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What Are the Humanities Good for Anyway?

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Under orders from the legislature, Utah’s colleges and universities have cut tons of programs. Lawmakers say it’s about efficiency. Others worry it’s an attack on the humanities.

That’s because, if you look at the cuts, it’s easy to see: lots of humanities degrees got eliminated. But school officials say that many of them had very low enrollment, so maybe it really is about efficiency — and ensuring that students graduate job-ready, as the legislature wants. Then again, it’s nothing new to question the usefulness of an English literature degree or art history or philosophy or anything else that doesn’t easily translate to employment. But the humanities has its defenders, and we’ll be hearing from one who says this: If you want to cultivate virtue in society, you can’t do better than a great humanities course. Join us for a conversation about what’s changing in Utah schools, and what the humanities are actually good for.

GUESTS –

Courtney Tanner | Reporter with The Salt Lake Tribune. You can read her reporting on the changes to Utah colleges and universities here.

Jessica Hooten Wilson | Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University.

Airdate: Wednesday, Sept., 3, 2025, at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

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