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My letter to Scott Cowen

 
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delbers



Joined: 13 Dec 2005
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 12:36 am    Post subject: My letter to Scott Cowen Reply with quote

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to share a copy of my letter to President Cowen from last Thursday. I just wanted to share it and show concerns from a graduate student's perspective. I also sent similar letters to David Vitter, Bobby Jindal, and David Filo. I just fear that my concerns may fall on deaf ears.


Don Elbers
CS PhD student

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello President Cowen and Dean Altiero,

My name is Don Elbers. I am an incoming graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. I am also a recipient of a Board of Regents Fellowship. I had planned to earn my PhD at Tulane within the next 4-5 years.

I am very concerned about the recent cuts in my department. I had attended the president's meeting at the Reily Recreation Center, and I had the reassuring feeling that Tulane would be up and running and ready for Spring '06. I had no idea that my prospects of earning a PhD in Computer Science at Tulane would suddenly disappear. I have been checking the Tulane website daily and I have been reading news reports, and not once was there any hint of my degree program being in danger. I have been paying rent for a new rental property since late September to assure that I would have a place to live this January when Tulane reopens. I have spent hundreds of dollars on refurnishing my new apartment (since the majority of my belongings were lost to Katrina's waters).

I know there is much uncertainty at this point in time, but I cannot understand why the BEST and most successful computer science/computer engineering department in the state of Louisiana (and possibly the South) would be cut. One of Tulane's most successful computer engineering graduates was Yahoo! co founder David Filo, and he was also one of the university's largest donors with an amount of 30 million dollars (please find the link below).

http://www.eng.tulane.edu/news/2004_filo_donation.php

On another note, when the search began to fill teaching positions at my undergraduate institution, Southeastern Louisiana University, the Tulane applicants were always at the top of the committee's list and often hired over the other applicants.

I had the opportunity to attend another university as a visiting graduate student this fall, but I decided to "sit out," and start fresh at Tulane this spring. I monitored the Tulane website religiously, and I knew that I wanted to come back to Tulane because it had a true EECS Department with integration between Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Computer Engineering. I wanted to earn a PhD in Computer Science at Tulane which is often regarded by many as the "Harvard of the South."

I consider myself lucky and very fortunate to have my health, a roof over my head, and to be a strong student. I have helped my family, friends, and this community to rebuild, and at this time, I need your help to advise me on what to do.


Please reconsider this massive reorganization; the School of Engineering should not have to suffer so much to pull Tulane "out of the red." I feel that a successful program with publications, grants, and enthusiastic teachers and students should not have to bleed so much. I feel that if this goes through, Tulane will be loosing a tremendous asset.


Your advice is greatly appreciated,

Don P. Elbers
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Scott Kensell



Joined: 11 Dec 2005
Posts: 22

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 12:54 am    Post subject: Sucks Reply with quote

Yeah man that really sucks... this decision effects so many people it is just outrageous...

I think Cowen seems to care too much for his future Business students, that he has forgotten all about his current Engineering students. There has just got to be a better, more utilitarian way to financially secure Tulane's future than cutting a department.
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Scott Kensell
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ggreen



Joined: 11 Dec 2005
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 6:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Sucks Reply with quote

Scott Kensell wrote:
There has just got to be a better, more utilitarian way to financially secure Tulane's future than cutting a department.


Thirteen, by my count
http://www.aaup.org/statements/REPORTS/Financial.htm wrote:
1. Increase the number of programs and courses geared to the needs of business and government to increase enrollment and income. Increase enrollment, or create new programs, in continuing education courses and programs focused on non-traditional adult students.

2. Institute new fees, such as laboratory fees in particular areas, to cover the costs of services provided. Increase existing fees. Reduce the number of credits covered by the flat tuition rate. Increase tuition or, alternatively, reduce it to increase enrollment.

3. Shift the institution’s investment portfolio from a focus on long-term growth to an emphasis on gaining greater income. Increase unrestricted gifts in fund-raising drives.Review overhead charges to grants and contracts to determine if rates can be revised upward.

4. Review assets owned by the institution (for example, land and fine art) to determine if they can and should be sold or leased.

5. Review use of campus buildings to determine if they can and should be better utilized by, for example, outside groups renting the institution’s facilities.

6. Review student scholarship and loan opportunities and other policies and programs to encourage increased enrollment or to maintain enrollment. Improve student recruitment and the admissions process. Improve student facilities. Improve
public relations and develop a “good-place-to-enroll” image of the institution to increase enrollment and fund raising.

7. Establish or improve services for alumni and encourage alumni to make financial support of the institution a top priority.

2. STEPS TO REDUCE EXPENSES

1. Identify potential energy cost savings throughout the institution (for example, the heating and cooling of buildings and the use of elevators). Identify cost savings in the use of supplies and paper and in telephone, mail, computer, and duplicating and printing services. Reduce advertising costs. Close individual buildings at specific times to save utility and maintenance costs.

2. Defer major and minor repair and maintenance for as long as possible. Postpone major building projects.

3. Negotiate with the local government for free services, or reduced costs for current services. Review auxiliary services to reduce costs. Reduce or eliminate external consultants.

4. Reduce travel, entertainment, and conference expenditures. Reduce expenses for recruitment of staff and faculty.
Reduce library and academic department subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, and journals.

5. Reduce or eliminate expenditures for nonacademic functions, services, and activities that are not essential to the institution’s academic mission. Reduce expenses for leases and contracts with outside vendors.

6. Reduce the number of visiting scholars and lecturers. Reduce the number of graduate assistantships. Reduce over-time. Encourage early retirement for staff and faculty if, in the long run, these are programmatically desirable and cost
effective. Encourage leave without pay. Delay filling staff and faculty positions.

7. Reduce or close academic programs or departments and, as needed, transfer faculty appointments to other academic units. Review benefit plans and coverage. Consider freezes on salaries, furloughs of staff and faculty, and reductions of salaries.
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Scott Kensell



Joined: 11 Dec 2005
Posts: 22

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 6:33 pm    Post subject: cowen Reply with quote

Apparently Cowen didn't get the memo. Somebody needs to tell him we're putting covers on the TPS reports now.
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Scott Kensell
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clayalexander



Joined: 11 Dec 2005
Posts: 16

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 11:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Sucks Reply with quote

ggreen wrote:
Scott Kensell wrote:
There has just got to be a better, more utilitarian way to financially secure Tulane's future than cutting a department.


Thirteen, by my count[....]
[/quote]

Hehe, nice. I find it a bit funny and sad that national experts on this issue and President Scott Cowen found a terrirble solution for the problem, and you pull out thirteen.

Also for
Scott Kensell wrote:
this decision effects so many people it is just outrageous...
it's true. The news papers says that it only affects about 200 student and 230 professors, when that's not a small number. Also, it's not the only number. It also affects the school as a whole, the other engineering students, the graduate programs that they seem to hide, alumni, the people of New Orleans, and further. The ones affected to most are the 200 students and the 230 proffesors. Scott Cowen is covering up too much to ingore.
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Fink



Joined: 11 Dec 2005
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 3:52 am    Post subject: Re: Sucks Reply with quote

ggreen wrote:
Scott Kensell wrote:
There has just got to be a better, more utilitarian way to financially secure Tulane's future than cutting a department.


Thirteen, by my count


You forgot number 14: "Cheaply hire illegal workers through Balfour."
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-Alex Fink, EE'06
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