Thanks, Wisconsin Higher Education System

[tooblue]

University of Wisconsin students protest plan to drop slew of liberal arts majors

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/03/22/university-of-wisconsin-students-protest-plan-to-drop-slew-of-liberal-arts-majors/?utm_term=.e7603cff6f2b

[Uncle Ted]

University of Wisconsin students protest plan to drop slew of liberal arts majors

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/03/22/university-of-wisconsin-students-protest-plan-to-drop-slew-of-liberal-arts-majors/?utm_term=.e7603cff6f2b

These are the majors that would be cut in the administration’s plan, which must be approved by a campus governance committee as well as the University of Wisconsin system’s chancellor and Board of Regents:


• American Studies
• Art – Graphic Design will continue as a distinct major
• English – English for teacher certification will continue
• French
• Geography
• Geoscience
• German
• History – Social Science for teacher certification will continue
• Music Literature
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Sociology — Social Work major will continue
• Spanish

Summons Wuap!

[tooblue]

Summons Wuap!

One thing missing in all this is a more comprehensive student perspective. Per the linked article, there is a vocal group railing against these changes. We don't know if they are minority or majority, but in my experience I suspect they are a vocal minority.

Tomorrow at my institution's Open House, I will fulfill my twice yearly responsibilities to promote and recruit for the programs I teach in and administrate. Many students and parents will attend to ask important questions, as they prepare to make their final choices about which program to enrol in, or whether or not my school is the right one for them.

Having participated in Open Houses for close to sixteen years, and having access to statistics concerning attendees, between sixty and seventy percent will be students who will be graduating high school this spring. Ten years ago that number was higher (eighty to ninety percent). The thirty to forty percent who will also attend are mature students: second career, current dissastified university students, those that took a gap year to work etc. Those numbers could very well be more like 50/50, as it has been trending that way for a while.

Most of the students will be domestic (our international enrolment is through the roof: thank you for voting Donald Trump into office—he does our recruiting for us!). Of the 30 - 40% who are one, two or many years removed from high school, and who are at the Open House to inquire about my technology focused programs, all of them will be there because they want hard skills that will help them find gainful employment in the job market. We boast an 85 - 90% employment rate for graduates. They have been to university, heard about the irrelevance of what is taught, or have worked in low-paying jobs and are disillusioned.

Of the 60 - 70% that are there to plan their next step after high school, most will avoid inquiring about those same tech heavy programs I teach in, because they perceive them to be too challenging. In two, or three years, they end up in my program anyways, because there are not many jobs for people with a diploma in video production and absolutely no jobs for the photography graduates, and the Graphic Designers (I teach in that program as well) quickly hit their salary ceiling unless they dramatically upgrade their coding/programming skills.

Basically, what I am saying is politicians and administrators are an easy target, but it is the market and pace of technology more than anything that is determining what is happening.

The world is changed. Automation is here, AI is proliferating, and young people will either learn to make the machines work for them, or they won't work—hence, a $15 minimum wage, or talk of a living wage:

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/05/27/the-promise-of-the-living-wage-movement.html

McDonalds is losing workers, in part because of a $15 minimum wage, but also because workers find the job too hard ...

McDonald's workers quitting in droves over 'complicated' technology, new menu items:

http://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/mcdonalds-workers-quitting-in-droves-over-complicated-technology-new-menu-items

Thanks To 'Fight For $15' Minimum Wage, McDonald's Unveils Job-Replacing Self-Service Kiosks Nationwide:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspi.../#717a803e4fbc

Is stem education the answer—not necessarily. The education system is ripe for major upheaval. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next five years.

[falafel]

Summons Wuap!

That's actually crazy. English? History? PolySci and Philosophy? What major university doesn't have those programs?

Edit: Oh wait, its University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Still bad, but not as bad as if Madison had done it.

[wuapinmon]

Wisconsin is everything that is wrong with America.

[creekster]

Wisconsin is everything that is wrong with America.

Too cold, too white and and think it's all about them?

[Jeff Lebowski]

That's actually crazy. English? History? PolySci and Philosophy? What major university doesn't have those programs?

Edit: Oh wait, its University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Still bad, but not as bad as if Madison had done it.

If they are cutting programs like that, they are in deep, deep trouble. Yikes.

[BigPiney]

If they are cutting programs like that, they are in deep, deep trouble. Yikes.

Geosciences really stood out to me. Think of the poor GIS techs.

[old_gregg]

That's actually crazy. English? History? PolySci and Philosophy? What major university doesn't have those programs?

Edit: Oh wait, its University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Still bad, but not as bad as if Madison had done it.

yes, uwm is a world class institution. i have no problem with smaller system and other schools becoming advanced vocational schools. there are a small handful of schools from which a lib arts education and experience is worth more than self study.

[falafel]

yes, uwm is a world class institution. i have no problem with smaller system and other schools becoming advanced vocational schools. there are a small handful of schools from which a lib arts education and experience is worth more than self study.

I agree with the vocational point, but it still seems awfully strange to say you graduated from a "university" that didn't have an English program.

[tooblue]

If they are cutting programs like that, they are in deep, deep trouble. Yikes.

^Give that man a cigar^ though, maybe you are joking, but to me the fact they are cutting what were once considered core university programs, and in Wisconsin no less, is troubling.

[Jeff Lebowski]

^Give that man a cigar^ though, maybe you are joking, but to me the fact they are cutting what were once considered core university programs, and in Wisconsin no less is troubling.

No, I am serious. English? Spanish? Wow.

BTW, why this thread?

[tooblue]

No, I am serious. English? Spanish? Wow.

BTW, why this thread?

Is there another thread, about higher education?

[wuapinmon]

Too cold, too white and and think it's all about them?

They elected Scott Walker and Trump, are 11th whitest, yet their college-education rate is only 2% above most of the Southern states. They used some Cold War Senate clout to push through worthless spending projects like the St. Lawrence Seaway which, instead of stimulating the economy of the region, has wrecked the economy as sea-going vessels have brought invasive species to the Great Lakes, killing a formerly amazing fishery.

Their aging population of Baby Boomers cling to an idea that things are going to be how they were when Milwaukee actually mattered.

In moments of hoped for schadenfreude, I imagine a Scott Walker sex tape coming to light with some kind of furry fetish.

[Jeff Lebowski]

They elected Scott Walker and Trump, are 11th whitest, yet their college-education rate is only 2% above most of the Southern states. They used some Cold War Senate clout to push through worthless spending projects like the St. Lawrence Seaway which, instead of stimulating the economy of the region, has wrecked the economy as sea-going vessels have brought invasive species to the Great Lakes, killing a formerly amazing fishery.

Their aging population of Baby Boomers cling to an idea that things are going to be how they were when Milwaukee actually mattered.

In moments of hoped for schadenfreude, I imagine a Scott Walker sex tape coming to light with some kind of furry fetish.

Damn quagga mussels.