Mississippi auditor says several college majors indoctrinate students and should be defunded

Calling numerous social science and humanities degree programs “indoctrination factories,” Mississippi's auditor says the state should defund several college majors and invest in subjects that match the state's workforce needs.

In a report published Tuesday, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, a Republican, argued that the state should change its approach to funding its public universities. He proposed tying public investment to workforce needs instead of providing funds without regard for the degree programs, as has traditionally been the case. Too many college graduates are leaving Mississippi, and aligning degree programs with labor market demand might stem the tide, White said.

In numerous statements on social media leading up to the report's publication, White said there should be no taxpayer funding for “useless degrees" in “garbage fields” like Urban Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, German Literature, African American Studies, Gender Studies and Women's Studies. Claiming some academic programs are hotbeds of political radicalization, White statements and his report arrive as education, from K-12 to the university level, remains at the center of America's culture wars.

A Florida law enacted in May bars curricula that teach “identity politics” or theories about race, gender and sexuality disfavored by conservatives. A raft of legislation passed by Republican-controlled legislatures curtails diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public universities.