As announced by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) in late June, and as per a new state law, six of Indiana’s public universities and colleges are cutting or consolidating over 400 academic degree programs. With plenty of profit and loss (P&L) experience managing budgets in both the public and private sectors, I can understand the need to make tough budget-cutting decisions. My concern is that some decisions behind these cuts are short-sighted and will hurt Indiana industry and agriculture long-term.
According to the New Castle Courier Times of July 23, Ball State University (BSU) is suspending its bachelor’s degree major in international business. In 2010, Dr. Ray Montagno invited some members of the Indiana District Export Council to join BSU’s International Business Advisory Board. Even after years of speaking pro bono in classes at Ball State’s Miller College of Business for various professors, we were not consulted about BSU doing away with its international business program. But not being asked our opinions is not as large an issue as is the short-sighted nature of this particular budget cut.
The current federal administration may be isolationist and is obviously protectionist. But administrations come and go; the next President may be a Democrat. Rather than adjusting to the “flavor of the day,” all levels of education should plan for the future. Indeed, as many Republicans still are, the party will one day return to its internationalist / free trade roots.
No level of protectionism can halt capitalism. Countries will continue to trade one way or the other. When Brazil became protectionist in 2002, its people continued to find grey-market ways around new restrictions, in order to buy Indiana-made products made by a former employer. Therefore, we must continue education in international business, along with its accompanying foreign language and very valuable study abroad programs.
The BSU Teacher’s College’s elimination of its major to become a German teacher and IU’s cuts to many foreign language programs are other short-sighted examples. While English may be a language of international business, businesses cannot count on artificial intelligence (AI) or translation services to create effective marketing materials (I have spent hours editing such imperfect translations for my current and previous employers). It is also disturbing that many Indiana school districts now offer only one foreign language. Too many school districts often find it easy to eliminate a foreign language when a teacher retires (it is unfortunate we don’t have more basketball (and football) coaches, who just happen to teach a foreign language!). Indeed, we are not preparing for the future.
Indiana educators, please prioritize, and take the long view for our state’s manufacturing and agricultural economy!
Nate LaMar, an international director, was Henry County Council President 2009-2019.
