Save Ufadp

[sdenney]

A while back (maybe 10 years ago) the program was shut down. (They tried blaming this on the students behavior, but I believe it came down to other issues). The leading instructor at the time was Mike Cossaboom, who I had the pleasure of having as my Adv. Open Water instructor.

Just before the program was shut down, there were talks of moving the program to the College of Agriculture. There were also talks of offering more science oriented courses, such as Underwater Archeology.

I think it may be time to revisit this plan and ditch the Liberal Arts College for good. They are the worst college at UF; very unfriendly toward students and poorly managed, both professionally and financially.

[skip]

I seriously doubt that the scuba program pays for itself, or makes money for the university. That would be a first! And I'd like to see the books to see how they do it. Our program is the third largest in terms of certifying divers (after UF and UT - texas), and it too is on the chopping block. We have no full-time instructors, all are adjunct (very low pay). The cost is in the equipment maintenance, compressor maintenance and pool maintenance. We have a pool dedicated to scuba, water aerobics classes, etc. Indeed, losing scuba is just part of the larger picture of phasing out all PE classes (no more bowling, yoga, aerobic training, tennis, volleyball, backpacking) etc.

It's pretty easy to show that no scuba would not save much money, but when you add it to the other programs here and there around campus it all adds up. It's a hard time for everyone and many of us are trying to get the university to "cut back" not "cut out." But some see the current budget issues as a good time to "restructure" and "look to the future" catch phrases for eliminating low performing and high maintenance programs. We may even lose the Agriculture program here! Physics and Philosophy also appear about to go! Whoever heard of a University with no Physics classes? No philosophy classes? The future will look pretty strange.

-skip

[Me]

Cut out Physics??? That is insane. Physics is the foundation for every other science....and life for that matter!!

[MORGAN]

Cut out Physics??? That is insane. Physics is the foundation for every other science....and life for that matter!!

And cut out Philosophy? What are the people who can't do math going to major in?

Mike

I have to add - I reluctantly took Philosophy as a biology major - it turned out to be such an excellent class that I then took Logic and Ethics from the same professor. Some of the best courses that I had - and I use what I learned in daily life 30 years later - as opposed to - say - Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy.

[scblade27]

Physical Education

[JE]

& since it was his baby to begin with John, let him speak for the rest of us-!


je

[jason]

UF is trying to eliminate the geology department as well.... I may well need to find a new place to finish my PhD.

[MORGAN]

Damn, lets see - Scuba, Physics, Philosophy, Geology - what are they going to have left?
(besides Gator football and basketball - don't hear much about downsizing there...)


Mike

[skip]

UF is trying to eliminate the geology department as well.... I may well need to find a new place to finish my PhD.

our geosciences is also on the chopping block. it amazes me that the universities in Karst areas, where you'd think geology and hydrogeology would be the big ticket items, are even considered for demise from the curriculum.

on the other hand, these are areas of quiet nerdy profs with very little shock and awe, no artful handwaving, and a virtual blackhole of really cool entertainment media to replace actual teaching.

Obama has his job cut out for him in USA education! slip, slipping, slipped.

-skip

[Webmaster]

our geosciences is also on the chopping block. it amazes me that the universities in Karst areas, where you'd think geology and hydrogeology would be the big ticket items, are even considered for demise from the curriculum.

on the other hand, these are areas of quiet nerdy profs with very little shock and awe, no artful handwaving, and a virtual blackhole of really cool entertainment media to replace actual teaching.

Obama has his job cut out for him in USA education! slip, slipping, slipped.

-skip

Part of the problem is that it seems the board of regents had just as soon MTSU be an all liberal arts school. The attitude in the past has been to point at tech and use that as an excuse for not supporting sciences elsewhere.

Geology, specifically, by the state has been largely ignored since the 1930's.