[Insight & Opinion] The Future of American Universities in Crisis

American universities are struggling. In early 2020, due to COVID-19, they conducted fully remote classes for about a year, making normal school life impossible for students. This sparked social debates about the meaning and role of universities. Some students chose to drop out rather than attend lectures remotely, while others quit due to fundamental doubts about whether university education truly benefits their lives. Several American media outlets reported on the changing perceptions of universities among the younger generation, and more companies began removing the "college graduate" requirement from their hiring processes.

The debate over the necessity of universities cannot be solely attributed to the pandemic. The total number of students in American universities, including graduate schools, has been declining since peaking in 2012. Although international students once filled this gap, their numbers are also decreasing due to demographic changes in their home countries and escalating international conflicts.

Among developed countries, the United States has a relatively high birth rate, but it began to decline around 2010. As a result, from the late 2020s, the number of high school graduates is decreasing, leading to a rise in school closures.

When the number of high school graduates falls, naturally, university freshmen numbers also decline. Smaller private colleges are hit first, but public universities are not exempt. In fact, public universities, which enroll about 73% of students nationwide, are canceling humanities courses. Recently, after West Virginia University announced the cancellation of 28 courses, including foreign languages, student protests followed. Applied technology courses like computer engineering remain popular and thus sustainable, but university authorities believe they cannot continue offering traditional subjects such as humanities or pure sciences solely on principle amid declining student interest.

The extreme polarization of American politics also affects changes in universities. Today, most university professors and staff lean progressive.

Traditionally, universities were expected to remain politically neutral, but in recent years, there has been widespread recognition that they must actively take progressive stances to counter the broader societal shift toward conservatism. This has provoked backlash from conservatives, some of whom have even stopped donating to universities to express their political views. For private universities reliant on donations, this is critical, and some public universities now face concerns about political interference.

Globally, American universities are still regarded as excellent, but political conflicts and skepticism about their value and raison d'?tre are making things difficult. Given these circumstances, the traditional role of leading new academic research is also under threat. It has long been a trend for private companies to collaborate with general research institutes instead of universities.

Universities were originally established to cultivate ruling elites and promote liberal arts education. In the late 19th century, research-focused universities developed in Germany, changing their role, and since then, prestigious universities worldwide have emphasized research. In the late 20th century, universities once again transformed into educational institutions for the masses. So, how should they change going forward?

Perhaps they should further strengthen their role as educational institutions for the public, becoming places that nurture citizens with understanding and judgment amid complex realities. Rather than clinging to past roles, accepting the roles needed now and contemplating that direction might be the proper way for universities to fulfill their social role in this era.

Robert Fauzer, Former Professor at Seoul National University

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.