28. A Humanities Value Proposition: A Conversation with Paula Krebs

EdUp Provost

In this conversation with EdUp Provost host Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner, Dr. Paula Krebs, Executive Director of the Modern Language Association, discusses the current state of the humanities in American higher education, emphasizing the growth and importance of language programs despite declining majors. She outlines strategies for strengthening these programs, including changing how majors are counted and promoting the value of language and cultural competence. Dr. Krebs also addresses the financial challenges facing humanities programs and advocates for interdisciplinary approaches to enhance student engagement and career readiness. In this conversation, Paula Krebs and Gregor Thuswaldner discuss the importance of maintaining disciplinary integrity within higher education while also fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. They emphasize the need for humanities education to adapt to the changing job market and the importance of preparing students for diverse career paths. The role of organizations like the MLA in shaping the future of humanities education is also highlighted, focusing on the need for clear communication of the value of humanities skills to employers and the necessity of supporting graduate education.

takeaways

• The humanities are growing and connecting with other fields.
• Enrollments in humanities are steady, but majors are declining.
• Changing how we count majors can help humanities programs.
• Language proficiency is highly valued by employers.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration can enhance humanities education.