If the University of Chicago Won’t Defend the Humanities, Who Will?
Key Takeaways
- The University of Chicago, long considered the top destination for humanities scholarship, has announced cuts to Ph.D. admissions in several departments.
- Admissions are being reduced in fields like art history and English, and frozen entirely in others, such as classics.
- The university's arts and humanities dean cited "evolving fiscal realities" and "uncertainty" as the reasons for these significant changes.
- These cuts are widely interpreted as a response to the university's substantial debt and broader political pressures on higher education.
- Academics fear these reductions threaten the continued existence of tiny, esoteric fields of humanistic study that Chicago has historically supported.
The article begins with a personal anecdote from 2019, setting the scene against the backdrop of the University of Chicago's unparalleled reputation as the destination for humanities scholars, despite other elite schools having more resources or branding. Chicago has historically supported deep, esoteric scholarship, boasting influential faculty like Saul Bellow and Martha Nussbaum, cementing its status as a place for "scholars’ scholars." This reputation has been severely shaken by the recent announcement that the university is reducing Ph.D. admissions in seven departments, including art history and English, and freezing admissions in others like classics. Arts and humanities dean Deborah Nelson cited "evolving fiscal realities" and "uncertainty" as the necessity for these cautious measures, implying pressure from both the administration's stance on higher education and the university's substantial $6.3 billion debt. The decision is viewed as a major blow to the humanities nationally, as Chicago plays a crucial role in sustaining smaller, specialized fields of humanistic knowledge through the training of graduate students.
