Public universities in the North Carolina are feeling pressure from outside sources and political figures to be more conservative. In 2013, Republican governor Pat McCrory said the state shouldn’t offer classes in gender studies or Swahili. He wanted classes to focus on skills and topics he feels employers seek out. Researchers at The Pope Center for Higher Education said low tuition rates distort the economic market and therefore tuition rates in the UNC system should be raised.
By raising tuition, student loans will be higher for students, and many people believe students will then be more likely to choose pre-professional majors which would please the more conservative leaders because those are the programs that provide return on investments.
I think that students feel pressure to choose safe, lucrative careers that will make their expensive college education worth it from a financial perspective. This pressure prevents students from pursuing what they are truly passionate about and want to study. While college is about preparing people for future careers, it is also about learning and gaining knowledge in a variety of areas. What if a student is interested in learning Swahili for pure learning and pleasure purposes? This class isn’t going to be available to them because more conservative leaders feel learning Swahili won’t earn them a steady paycheck in the future? I think there needs to be an emphasis placed on learning and not just careers after college, and that the more opportunities and classes available the better.
What do you guys think about classes being taken away and pressures to choose safer majors as tuition rises? Leave comments with your thoughts and opinions!
Girl 5
5girls4education 
Let me just start off my saying great post! The structure of your blog is very well organized. Looking back to when you were discussing how there will be an increased amount of loans if tuition rises, I think there is also a good point in saying that by this happening, it would limit the amount of students who would be able to attend these universities. Many students take out loans to pay for their college education, and if that gets to be much more expensive than it already is, they will just settle for going to school at a two year college or end up not going at all.
The way you included the differences in thoughts pertaining to classes being taught in universities gave me a new perspective on the issue. I had not thought about how the thoughts and actions of one person could potentially be affecting the happiness of students, such as taking away classes that interest them.
I think my only question would be is how likely is it that this could occur in the future? That by raising tuition it could cut classes that might be as popular or necessary as some of the others.
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Thanks for commenting and your suggestions! I really appreciate it. The suggestion you made that people may decide to go to a community college for 2 years to save money is an alternative I did not think about but maybe will post about in the future. Community college or 2 year degrees are becoming seemingly more popular because it is hard to justify the social benefits that come with attending a college for four years when the financial pros of attending a community college for 2 years are so significant. I think that the likelihood of these happening in the future depends on certain universities and how alumni or state or political factors influence that institution-while I think the majority of classes will not be removed, additional resources on college campuses are continuing to be cut because of prices. At Syracuse University, the Sexual Assault Advocacy Center was closed because of costs and this is going to be have what I believe to be huge effects on students who no longer have this resource or safe space to come if they experience in issue that is so prevalent for college students. I’ve attached the link for you if you’re interested in this issue more! Thanks again for your comment-keep checking back in future weeks! http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/09/syracuse_university_students_angry_about_closing_of_sexual_assault_advocacy_cent.html
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I really liked your post Girl 5! I can totally relate. I am a fine arts major and I am constantly worried about not having chose a safer study that will guarantee a lucrative job after graduation. The school that I transferred from actually cut the program, while I was there, to dedicate the funds to areas of medicine and science. Granted, it would have let me finish my degree, but I just saw the already limited resources disappearing. I realized that wasn’t the best environment for me to grow if I was going to stick with it. So why am I still in the major? Well, the way credits transferred, I’m kind of stuck with it, but I guess I want to prove others wrong and be able to do something I like too.
Something to think about maybe is the relationship between school tuition, job availability, and the percentage of college graduates being hired. I have cousins in Italy who, like most of the young adults in the area, didn’t/don’t go to college because it is so expensive and there are not many open positions that require degrees, whatever they may be. If students in the US are being encouraged to pick safer majors, then they will all be competing for the same jobs. Would more jobs be created to accommodate everyone, or will only a few students use the degree that they paid for?
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Thanks for sharing a little bit of your personal story and how you have been affected by these changes. I think it’s important as young people starting out to at least try to make a career out of what you are passionate about despite the odds that are against you. Not everyone is as brave as you and willing to chase their dreams-I’m rooting for you!
That brings up a great point and a different way to measure college tuition and job availability-I just might have to write an entire blog post dedicated to that topic so make sure to check back to get some of your questions answered!
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