There’s another part to the equation: a university, to exist as a university must include a variety of fields that encompass human knowledge; it has to produce new paradigms, solutions, or new knowledge in these fields; and, if it has graduate programs, it must train people in high-specialization fields as well as those who will replace the professors and researchers.
(In the same way that if you call yourself a TNC you cannot just have 20 franchises in 3 states because that’s not what a TNC is. A car may be defined in various ways but it can’t have just 2 wheels and its primary purpose mustn’t be “moving on bodies of water”. Boats and e bikes exist and are excellent things but they’re not cars.)
A small, regional university can cut some of its programs - what I referred to upthread as “recreating the Polytechnics”. It changes categories by doing so but is probably more interested in operating ;).
But no matter how interested or uninterested in Pure Math, Physics, Foreign language&culture, Literature, Political Science, Philosophy, or Visual Arts undergrads may be, to call itself a university (R1, flagship, selective LAC…) it has to include these fields in teaching and research. It’s the same reason selective colleges want to see Bio, Chem, Physics - because of the various building blocks to fields that make “science”.
Some focuses shift as new understanding of foundational fields and whole new fields are created (moving away from philology to cultural analysis in World ‘language’ study, removing theology, shifting CS from a low level skill akin to shorthand to a full fledged field…) but the basic epistemological understanding remains.
I believe that the original poster might have been referring back to the dramatic change in US higher ed that came about with the GI Bill. Post WW-II, millions of GI’s who were first-generation college students were given the funding to flood into American Universities. And as they did so, they encountered widespread disciplinary general education curricula of a type that few schools have today (mandated courses in history, literature, natural sciences, mathematics, the social sciences, and humanities, some even including P.E.). Many of these GI’s did not get pre-professional majors, because that was not what the colleges they were newly attending were set up for. Instead, they understood that a degree in, for instance, history, was their ramp onto the management track in business.
These GI’s, and their federal funding for tuition, transformed the funding model for universities, along with the Cold War research grants in the natural sciences.
Okay, I’ll take the bait: What is a “TNC”?
Transnational corporation
Not bait, thought it was a known acronym like FAANG.
I don’t know FAANG, either! 
Around CC, FAANG is usually in reference to the companies that a number of kids want to get a job with. The term originated as a descriptor of these companies’ stocks:
In finance, “FAANG” is an acronym that refers to the stocks of five prominent American technology companies: Meta (META) (formerly known as Facebook), Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Netflix (NFLX); and Alphabet (GOOG) (formerly known as Google). (source)
Thanks!
I always learn things here on CC every time that I visit.
Villanova continues to grow its campus! After taking over Cabrini University Campus, Villanova will merge with Rosemont College taking over 58 acres across from their campus.
https://www1.villanova.edu/university/media/press-releases/2025/merger-agreement.html
East Georgia State College will merge with Georgia Southern University
Has anyone mentioned the closure of Paier College, a for-profit in Bridgeport, Connecticut? It effectively closed down a year ago, but it had been presented as a pause in operations—but they’re officially now no longer a going concern.
Before they closed down they had 278 students (a mix of full- and part-time, 201 FTE). They advertised programs in coding, fine arts, and marketing.
My daughter played at Limestone several times so I’ve seen it live-streamed. Nice facilities.
The musical theater group had a fun fundraiser where they served desserts in a musical dinner theater style event. It was always sold out.
Blindsiding students and staff in April with the news that their school is in financial distress is way too late. Perhaps some federal level bills need to be passed to penalize Boards of Trustees personally if a college goes under in a very rapid and nontransparent manner.
I live 20-30 minutes away (an hour on a bad day) and I have never heard of this school.
However, early warning could accelerate failure of a school that has some chance of survival, if it causes students to transfer out and potential students not to apply or matriculate. This is similar to when a bank is believed to be in danger of failing, resulting in a bank run that actually causes the bank to fail.
Honestly, if you’re at the point in the early fall of possibly saying “This college may go under after this year”, if you manage to keep going another year or two you’re not going to be firing on all cylinders while you do even that.
If you serve on a board, the organization typically provides you insurance to cover oneself from this possibility…The Who, What & Why of Directors & Officers Insurance | The Hartford
Not sure if you can get around that and repurcussions if one did (e.g. not having people willing to serve).
I do thinking something should be done, though. I think prior post about “slowly and all once” is true about these closures…generally I think they are NOT trying to be jerks but protect institution. The problems very well predate their boardship, etc etc.
tricky all around
Jacksonville U announced the other day it is cutting all music and theater programs:
Jacksonville University will cut music and theater programs from its curriculum in a reorganization that will affect about 100 students and cost 40 faculty members their jobs.
The cuts, an effort to save $10 million, are intended to align the university’s courses with the needs of today’s working world. They were announced to the affected students Tuesday morning. Some students appeared angry or crying as they left the meeting.
Various sources put JU’s endowment between $55M and $60M, so they probably aren’t in danger of closing in the near future. But a sad development there nonetheless.
If it affects 100 students and 40 faculty, that tells you that they aren’t spending their money very well. I actually think more than 100 students benefit from the theater and music departments, that the school overall benefits from offering courses in these areas, but the students aren’t majors in those departments. But the ratio of 40:100 isn’t sustainable.