“Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, will discontinue more than a dozen majors and minors in the 2026–2027 academic year, scaling back its liberal arts curriculum in response to declining enrollment and shifting student demand. Among the programs being cut are majors in French, German, Spanish, Classical Studies, Religion, and all music degrees,” reports Campus Reform:
Minors in French, German, and Religion will also be eliminated, though a Spanish minor will remain. Music offerings will shrink to focus solely on choir, musical theatre, and contemporary/pop genres, while instrumental groups will be paused.
The college said in a Nov. 21 announcement that students currently enrolled in these majors will be able to complete their degrees through individualized teach-out plans.
Faculty impacted by the cuts have been notified, and while some may transition into other roles, Cornell declined to say how many jobs may be lost.
Many colleges have trimmed majors or even closed as the number of students attending college fell. Colleges and universities collectively experienced a 15% decline in enrollment between 2010 and 2021. About 150 colleges have closed or merged since 2016.
In surveys, small businesses say they find many college graduates useless. College students seem to learn less and less with each passing year. 15 years ago, “thirty-six percent” of college students learned little during their four years of college, and students spent “50% less time studying compared with students a few decades” earlier. Today, students study even less than they did 15 years ago, at places like Harvard, where the vast majority of students receive A’s even when they do fairly little work. 60% of all grades are A’s at Harvard.
