Opinion of colleges and universities at a new low | Letters

Letters to the editor
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The College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) on University of Cincinnati’s campus is defined by its bright colored and pastel exterior on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in CUF. DAAP’s Fine Arts program is in danger due to a new funding proposal.
The College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) on University of Cincinnati’s campus is defined by its bright colored and pastel exterior on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in CUF. DAAP’s Fine Arts program is in danger due to a new funding proposal.

The article in the Dec. 26 Enquirer ("Funding for UC fine arts grad school in jeopardy") pointing to cuts in funding for UC's fine arts grad school is just another indication of the hollowing out of American universities. The high cost of higher education has forced most students to view a university education as a vocational school. The arts and humanities are not considered as a path to gainful employment. The truth is, for many of us, these subjects gave us creativity, a greater depth of understanding of the world, and, ultimately, successful careers unrelated to these fields.

Besides becoming vocational schools, universities are becoming sports entertainment enterprises. Miami and UC can spend millions of dollars supporting losing athletic departments and then cut programs that should be the heart of academia. At no time in the history of this country has there been a lower opinion of universities. This is a crisis not only for higher education but also for the future success of our nation. Universities have been the most important source of research in almost all fields.

Walter Frank, Montgomery

Groups pushing religious beliefs on others cause of strife in US

America was not founded and built on faith in God. In fact, quite the opposite. The Founding Fathers were concerned religious beliefs would cross over into government and wanted separation of church and state. That's why this is in the Constitution: "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The Supreme Court banned prayer in school because of this. President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill in 1956 to add "In God We Trust" to our currency during a conservative movement, and one could argue this goes against the Constitution.

So, this is not why America has "lost its way" as a reader recently wrote in a letter to the editor. I believe that the extreme beliefs of some religious groups are causing strife in our country because they want everyone to believe the same things they believe in. America was founded on the right of an individual to have their own beliefs and not be forced to live someone else's religion. We also have the right to believe there is no God. To quote Ronald Reagan, Jr.: "I am an unabashed atheist, not afraid of burning in hell."

Cindy Johnson, Cheviot

Donors should withhold contributions from 'woke' colleges

Until donors, parents and alumni begin to withhold contributions, the "woke" ideology and dysfunctional culture being espoused on the campuses of our colleges and universities will continue. The latest (and perhaps worst) example of this occurred when three Ivy League presidents, in testimony before a congressional committee, refused to categorically say that calling for the genocide of Jews constituted a breach of their school's code of ethics. Perhaps it's time for parents to interview the administration of their child's prospective college, rather than the other way around.

Bob Bishop, Hamilton

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Opinion of colleges and universities at a new low | Letters