According to the prevailing narrative, the state of the humanities is dire. State legislators and far-right journalists attack degrees in these disciplines from ideological angles, while others claim they lack vocational relevance. The numbers don’t lie: Bachelor’s degrees awarded in the humanities declined nearly 16 percent between 2012 and 2020.
Yet, across the country, there are colleges where these departments are experiencing enrollment growth. Unemployment statistics also show that the destressing narrative around employment for these majors is just that, a narrative, as the unemployment rate for humanities majors is similar to that of other college graduates (around 3 percent). In other words, the humanities may simply have a marketing problem.
Watch the on-demand Virtual Forum from October 2, at 2 p.m. ET exploring the actual state of the humanities. Experts offered tips and advice to help strengthen messaging, modernize course offerings, and revive interest in the humanities.
With Support From The Teagle Foundation.
Host: Ian Wilhelm, deputy managing editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education
Panelists:
Sara Guyer, Irving and Jean Stone Dean of the Division of Arts & Humanities, University of California at Berkeley
Ted Hadzi-Antich Jr., Associate Professor, Government, Austin Community College
Melinda S. Zook, Director, Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts, College of Liberal Arts, Purdue University