Higher ed is about job training. Period.
In Utah, state legislators used extortion to get their way. From Higher Ed Dive:
“Earlier this year, Utah lawmakers cut 10% from the instruction budgets for each of the state’s eight public colleges, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. The cuts amounted to $60.5 million, with the University of Utah facing the largest budget reduction of $19.6 million. To reclaim the funding, the legislation orders colleges to craft three-year plans for cutting specific academic programs and administrative expenses and redirecting the money to high-demand programs.” The flagship university will shed 81 academic programs. Read more here.
Preaching to the choir a bit here but it is worth pointing out that things like this started before 2024 and before 2016. True that recent changes are allowing for amplification but the seeds were sown some time ago.