For starters, I much rather my kid go to UMich or CMU to study MT than to Arizona which has a cut system (whatever they wish to call it).
So what if a kid doesn’t get a major role in a college production? My kid went to a BFA in MT program to get a college education and MT training. Being in productions is one small facet of that. While she did get to play major roles in college productions, it would have been OK if she had not. There are also summers to perform and student productions to be in, etc. As far as CMU goes, their policy to not be in shows the first two years (though you can perform in the Playground shows) isn’t so terrible. The program is small and so juniors and seniors typically get a chance to play significant roles those two years. Their graduates seem to fair just fine. At my kid’s school, NYU/Tisch, you can’t be in productions in freshmen year. College is about way more than this.
I expect my kid to be able to complete the four year degree once a school accepts them except if he/she is failing courses. I have been a college teacher at five colleges. I have failed students in courses. But if someone is doing the work and meeting criteria for good grades, they deserve to continue and graduate. The college is not responsible as to whether they are successful in their careers. A college can guide a student. A college can decide if their students should be in a showcase. But if a college accepts a student after a rigorous and competitive admission process and as long as the student is meeting criteria to achieve a certain GPA in the program, is attending classes, doing the work, etc., they deserve a chance to finish that education. Those who don’t have the required work ethic to pass criteria for grades in courses and fail them, do need to be redirected. If a school thinks a student isn’t talented enough to succeed in the field, but otherwise is doing everything being asked of the student, the student deserves to finish that education, and could be counseled, but should not be cut.