Outrage is growing at Marymount University after the school proposed cutting some liberal arts majors due to low enrollment.
Students and professors at the university in Arlington, Virginia, told News4 they believe cutting those majors would be a mistake. The school is considering getting rid of nine liberal arts majors such as theology, philosophy, math, art and history.
“They offer people a chance to really delve deeply into issues and think critically about a variety of issues in the world,” English professor Holly Karapetkova said.
“We all know that the diversity of thought on campus is really important, and that these programs really make our students better students,” biology professor Susan Agolini said.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
Marymount is not the only college experiencing this. The number of liberal arts and sciences majors at four-year universities has been dropping since 2017. During the pandemic, several colleges announced cuts to their programs due to declining enrollment.
“It would be irresponsible to sustain majors and programs with consistently low enrollment, low graduation rates and lack of potential for growth," Marymount wrote on an internal campus website viewed by News4.
Ariane Economos, director of Marymount's School of Humanities, said she doesn’t agree with the low enrollment information.
“These programs have graduation rates that are in line with all the other programs in the university, so we're hearing what I think is misinformation,” Economos said.
Marymount liberal studies alumnus Mike De Robbio said he loved his courses.
“They have made an indelible impact on my life,” De Robbio said. “Eliminating those just makes you not equipped for the 21st century.”
In an email to News4, Marymount said the proposed cuts aim to “better position the university for long-term growth and success” and they feel it’s their responsibility to prepare students for highly sought-after jobs. Students currently enrolled in the affected programs will still be able to graduate and humanities classes will remain part of the core curriculum, according to the university.
The board of trustees is set to vote on the cuts this week, and students are planning a protest sit-in on Friday, faculty members said. A petition on Change.org to “Save the Humanities Majors” also has over 1,500 signatures.
