Is Now When We Panic? Diminishing university programs in design and production suggest an urgent need to respond and advocate T BY FRANK LUDWIG he entire university system is under pressure, if not under siege, from multiple socio-political factors, especially in the fine and liberal arts fields. Concerns about mounting college debt, a deep dependency on state or federal grant funding, and demands that a college degree lead directly to employment are further amplified by a projected de- cline in potential students. Colleges across the country are slashing millions from their budgets, cutting programs with low enrollment, and scrambling to shape their portfolios to favor professions that are high paying or in great demand. When all is said and done, theatre design and production programs may end up being among the hardest hit. 38 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | WINTER 2020