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Indianapolis Star

Indiana's war on 'useless' degrees hurts all students

Indiana's elimination of over 400 university degree programs represent an unprecedented attack on academic freedom. A new state law threatens the existence of an overwhelming number of degrees. Public universities are cutting or consolidating about 20% of the degree options available in Indiana. This troublesome legislation limits access to the types of degrees and majors Hoosiers are able to pursue. Gov. Mike Braun said these changes will help students make wiser decisions about degrees that will lead to better career prospects. Bachelor's degree programs are safe if they produce an average of 15 graduates over a three-year period. The threshold is seven for master's degrees. In Indiana, it now seems like a degree is only as good as its potential to land you a high-paying corporate job. Career-readiness and professional development are undoubtedly important aspects of a college education, but they aren't the only types of growth and learning that matter. Mia Behringer, a rising senior at Indiana University-Bloomington, rejects the notion that the only goal of a college degree is to find a job. "Higher education is more than looking for a way to make money," Behringer said. "You go to school to expand on your lifelong learning." Behringer, who majors in art history and environmental sustainability, wasn't surprised when her art history degree was targeted. But the Ph.D program for art history at IU has been impacted by the legislation, too. Hicks: Indiana's college crisis has nothing to do with woke campuses or high costs 'It would have been nice to be able to have the option to go to higher education in my home state, but that's just kind of disheartening to see that cut off,' Behringer said. 'My plans now are to probably go study in Spain. I'd like to continue and probably do something abroad after kind of seeing the attack on academic freedom in the United States. And we don't really hold importance in sustainability programs or art history programs, and I can feel that.' The cuts make it increasingly difficult for humanities students to pursue higher education in their fields, overlooking academic careers that require these specialized programs. "To equate education with job readiness and making money is misguided," recent IU graduate Lilly Luse said. "The market will always change." Luse graduated this year from IU with degrees in comparative literature and film studies. The comparative literature major is on track to be suspended and merged due to the legislation. Luse hopes to use their degree to become a professor of cinema studies and plans on pursuing higher education to reach that goal. They find that pursuing a less popular degree has its perks, including smaller class sizes, more attention from teachers and increased collaboration with other students. Opinion: Indiana should cap out-of-state student enrollment to solve brain drain The success of a particular degree should not exclusively be defined by how many graduates it produces. Some advanced degrees are meant for academics and professionals within a field of study that might be far more niche than others. 'If we lose critical thinking skills, we're going to fall victim to certain messages,' Luse said. Luse is right. Stifling academic freedom restricts freedom of thought — part of a broader anti-intellectual trend Indiana lawmakers have embraced. 'People are so afraid to have challenging conversations about things like stifling queer life in Indiana (or) like the book bans,' Luse said. "We're going back to these really outdated modes of thinking that certain things are to be feared or not to be talked about." Opinion: Indiana should cap out-of-state student enrollment to solve brain drain Indiana is continuing down a path that diminishes the role and impact of a college education and learning as a whole, putting not just students, but all Hoosiers, at risk. This legislation claims to prepare students for the workforce, and it's clear that academia doesn't make the cut. There is always value in learning something new. Exposure to new perspectives and ideas helps us become well-rounded people. Learning for the sake of learning is important, too.