By Michael Dementjevs, Staff Writer

Xavier advertises itself as a private Jesuit university focused on the liberal arts. Recently, it seems Xavier has abandoned what it once was in favor of for “financially secure” fields such as business and STEM in hopes of receiving donations from graduates. 

One might think liberal arts institutions such as Xavier would support the humanities, particularly philosophy and theology. Despite this, the fact that the so-called “liberal arts university” that was advertised to us is seeking to squeeze out these departments is alarming, especially when we are getting into the discussion about the usefulness and money-making aspects of the majors. 

Typically, when I tell people that I am a philosophy major, the usual response I get is either, “What are you going to do with that?” or “Good luck finding a job,” — which then gets into the discussion of the usefulness of a major, especially with how much money a major can make. As seniors in high school, there was this pressure of what major the prospective applicant would want to choose. But they would likely choose between a business or STEM-related major, as we have been groomed to have the mindset that when we graduate with either of these majors, it will be easier to find a job right after graduation. 

The underlying issue is that if we continue equating what we study with the amount of money that will be made because of it, we are devaluing what an education is. This means something, especially with an institution such as Xavier where we have advertised ourselves as a small-liberal arts university with an emphasis on a Jesuit education. Such an education includes aspects of the arts and the humanities — yet that seems lost now. 

Xavier, like many American universities, has subscribed to the notion that education is a business where the emphasis is on how much money can be made after graduation. That is not what an education should be. 

If in the near future universities decide to cut these humanities programs, we will raise a generation that will not be able to critically think about the world around them; this is why Xavier should continue stressing the humanities instead of cutting it in favor of an easier route and with the goal of graduates making money. 

We have to end this outlook that our respective choice in a major will equate to how much money can be made. The rebuttal to this argument would be that college is expensive, so it is a waste to invest in a major and not get a six-figure return on that investment.

I will concede to the fact that yes, college is a huge investment in a person’s future — even when we need a job to survive in the United States. But my response is that maintaining programs that encourage critical thinking, writing and oral communication to get ideas across is crucial within our society. They prepare students, whether they are studying the humanities or not, for their future. If we were to cut that because it is not “financially smart” or “useful in society,” then we are setting a foundation for future graduates not being able to spell out their ideas within a practical setting. 

For those who are not studying the arts or humanities, I sympathize with you all if you are taking Xavier’s core and it conflicts with your schedule; I have been there. But these classes are necessary for understanding ourselves. Additionally, it prepares you with the skills needed for your future. 

Xavier’s own website on the liberal arts states that, “A liberal arts education emphasizes knowledge and the ability to analyze knowledge meaningfully, to organize it and integrate it, and to break out into new areas.”  

If Xavier continues down this subscription of devaluing the liberal arts, ironically as a liberal arts institution, then it has shown itself to be hypocritical about its emphasis on a Jesuit liberal arts university.