The number of undergraduates at Western has dropped about 30 percent the last decade. But enrollment in the College of Arts and Sciences has fallen even further. It’s down about 40 percent according to English Department Chair Todd Kuchta. He says students who are worried about the job market after graduation can still pursue their passion for the humanities.
“Maybe double major in a humanities area and then something that feels maybe a little bit more applied or secure in terms of a job,” Kuchta said.
Kuchta says the English department has lost about four in 10 of its faculty members over the last decade.
“I think we often hear administrators say that the College of Arts and Sciences is, you know, the heart of the university or the liberal arts are the cornerstone of the university. But again, that’s kind of easy to say if you’re not really backing it up financially, economically," he said.