Obsolete majors?

[West-River_Jack]

I ran into this:

http://education.yahoo.net/articles/....htm?kid=1KWNU

I am curious what SDSU will do to keep relevency in its various majors as the needs of the world continue to evolve.

[BTownJack]

Re: Obsolete majors?

Yikes - that is a disturbing article for a school like SDSU. Although not that surprising at the same time. Just tough to see it in writing like this.

[HoboJack]

Re: Obsolete majors?

The only issue I take with this is that many people striving towards degrees in Ag, animal Science & Horticulture (3 of the top five), anticipate being self-employed. It makes sense that there are not a lot of businesses recruiting new hires.

[Nidaros]

Re: Obsolete majors?

The only issue I take with this is that many people striving towards degrees in Ag, animal Science & Horticulture (3 of the top five), anticipate being self-employed. It makes sense that there are not a lot of businesses recruiting new hires.

I would agree. The writer does obviously know very little about the Dakotas, although crops grown within help make his Wheaties that he takes for granted. Idaho, is not a prime agriculture leader in production.

[LakeJack]

Re: Obsolete majors?

Yea worthless, I hear people are going to stop eating. This story says more about the author then anything else.


http://rebekahbowen.wordpress.com/20...lture-careers/

[Nidaros]

Re: Obsolete majors?

The letter says it best. I could not add any more.

[LakeJack]

Re: Obsolete majors?

Some more

http://thefarmersperspective.blogspot.com/2012/01/mr-looses-ludicrous-lista-pretty.html

http://agonthe4front.blogspot.com/2012/01/ag-degree-is-not-useless.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allen-s-levine/useless-college-majors_b_1217401.html

http://slowmoneyfarm.wordpress.com/2...re-is-useless/

[jackrabit1]

Re: Obsolete majors?

Apparently we no longer wear clothes and all our food comes in pill form now.

[zooropa]

Re: Obsolete majors?

Meh. There's some validity to the list...

However, ranking ag majors by wage earning employees is just silly. A self employed farmer doesn't really have a 'job'. You can't collect unemployment, or worker's comp.

Furthermore, to the extent that cuts are likely (and there probably will be cuts), they are not likely to occur at strong programs like SDSU's.

Weak programs will be culled and strong programs will get stronger.

---

Finally, dumping on theater majors? Really?

Because theater majors all expect to be actors?

That's just dumb.

The value of a liberal arts degree is the liberal arts discipline, not the subject matter. Being taught how to think, how to research, how to draw sound, defensible conclusions based on trustworthy data. That's of inestimable value in life, not just at work.

[Nidaros]

Re: Obsolete majors?

Meh. There's some validity to the list...

However, ranking ag majors by wage earning employees is just silly. A self employed farmer doesn't really have a 'job'. You can't collect unemployment, or worker's comp.

Furthermore, to the extent that cuts are likely (and there probably will be cuts), they are not likely to occur at strong programs like SDSU's.

Weak programs will be culled and strong programs will get stronger.

---

Finally, dumping on theater majors? Really?

Because theater majors all expect to be actors?

That's just dumb.

The value of a liberal arts degree is the liberal arts discipline, not the subject matter. Being taught how to think, how to research, how to draw sound, defensible conclusions based on trustworthy data. That's of inestimable value in life, not just at work.

Just thought I would throw this tib bit of history. SDSU used to offer a major in Print Management of which two of my high school classmates majored in this course of study and done very well in the printing world, but all the technology changes made this major obsolete and was eliminated in the Janklow asuterity moves in early 1980's. I spoke with one of my classmates recently and he told me that he shifted from print products, to selling mailing lists and done quite well. He told me a few other things of which I do not recall. Also Poulty Science is another major that has disappeared. My father who was a WW1 veteran with a service connected disabily took poultry courses in the 1920's and learned a great deal and was able to apply the knowledge to his farm operation and we always had plenty of eggs for breakfast and some to sell when we went to town. Poulty accounts for such a small amount of ag production in SD, that it not surprising that its gone. I believe there is still one poulty science course offered.

But times change and I think our current president is very much on top of the changes that are happening and how that affects the curriculm. I think too that some one like our president can best decide if major are obsolete.

[Prairiehaas]

Re: Obsolete majors?

Zooropa's comment is spot on. How many of us are working in a field that directly applies our major field of study. I have several friends that graduated in sociology, journalism, Ag science, economics, etc, that are working in fields with no significant direct connection to their major.

I myself have a BS in Chem that I've never used directly in my career in manufacturing. But, that education is used every day in analyzing and solving problems.


Some degrees are more marketable than others, but none are obsolete or useless.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Obsolete majors?

Meh. There's some validity to the list...

However, ranking ag majors by wage earning employees is just silly. A self employed farmer doesn't really have a 'job'. You can't collect unemployment, or worker's comp.

Furthermore, to the extent that cuts are likely (and there probably will be cuts), they are not likely to occur at strong programs like SDSU's.

Weak programs will be culled and strong programs will get stronger.

---

Finally, dumping on theater majors? Really?

Because theater majors all expect to be actors?

That's just dumb.

The value of a liberal arts degree is the liberal arts discipline, not the subject matter. Being taught how to think, how to research, how to draw sound, defensible conclusions based on trustworthy data. That's of inestimable value in life, not just at work.

Nailed it. Especially the part about the liberal arts.

[Go_Herd]

Re: Obsolete majors?

This came out about 3 hours ago on Facebook from the SD Corn Growers Association. They directly linked the article that had the original story about the college majors that are useless. Glad to see our Corn Growers Association here in the state had a quick and easy rebuttal.

[joeboo22]

Re: Obsolete majors?

I understand what they are saying. Farms are getting bigger, and more leaner. But at the same time Big Ag, the DuPonts and the Monstantos of the world do employ many people. Plus I think the thing not mentioned is how many go onto grad school. Many go onto grad school in fields like chemistry or biology, but since they have the ag bachelors they are able to go into the big ag fields.

[MinnJack]

Re: Obsolete majors?

A Collegian columnist (who has an agriculture background) responded to the article in question.

http://www.sdsucollegian.com/2012/01...ll-worthwhile/