feet, electing to study other degrees and eschewing SLACs in large numbers.

So, how do you revitalize a liberal arts education? I firmly believe it's an important discussion to have. If I had to venture my solution, I would focus on 5 key areas that need to be built into strategic plans:

1. Experiential Learning: Most universities have an office with experiential learning experts. They are also never utilized to their potential. These opportunities need to be embedded at all levels of the curriculum. Creating opportunities for hands-on, applied learning is a critical step in mastering a subject. Whether it's a Study Abroad program, a practicum or live case (with supports for publishing and conferences) is critical. Too many students have the drive and ambition but lack the resources to really improve the impact of their degree.
2. Internship Opportunities: Some institutions really punch above their weight. SUNY Oswego offers one of the more robust internship & co-op programs in the SUNY system. It shows how much an institution can achieve when they really invest. Colleges and universities need to strategically invest in internships. Students are increasingly asking about career opportunities after graduation and when they either don't exist or there are too many caveats for them to be relied upon, they'll either go somewhere else, or turn to the working world. Organizations should work with the private sector, where they could partner with agencies like Riipen and Parker Dewey. Institutions can increase the percent of students in an internship and thus draw students from what are seen as the practical programs to other programs when those programs also include practical elements.
3. Career Services: Often under-staffed and resource constrained, these offices are full of dedicated people that just don't have the resources to help all students. Most professional programs within a college or university (esp. those that have control under the auspices of a college) have begun to create a duplicate career services wing that supports only their students. Students in the liberal arts programs often share an institution-wide service that is never given the supports required. Strategic investments have to be made in career services, including advising, career developers, and professional learning opportunities.
4. Modernized Curriculum: Let's be honest, a liberal arts education is really an a la carte education. Students can avoid difficult classes/subjects; they can customize their degree to the point where two students in the same degree program took entirely different courses. Core requirements are being removed. Students in the arts often avoid ever taking a science or commerce course. They may never take a language course. Students have begun to use online sources to find ways to discover which courses require papers, have exams or public speaking. It's enabled students to focus entirely on what they're good at. When we point to grade inflation, here's one of the causes. If we're going to embed high impact practices like experiential learning, then students need to be pushed. That means papers, exams and courses outside of their comfort zone. It means removing some of the (excessive) choice they current are afforded and instead making certain topics/skills compulsory. It won't be popular, but will be necessary.
5. Micro-credentials: Finally, we need to adapt. Yes, the LMS is critical and so too are a myriad of SaaS products in student success and achievement, but one of the adaptations needs to be programmatic. We need to embed micro-credentials into programs. Having career and professional certificates embedded into liberal arts programs will give students the best of both worlds. They need to be achievement driven and help students fill out their CV before graduation.

A long standing debate in academia has been about its role in education vs. career preparedness. I've always said this: It's a false dichotomy. Colleges and Universities need to do both. You need a strong, well-informed workforce and to do that, you need people who have engaged with a diverse range of ideas and concepts. But students aren't going to do that if they feel they'll be burdened with a useless degree and tens-of-thousands in student debt. Once we've committed to improving accessibility and the services and supports that go along with a degree, students will start making different choices.