US Colleges Trim Majors and Programs After Years of Delays

The landscape of higher education in the United States is undergoing significant upheaval as colleges and universities grapple with financial pressures. A wave of program cuts has swept through institutions of varying sizes, compelling them to make tough decisions to stay solvent. The pandemic exacerbated existing financial woes, putting many schools in precarious positions. Despite a modest recovery in community college enrollment, the situation remains dire for numerous four-year colleges. Larry Lee, formerly acting president of St. Cloud State and now leading Blackburn College in Illinois, observed that many institutions had deferred necessary cuts for years.

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data indicates that, while community colleges saw some enrollment recoveries last fall and spring, four-year institutions are not out of the woods. With enrollment numbers remaining low, these colleges are rapidly depleting their budget reserves. The financial strain has led some schools to take drastic measures, such as closing their doors altogether. For instance, three out of the 64 colleges in the State University of New York system have slashed programs because of plummeting enrollment and budgetary constraints.

The list of affected institutions does not end there. West Virginia University, Drake University in Iowa, the University of Nebraska campus in Kearney, North Dakota State University, and Dickinson State University have all undertaken similar steps to prune their academic offerings. The situation is equally dire at Pennsylvania State University, where officials are scrutinizing duplicative and under-enrolled programs to find potential cuts. These measures predominantly impact smaller programs and humanities departments, which have seen a gradual decline in graduates over the past 15 years.

The consequences of these cuts extend beyond the immediate financial relief they promise. Bryan Alexander, a senior scholar at Georgetown University, has discussed the broader implications on faculty, staff, and students. Many educators face job losses, and students find their academic paths obstructed as their chosen fields of study are phased out. Humanities, a discipline already struggling with low enrollment, is particularly hard-hit. The humanitarian toll of these cuts is undeniable, raising questions about the sustainability of cost-cutting measures in higher education.

Ultimately, the current trend reveals a troubling pattern: colleges and universities are resorting to short-term fixes that may compromise their long-term viability. As institutions continue to eliminate programs and downsize faculty, the broader mission of higher education – to educate and nurture the next generation of thinkers and leaders – is at risk. While trimming budgets might offer temporary relief, it remains uncertain whether such measures can pave the way to a sustainable future for higher education. The challenge lies in finding a balance between financial prudence and the academic integrity that defines these institutions.