Mississippi auditor calls for defunding of some college majors

Mississippi State Auditor Shad White released a report on Sept. 19 arguing for a change in funding regarding public state universities. White called out numerous social science and humanities degrees as “indoctrination factories.” He said Mississippi should defund those programs and instead invest in practical degrees, such as engineering or business management.

Why is White advising for defunding? His report, Plugging the Brain Drain, argues that too many Mississippi graduates are leaving the state and that changing degree programs to align with the state labor market demand could help them stay. White advises funding cuts in degrees that don’t help the state’s economy, listing urban studies, anthropology, and gender studies among several others. As of 2020, less than a quarter of Mississippi’s population aged 25 or older held at least a bachelor’s degree, ranking the state 49th in the nation.

Dig deeper: Read Steve West’s report in Liberties on school administrators trying to rein in controversy on gender ideology.