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The narrative of the Cayey campus at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is reaching a conclusion.
According to a certification, the UPR board of trustees has recently decided to cease enrollment of new students aiming for a degree in history at its Cayey campus.
“Should it become necessary to revive the program in the future, this will be pursued through a proposal demonstrating the demand for its reinstatement and that all components have been assessed and aligned with the requisite standards and other appropriate criteria,” states the resolution.
This decision, made in late September, is a reaction to a notable decrease in the number of history students.
The reduction in student numbers is part of a trend highlighted by an article from the Chronicle of Higher Education back in 2018 titled “Why Are Students Ditching the History Major?” Analysis of the changes in college degrees awarded throughout the 2010s revealed history at the bottom of the rankings, reflecting a 34% decrease in degrees conferred. In contrast, fields such as science and engineering were at the forefront, leading to the caution against mentioning STEM to history department administrators unless one wishes to hear extensive critique regarding the allocation of resources and the tendency to produce publications by rehashing existing data across multiple journals.
Publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, and other commentators have posited that humanities degrees are perceived as lacking value in light of the average $250,000 cost associated with private university tuition. Certainly, articles reiterating this sentiment have not aided in boosting student interest, as reported.
In the meantime, the UPR board has opted to establish a master’s degree in creative writing.
