Purdue's Initiative Revives Liberal Arts Amid Declining Enrollment

In the United States, particularly at Purdue University, there has been a noticeable decline in humanities majors and overall enrollment, with many students shifting towards fields perceived to offer better job prospects. Over the past decade, majors in English and history have decreased significantly, leading to a loss of credit hours and majors in the College of Liberal Arts. This phenomenon has been attributed to complex factors such as the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and a growing emphasis on technological education. In response to these trends, Purdue University has initiated a program called Cornerstone, aimed at integrating liberal arts education into the broader curriculum for students majoring in business and marketing. By emphasizing the importance of a holistic educational experience that includes classic literature and the arts, the program seeks to enrich students' academic journeys. Melinda Zook, a history professor and head of the Cornerstone initiative, emphasizes the need for transformative texts to enhance non-liberal arts majors' education. She acknowledges that simply creating programs is not enough; they must be integrated into degree requirements to attract students. The program has shown promise in altering students' perceptions of the liberal arts. The decline of humanities education raises critical questions about the future of the modern university. As disciplines that historically shaped the research university diminish, educators like David Reingold argue that the essence of what constitutes a university may be at stake, necessitating a reevaluation of educational priorities.