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Tulane University to Reduce Engineering School

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the in-the-wake-of-disaster dept.

baldbobbo writes "According to University President Scott Cowen of Tulane University, the School of Engineering will be greatly reduced. I have to wonder, as a student who can graduate in May 2007 (the deadline for those students to still receive a degree in any of the cut majors) with a Computer Science degree, but wants to stay an extra year, should I transfer to another university, graduate on time, or switch majors?"

5 of 291 comments (clear)

  1. huh? by GigsVT · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why would you want to stay an extra year without a degree? If you want to take non-required classes, just take them after you get the degree.

    --
    I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
  2. How about . . . by Seumas · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You talk to your student advisors? That's what you pay your tuition for. How the hell would a bunch of random people on Slashdot know what you should do in some strange particular circumstances that we couldn't possibly know the details of since we aren't on the staff for your school?

    1. Re:How about . . . by Seumas · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Well, they're at his school and they're going to have a much better clue about what the school is offering and how he can use those services than a bunch of random slashdotters who don't know a thing about his school (and many who have either never been or haven't been to college in eons).

      If this was a more general question that didn't hinge on cuts at his school, that'd be different.

    2. Re:How about . . . by NOLAChief · · Score: 4, Insightful
      because some of us who post to slashdot actually are alumni. And because it should be news for nerds when some of their fellow nerds are getting screwed. I graduated from Tulane in 2004 with a degree in mechanical engineering, one of the programs that is due to be cut.

      If you haven't figured it out yet, I heard about this today and I am furious. How does eliminating a quality engineering school strengthen the university? How does it strengthen the community? New Orleans is trying to rebuild. I know, my house in Metairie (jefferson parish, next door) got flooded. Life sucks, but ultimately we will rebuild. And guess what? engineers will be needed to rebuild the city and make it a better place in the long term. who better than engineers with a personal investment in the area? seriously, i have to wonder, with cowen making foolhardy decisions like this for the university he's paid to run, what business does he have running the mayor's rebuilding commission?

      Switching gears, as an alumnus, what does this say about my degree? does this mean it's worthless? if so, i want a refund, mr. cowen. every single penny i've given to the university. every single bit of blood, sweat, and tears i gave to earn my degree and try to make the university and the community a better place for it. every year you complain that alumni donation rates are down. it adversely affects your precious us news and world report rankings. want to know why we alumni aren't giving the university a dime? because of shit like this. i'm tired of being alienated at every turn.

      As for the submitter, being eligible to graduate in 2007 makes you, what? A sophomore? You still have time. Run. the good faculty will be jumping ship and if you think the tightwad financial twits will give any money for design projects to a doomed program, think again. Half the time it was like pulling teeth even before the storm. and do what I'm going to do. tell everyone you know thinking about attending tulane not to bother, regardless of major. You can't be world class without students, and you can't be world class without the support of the alumni.

      sorry about the rant. had to vent

  3. greatly reduced? by fireduck · · Score: 5, Insightful

    according to this chart, the only engineering remaining is chemical and biomedical. everything else (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Computer Engineering) gets cut. That's an extremely dramatic cut.

    My suggestion is to leave ship. Sure you could stick it out, but with the program being eliminated, there's little incentive for faculty to stay (they'll all be looking for jobs elsewhere), and less incentive for the school to spend money on student support (computers, etc.). End result is that you'll likely have a lot of classes taught by part-time folks who are being recruited at the last minute when every untenured junior faculty doesn't show up for spring semester (because they've also abandoning ship).