The Best Option Is More Options

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal highlights the fact that the unemployment rate in the IT sector is at an all-time high. While overall unemployment is under 4%, it is close to 6% in the IT sector. The article points to the reasons ranging from the emergence of artificial intelligence to spending cuts at tech firms to an overreaction by students opting to study computer science.

As we consider the elimination of programs with low enrollment, it will be useful to consider a strategic approach to the creation of new programs. Our current process uses both macro-level (market-based demand for skills, vacancies in industry sectors, and information obtained from publicly available data) and micro-level (input from local industry and community partners as well as faculty experts in the field) factors. While theoretically sound, we know that the method does not protect us from an uncertain future. Based on my conversations with faculty and chairs, here is an approach worth considering.

We can and do have programs that are general enough to stand the test of time. Consider, for instance, the B.S. in Mathematics. The degree offers the option to choose from multiple tracks, including Actuarial Science, Applied Mathematics, Applied Statistics, or Pure Mathematics. Rather than pin down a degree in actuarial science, the format for the degree allows the student to choose a track that can be aligned with the demand in the job market. As noted on their website, "students with training in applied mathematics are employed in a wide variety of positions in business, industry, and government. You’ll also be prepared for graduate study in applied mathematics, computer science, engineering, and statistics."

Another instance of such a program is the American Studies PhD program offered through our School of Liberal Arts. The program "provides skill sets by requiring students to take courses from varying faculty, in varying disciplines, that emphasize studies encompassing aspects of the US-based “American experience,” broadly defined."

The best option is the one that leads to the most options.

Go Jags!

Latha Ramchand
Chancellor