Ithaca College Cuts Theatre Administration Program After Introducing AI Major

Ithaca College has cut its Theatre Administration program for future students. Steve TenEyck, dean of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, announced to current students that the program will no longer continue. Students currently enrolled will still graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Administration.

“Over the last several years, we have spoken with current students and alumni, reviewed trends in student interest, and considered how best to position our academic offerings for the future,” the email read. “Those conversations reinforced the value of Theatre Administration while also highlighting growing opportunities for students whose interests span the arts, leadership, entrepreneurship, communications, and creative enterprise.”

The Ithacan reports that Angela Branneman, associate professor and co-chair of Creative Industries, Theatre Production and Management, will now take over leadership of Creative Industries, moving on from Theatre Administration. The email states that Creative Industries will lead to “a broader pathway for many future students who may previously have been interested in Theatre Administration.”

Several students received the news while they were in class with fellow Theatre Administration majors, with sophomore Avery MacRae stating that they were “very upset.”

“There was not a single person who was happy about this change in my class. Everyone in the class was holding back tears or very upset.”

The cut comes after the college announced that it will be launching an artificial intelligence major. Available for students to declare as their major this fall, the program will explore both the development of AI and the societal implications that come with the new technology.

While no students are currently enrolled in the program, Dean and Professor Claire Gleitman tells The Ithacan that they “wouldn’t want to create a new program if we have no reason to think a student has an interest in it.”

Ali Erkan, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science, says that his focus is on separating the use of artificial intelligence from the building of artificial intelligence. Although he maintains reservations about how it is used, Ithaca cannot ignore that it is being built.

“The most substantial concern that I have is that a careless deployment of AI for use could compromise the learning of young people,” Erkan said. “Not comprehending the tool you are using is a very precarious place to be for a human.”