I'm not sure how many students don't want a liberal arts education, Dave, and how many feel pressure to study something that promises a more secure paycheck. I can't fault students for the cost of tuition and of living, for loans and debts. They're making rational choices with as much information as they have.

There may be other solutions, like double majors or minors in liberal arts paired with STEM or other disciplines. But that's not the way a university is structured. Each department is generally its own silo and thinks about its faculty and students. It would take a rare faculty and a rare leadership to create an environment in which the liberal arts could thrive now.

Now, if some university would like to hire me as provost to realize that vision...

Thanks for reading and responding, my friend.