Does APP signal the end of liberal arts at CSB+SJU?

On Feb. 24, 2023, the College of St. Benedict (CSB) and St. John’s University (SJU) announced to alumni that their Boards of Trustees had voted to cut eight majors and nine minors in effort to “better meet student demand.” For most, this was the first news of the drastic cuts. Alumni were subsequently invited to attend a webinar entitled “Pivoting Toward Our Academic Future.” During the event, Provost Richard Ice stressed the need to “pivot” toward a future that will support “high-demand programs” (economics, computer science, accounting and finance and global business leadership) and bolster new programs in nursing, exercise and health science, climate studies, data analytics, global health, narrative practice and neuroscience.

These changes come at the expense of other programs (French studies, German studies, Latin, Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Asian studies, peace studies, ancient Mediterranean studies, gender studies, theater and specific concentrations in music and nutrition). Some of the affected programs (e.g. Latin, German and French) have been core subjects at CSB+SJU since their founding by German monks and nuns more than a century ago. The decision to cut them is thus profound. The provost’s statement that, “we’re not just going to offer anything that students want to major in, we’re going to offer things that are consistent with who we are,” rings discordant with the institutions’ historic mission as liberal arts institutions.

So who are St. Ben’s and St. John’s today? According to the updated institutional mission, CSB+SJU have recommitted themselves to providing a “coherent liberal arts curriculum which focuses on questions important to the human condition, demands clear thinking and communicating and calls forth new knowledge for the betterment of humankind.” This humanities-centric mission, which has formed the core of a liberal arts education since the early modern era, is now weakened at CSB+SJU. Ice claims we must reconceive the liberal arts for the modern age, not as a “set of disciplines and courses” but rather as a “fluid level of inquiry.”

We agree that diverse fields can, and must, cultivate the skills inherent in a liberal arts education. But we fear that the offerings are now imbalanced—privileging new business and finance programs at the expense of core humanities majors. This imbalance hollows out the essence of the “liberal arts” and will have many consequences. For example, how will severe cuts to languages affect CSB+SJU’s ability to educate students to “engage globally” and “embrace difference” (two of its core Institutional Learning Goals)? CSB+SJU is known for its strong study abroad portfolio. Current cuts to languages will undoubtedly threaten these programs.

The institution is also proud of its high number of Fulbright scholars. In recent past, it sent the most scholars to Germany (one of us included), thanks in part to the support of dedicated faculty members in the German department. This type of global engagement will diminish, if not completely disappear, by cutting core programs such as German.We write as alumnae concerned about the lasting effects of these changes to CSB+SJU’s reputation as prominent residential, liberal arts colleges and their ability to survive the myriad challenges facing higher education at present. We fear that these cuts could spark a dreaded “death spiral” that is sinking many colleges across the country. In this age of higher-education crises, it is critical to have a clear brand and mission to attract students. CSB+SJU already possess those things.

Why, therefore, are they running away from their strengths as leading liberal arts institutions instead of leaning into them? Regrettably, CSB+SJU are instead poised to make themselves more like institutions that favor pre-professional programs, cut humanities and simply call the remaining curriculum “liberal arts.” We implore the Boards of Trustees and administration to reconsider and to engage stakeholders (faculty, staff, donors, the founding orders, current students and alumni) to develop alternative solutions to the present financial challenges that do not compromise CSB+SJU’s historic mission. If you are a CSB or SJU alumni/ae and wish to sign our petition, please visit: https://www.change.org/csbsju2023.

We also encourage all CSB+SJU alumni/ae to voice their concerns at one of the upcoming alumni events on “Lifting Our Gaze Toward the Future” to discuss the new strategic plan. For the Thursday, April 13, event in Fargo-Moorhead and the Monday, April 17, event in Minneapolis, register at the CSB+SJU website.