A growing cohort of young people is reassessing the return on investment of a four-year degree, prompting some universities to redesign liberal-arts offerings to emphasize skills and early work experience. NPR’s reporting on Brandeis University highlights administrators refocusing humanities curricula to integrate work-ready competencies and experiential learning. The piece documents program changes like embedded internships, career-aligned modules and competency scaffolds; leaders emphasize applied projects, employer partnerships and clearer signaling of post-graduate pathways. For liberal-arts colleges, the shift is tactical: preserve disciplinary depth while packaging outcomes that align with labor-market signals. College presidents and deans should accelerate partnerships with employers, expand micro-credential and co-op options, and collect robust outcome data to demonstrate career impact for prospective students and trustees.