Prof. disputes degree merger
Sternberg claims engineering department lacks justification for eliminating undergraduate program
By: Yusra Tekbali
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: News
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The College of Engineering proposed to merge the undergraduate degrees in mining engineering and geological engineering into a single Bachelor of Science degree called Mining and Geological Engineering in a proposal submitted to the Senate by Mary Poulton, head of the mining and geological engineering department, and Jeff Goldberg, the college's associate dean.
Budget cuts, loss of faculty and staff lines as well as the small enrollment in the program were the main reasons cited for the merge, according to the Senate agenda.
"The department and college resources can be used more wisely if they were consolidated," said Thomas Peterson, dean of the College of Engineering.
The new major would have a mining engineering track and a geological engineering track in an effort to eliminate the excess resources devoted to maintaining accreditation and funding for two separate yet very similar degrees, he said.
Ben Sternberg, a mining and geological engineering professor, said the college didn't follow the correct process for disestablishing the geological engineering program, of which he's been a part for more than two decades, and challenged the department's justification for doing so.
President Robert Shelton said he supported the college's decision because it was a more efficient and fiscally responsible alternative.
"If you can have fewer administrative folks between the two programs, yet offer the same number of degrees, then that is best," Shelton said.
Sternberg disagreed.
"You can make a financial argument to eliminate anything," he said. "The program is valuable and they're eliminating it with very limited discussion of the matter."
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Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Tim Wallace
posted 5/09/08 @ 12:27 PM MST
travesty. absolutely tragic.
Robert Cook
posted 5/09/08 @ 12:29 PM MST
I concur with my associate Mr. Wallace. This is a truly devastating event. This saddens me deeply.
Michal Romanowski
posted 5/09/08 @ 12:32 PM MST
Mining Kills! A baby is killed everytime an open pit collapses. Who is gonna fix this? Mining engineer? I think not. Coin flip at best.
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