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Some Colleges with Vulnerable Students Cull Math Programs

Susan D’Agostino

A young Black student beams⁠Footnote1 in front of a chalkboard filled with math equations on the Chicago State University Mathematics Department webpage. Presumably she is pleased by the prospect of preparing for an advanced degree in mathematics or a career in banking, insurance, industry, or government. At least that is what the prose next to her image highlights as outcomes of the university’s BS in mathematics.

But students at this 150-year-old, predominantly Black institution on the South Side of Chicago can no longer opt to major in mathematics. Current students will be allowed to finish, but the university has otherwise suspended enrollment in the math major program. This means that Chicago State students, approximately two-thirds (62 percent⁠Footnote2) of whom receive Pell Grants (a marker of low income), will no longer be able to reap the intellectual or post-college career benefits that a math major often bestows.

“You could draw about a two- to five-mile circle around our campus on the South Side of Chicago. That’s where 80 percent of our students come from,” Mark Smith, the acting chair of the Computing, Information, Mathematical Sciences, and Technology Department at Chicago State University, said. Smith is a professor of music who sought to revitalize, not eliminate the math major. The incoming department chair will be a computer scientist. “The computer science program is running very, very healthily. They have upwards of 60 to 70 majors,” Smith added.

Few institutions can be all things to all students. For this reason, colleges often identify programs that align with their values and target their specific student populations. At the same time, some financially struggling colleges have sought to improve their prospects by cutting academic programs in fields that include, but are not limited to, mathematics. But colleges that espouse missions of equity while eliminating math major programs may find their actions in conflict with their values.

The mathematics major has a well-supported track record of providing students with an intellectually stimulating college pursuit that lays a foundation for a satisfying and potentially lucrative post-college career. Further, the US government has called for faster progress in providing opportunities for the “missing millions”⁠Footnote3 of underrepresented individuals who might enter the mathematics workforce pipeline. This workforce includes those who have earned bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees in math.

Nonetheless, a small but noteworthy wave of mathematics major eliminations has swept across the United States in recent years. The hardest hit populations appear to be underrepresented students and those from low-income backgrounds.

Leaders at colleges that face significant financial struggles have a duty to act, and acting often means cutting programs. But some college leaders, in justifying their choices to withdraw the math major as an option for their students, have put forth unsupported claims about math major outcomes. Some have argued that math program eliminations “revitalize academics” or protect students from dubious career outcomes, despite strong evidence to the contrary. Others have cited financial reasons, even when nearly all of the math major courses continue to be offered for students pursuing general education or science program requirements.

“I didn’t feel that suspending admissions [in the math major] helps anything,” Smith said. “But I’ve not been able to prevail on that.”

Eliminating Math to “Better Serve Students”

Marymount University, the first⁠Footnote4 Hispanic-serving institution in Virginia, eliminated its math major this year, along with nine other majors in subjects including religion, philosophy, art, history, sociology, and English. Nick Munson, a spokesperson for the university, offered insight⁠Footnote5 into the decision.

“Overall, this is not because the university is suffering financially,” Munson told WUSA-TV. “It’s because these programs are all very low performing with low enrollment rates, and we’ve seen that over time. The student choices don’t lie. We’ve seen that year-to-year when you have a major with zero students in it. How can you sustain that? That wouldn’t be responsible.” The university plans to reallocate resources from the eliminated programs “to better serve our students and reflect their interests,” according to a statement.⁠Footnote6 The institution does not offer a statistics or other quantitative major in its School of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering.

But Danielle O’Donnol, associate professor of mathematics at Marymount, was unconvinced by the administration’s arguments. Students were pursuing the math major before it was cut, O’Donnol said. Also, given that math major courses support new majors in engineering and computer science, the program was poised to grow, she said.

“There are exactly two math courses that are only for math majors, and we don’t offer them both every year,” O’Donnol said in support of her position that savings from the cut would be minimal. In a given academic year, the department had offered either abstract algebra or real analysis, but not both. Those courses, which were predominantly pursued by math majors, will not be offered moving forward. But the net cut is one course per year.

The National Science Board might contest the notion that cutting a math major at an Hispanic-serving institution better serves students. The number of individuals from underrepresented groups in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce has grown in the past decade. But the Board issued⁠Footnote7 a call for a much faster increase so that the workforce better represents the population. To close the workforce talent gap, the number of Hispanic workers in these fields must triple from 2020 levels, while Black or African American workers must more than double.

Eliminating Math to “Maintain Financial Sustainability”

Saint Xavier University, a private Roman Catholic university in Chicago, eliminated⁠Footnote8 its math major in the spring of 2023. Saib Othman, Saint Xavier’s provost, declined to speak about the decision but offered a written statement.

“Despite the elimination of the major, Saint Xavier University will continue to offer a math minor, general education courses, and service courses” for math education and computer science programs, Othman wrote. “We recognize math is a valuable subject in the age of technological advancements. However, enrollment in the general mathematics track has been declining in the state of Illinois while enrollment in applied fields like computer science has been growing.”

When Saint Xavier eliminated the math major, six students were enrolled in the program. In contrast, nursing, biology, business, psychology, criminal justice, and education all enroll hundreds of majors, according to Othman. The institution’s list of academic programs on its website did not include statistics.

The vast majority of Saint Xavier students (96 percent) receive financial aid, including more than half (53 percent⁠Footnote9) who receive Pell Grants. Nearly half (49 percent⁠Footnote10) of students at the institution are Latinx. Of the remaining, approximately one-third (32 percent) are White, 12 percent are African American, 2 percent are Asian, and 2 percent are multiracial.

“[Saint Xavier students] view their education as an investment and are keenly interested in their return on this investment,” Othman wrote as part of a response explaining why math was among those majors that were cut.

But college students who major in math are poised to pursue financially secure post-college pathways. That’s because the average base salary for those who earn an undergraduate math degree was approximately $83,000, according⁠Footnote11 to PayScale. An undergraduate degree in nursing may offer a higher annual base salary ($92,000⁠Footnote12) but an undergraduate degree in criminal justice is lower ($65,000⁠Footnote13), according to PayScale.

No doubt Henderson State University, which is part of Arkansas State University System, had finances in mind last year when Henderson State Chancellor Chuck Ambrose told⁠Footnote14 the Arkansas Democrat Gazette of the institution’s $78 million debt. To stave off the threat of closure, Henderson eliminated⁠Footnote15 25 degree programs, including mathematics, in 2022. Nearly half (43 percent) of students at the university are Pell Grant recipients.

“We are a blue-collar school,” Carolyn Eoff, chair of the mathematics department at Henderson State University, said, adding that the institution serves a region of Arkansas that is poorer than many others. Majors such as education, aviation, and computer science survived the cuts, she said. “They did keep psychology … But my understanding is that [the psychology department’s] graduates don’t get the greatest jobs straight from the bachelor’s degree. … Our math majors in the statistics track have been very successful. They’ve commanded high salaries with bachelor’s degrees.”

Eoff was concerned when the chancellor described college algebra as an “obstacle” to student success. She would have preferred for the department to downsize into a service department that supported students’ math literacy. But the entire math department was eliminated.

As this story went to press, West Virginia University, a public university where nearly all students (95 percent⁠Footnote16) receive financial aid, announced that 25 programs,⁠Footnote17 including mathematics, were under review for possible elimination. The review was necessary due to a $75 million budget shortfall, according to the institution’s president E. Gordon Gee. The university’s provost office stated that the goal⁠Footnote18 of the review was to provide “a more focused academic program portfolio aligned with student demand, career opportunities, and market trends” along with efficient program delivery. Kevin Milans, associate professor of mathematics at West Virginia, in a communication to the AMS, deemed the timeline⁠Footnote19 for programs to submit a self-study and possible appeal—essentially the summer months—“very short.”

In a faculty senate meeting, Gee argued that the institution had “drifted away from student success” and that the eliminations would recommit the university to student success, as reported⁠Footnote20 by Inside Higher Ed. But a faculty member who spoke with that newspaper contested Gee’s view. The cuts may be necessary due to the budget shortfall, but arguing that they benefit students was “disingenuous,” according to this faculty member.

Eliminating Math Because of “Hard-to-Discern” Career Outcomes

In 2018, Benedict College, an historically Black institution in South Carolina where most students (83 percent⁠Footnote21) are Pell grant recipients, also eliminated the mathematics major. History, religion and philosophy, sociology, political science, transportation and logistics engineering, and economics were also cut. The college also did not list a statistics major on its website. The seven majors that were cut all had “low numbers of student enrollment, low numbers graduating, and either hard-to-discern or nonexistent data as it relates to what happens to that student when they leave here,” Roslyn Artis, the college’s president, told⁠Footnote22 the Post and Courier.

“Unfortunately, many [Benedict students] will leave with some loan debt by virtue of the inability of their families to sustain them during college,” Artis said at the time in defense of the decision to cut mathematics and other majors. “So, we’re putting forth a full court press on helping students make good decisions, helping them be placed in meaningful employment.”

But the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects⁠Footnote23 that employment for all levels of math education will grow by 29 percent from 2021 to 2031. The chair of the Benedict College Computer Science, Physics, and Engineering Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Despite Benedict’s decision to eliminate the math major, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have a strong track record of advancing equity in economic and educational opportunities for all of their students including, but not limited to, Black Americans. HBCUs contend with systemic barriers but produce one-quarter of Black graduates who earn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees, according⁠Footnote24 to remarks President Biden made in an August 2021 jobs report.

Eliminating Math with Scant Attention Paid

At some institutions, math major programs appear to slip away with minimal public attention. “Cheyney University is Down to One Math Major,” a Philadelphia magazine headline broadcast in 2015. Cheyney, which draws half⁠Footnote25 of its students from Philadelphia and where nearly three-quarters of students (73%⁠Footnote26) are Pell grant recipients, is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. But the historically Black institution faced significant⁠Footnote27 financial and enrollment struggles.

Today, the university’s website⁠Footnote28 lists no mathematics minor or major, and an online search for news about the decision turned up little information. The only mathematics professor listed on the institution’s faculty page⁠Footnote29 did not respond to a request for comment.

Eliminating Math for “Academic Revitalization”

Goucher College, where virtually all students (97 percent⁠Footnote30) receive financial aid, offers a data science major for students “who want to delve into data-driven problems in the mathematical sciences.” But in 2018, the institution eliminated⁠Footnote31 several liberal arts programs, including majors and minors in math, studio art, and religion. College leaders argued that the decision was not born from financial troubles⁠Footnote32 and did not mark a shift away from the liberal arts.

“We have long resisted the temptation to adopt more of the vocational programs currently in vogue with segments of the American public,” José Antonio Bowen, Goucher president, told⁠Footnote33 Inside Higher Ed at the time, adding that dance was among the most popular majors on campus and that few students wanted to major in math. “Any new programs we offer will be interdisciplinary and in the liberal arts tradition. We have chosen this path carefully and strategically.” The college dubbed the program eliminations an “academic revitalization.”⁠Footnote34

But the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy might contest the view that eliminating math revitalizes the academy. Last year, it broadcast⁠Footnote35 a vision for enhanced mathematics pathways.

“[O]ur science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine ecosystem shuts out and diverts away too many talented individuals, limiting opportunities for discovery and innovation, and our national potential for the greatest impact.”

Some mathematics faculty, including those affected by the math program eliminations, indicated that reasons given for eliminating math programs do not always withstand scrutiny. But some have their own conjectures.

“Colleges want students to pass,” Eoff of Henderson said, suggesting that academically challenging programs may be prime candidates for elimination. “If math departments uphold their rigor of mathematics, fewer students are able to get through the program. … We have a high bar, and we have done our best to help our students over that bar. But a lot of math departments are being pressured to lower standards to get more students through to be ‘successful.”’

Implicit bias, or unconscious beliefs, may contribute to persistent racial disparities in educational achievement, according⁠Footnote36 to the Brookings Institution. Students may opt out of mathematics for a variety of reasons, including a sense that they do not belong or a lack of preparation, interest, or knowledge of career opportunities. Some of these reasons may disproportionately affect underrepresented and low-income students and could be addressed with interventions designed to benefit students. But without intervention, some colleges respond to a missing critical mass of math students by eliminating the mathematics major.

Susan D’Agostino is a mathematician and Spencer Journalism Fellow at Columbia University. She may be reached through her website: https://www.susandagostino.com.

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Article DOI: 10.1090/noti2806

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Photo of Susan D’Agostino is courtesy of Chris Keeley.