Gary Conkling: Small liberal arts colleges as steadily disappearing
About the writer: Gary Conkling started writing stories as a child and publishing them on his own hand-cranked printing press. Little did he know digital technology would make it possible to repeat the task as an adult by publishing his own blog, Life Notes. He is a journalist by trade who has worked in the trenches of public affairs at the federal, state, regional and local levels. But he also is an observer of life occurring around him. This piece is from his blog, found at https://garyconklinglifenotes.wordpress.com.
As a graduate of a small liberal arts college, I feel sad to see the demise of similar institutions around the country, with more likely to follow.
It’s projected that 442 of the nation’s 1,700 private nonprofit four-year colleges and universities, with a combined 670,000 students, are at financial risk of closing in the next decade. When these small colleges close, fewer than half their students continue their educations or earn degrees elsewhere.
Since 2017 in Oregon, Concordia University, Marylhurst University, the Oregon College of Art and Craft, the Art Institute of Portland and Pioneer Pacific College & Oregon Culinary Institute have closed. Our public universities and community colleges also face serious revenue shortfalls, resulting in staff layoffs and curtailed course offerings.
There are cascading reasons for college closures and financial troubles.
The proportion of high school graduates attending college has dropped from 70% in 2016 to 60%. Fewer international students, who pay full tuition, are coming to the United States. Looming caps on federal loans for graduate study threaten a significant revenue stream.
Some high school graduates question whether the cost of college is worth a load of student loan debt. That doubt has deepened out of fear artificial intelligence could make many entry-level white-collar jobs obsolete by the time they graduate. One student response has been to speed through online courses to earn a certificate or degree at lower cost and less time.
Federal student aid will be reduced in the 2026-27 academic year. Maximum Pell Grants will be cut by more than 20 percent, from $7,395 to $5,710. Federal work-study funding will be decreased by $1 billion. Stricter eligibility requirements will shrink who qualifies, making it even more difficult for students from low-income families to attend college.
College financial troubles and the drop-off of students occur at a time when America faces increasing worker shortages and a demographic cliff in healthcare, manufacturing, construction, hospitality, logistics and skilled trades. The white-collar job market is in recession mode with increased layoffs and reduced hirings in technology, finance and professional services.
Equally ominous, the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is reshaping workplaces and the skills needed to remain relevant. Higher education faces the daunting challenge of pivoting toward more flexible, career-aligned and lifelong learning models that directly address the widening skills gap. That will require financial resources and possibly different instructors.
Trump administration restrictions and funding cuts on university research programs have led to fewer graduate students.
Johns Hopkins University previously received $4 billion in federal research funding, representing 40 percent of its total revenue. In the wake of funding cuts, it laid off 2,200 people.
Portland State University lost six National Science Foundation grants totaling $6 million. Oregon State University suffered losses affecting environmental science research. OHSU faces losses involving its cancer and heart research projects. The University of Oregon also has been impacted by shifting Trump administration policies.
Investments in Oregon university research pay off.
Oregon ranked 1st nationally in university licenses, 4th nationally in patents per capita, 5th in university-driven startups and 7th in the 2024 Innovation Index. That research could be what drives a resurgence in Oregon’s economy.
When I enrolled in college in the fall of 1965, American higher ed was experiencing massive expansion amid student unrest and a debate over course relevance.
The 1965 Higher Education Act provided new funding avenues, along with more red tape. Rapid growth spurred innovations such as cluster colleges within large universities. Faculty members faced pressure to focus on research, which was more profitable for universities than teaching.
I attended Seattle Pacific College, a small private school perched on the north side of Queen Anne Hill, with a campus extending to the Fremont Cut of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. It became Seattle Pacific University the year after I graduated in 1969.
As the first person in my extended family to attend college, I sensed a smaller college would be a better fit. I also was planning to go into the ministry, so a Christian education department was a must. Seattle Pacific fit the bill.
Seattle Pacific was a good choice for me because it was a small college in a big city. It also was close to lots of water, which was a marvel for a kid from Nebraska.
If you needed a large university library, the University of Washington was just a short drive away. The University District also was home to the bohemian coffee houses.
I didn’t stick with my original major of Christian education after working for periods in three different Seattle-area churches. While I appreciated the value of pastoral work, I quickly realized that wasn’t my true calling.
I was drawn instead to literature, philosophy, politics and writing. My small college experience allowed me to discover and pursue my passion and my career.
Small colleges don’t work for everyone.
Class choices and the range of majors may be limited. Connections to post-graduate programs and laboratory research are often missing. Interaction with a wider range of students and cultures doesn’t always occur. But they represent a valuable choice that would be missed if small colleges disappear.
Seattle Pacific faces significant financial difficulties caused by declining enrollment, including fewer foreign students. As a result, school officials have announced plans to cut the academic program budget by 40 percent, shrinking academic offerings and forcing faculty layoffs.
Courses no longer offered include Art History, Applied Math, Cellular Biology, Molecular Biology, Bachelors in Chemistry, Christian Theology, Computer Engineering, International Sustainable Development, History, Information Systems, Journalism, Life Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics, Food and Nutritional Sciences, Philosophy, Physics, Social Justice, Cultural Studies and Special Education.
Financial woes also forced the college to sell Camp Casey on Whidbey Island, which was used in my time for retreats, including one for newly admitted freshmen.
It was my first experience riding a ferry and seeing the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Four years later, I would start my journalism career 30 miles farther west in Port Angeles.
Comments
Russ
The rapid growth of higher education in the US in the 1960s can largely be attributed to two factors, the college deferment for the military draft during the Vietnam war and the Post-WWII Baby Boom. Both led to a dizzying period of growth. A decline was inevitable, it just took a while.