Only
1 in 17 college graduates in the Class of 2017 will earn a degree in liberal
arts. According to the National Center
for Education Statistics this is the lowest rate since records have been kept
(over the past 69 years). Where will our
writers, entertainers, philosophers, and creative thinkers come from if those
earning college degrees are shunning a liberal arts education?
Although
I don’t believe colleges create people that become journalists, artists,
television producers, theater hands, movie actresses, or dancers, those higher
institutions of learning certainly nurture and enhance the raw talent and
abilities of the young minds that attend their schools. If people are to pursue a career in the
media, performing arts, book publishing, and other creative areas, they likely
will need to earn a degree that supports that passion.
Instead,
we’re seeing a steady decline in people majoring in the liberal arts, where
only 6.1% of all college degrees are earned (as of 2014). Some of it is just a reaction to the times –
and the new economy.
Technology,
security, engineering, health professions, and math are all growing – no,
surging – fields of study for college students. Those kids will graduate to fulfill areas in
need – and that pay. College loans
continue to climb and students can’t pass off their debt as a struggling artist
or writer.
What,
if anything, could or should be done to stem this tide?
On
the one hand, a college degree is a qualification for those seeking many
jobs. We have a functional society that
has many needs. We can’t all be writers
– we need doctors, builders, traffic cops and every imaginable profession. But, to see the fall of the creative class is
disheartening.
Who
knows, maybe we have a glut of writers and performance artists. There is a shortage in areas like
nursing. It would be great if,
regardless of what people major in – or what jobs and careers they end up
pursuing – students can be exposed to a liberal arts education. Not only would this help grow the skill set
of the creative talent pool but it would also raise the level of appreciation
for books and the arts by those who eventually earn a living in other fields.
Maybe
the fact that more schools are moving to offer more courses and degrees to
serve the areas of the new economy is a good thing. We are, as a society, in need of having
qualified people to perform the tasks our world requires. And students need to get a degree, not as a
hobby, but as a means to earn enough money to become self-sufficient or thrive
financially. But as a former English major it
saddens me to think that what I had valued so highly three decades ago is now
being downsized by our new class of students.
Some
question whether college is for everyone, assuming they can even afford to
go. Others question if a college degree
is enough to navigate the demands of our global economy. Whether one goes to college or majors in the
liberal arts – one thing is clear: The key
to growing our country is everyone must find a way to always learn and as
individuals to always be open-minded.
There will naturally be enough writers, artists, and performers because
nothing will stop those with talent and passion and drive to succeed at living
out the potential of their gifts. But if
colleges continue to turn out fewer and fewer graduates of the liberal arts we
will see a decline in our cultural literacy.
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