Save Tulane Engineering

[jmikowski]

I'm attaching a screen shot from today's live chat, which has Cowen saying that this is a "strategic and financial" one and that there is no amount of money will save our program. With this in mind, we should consider more drastic options. If it were just money, then I would say we should raise the money. However we should make it public and esp. to New Orleans and the Alumni that this is the cutting of engineering for its own sake. With the hurricane being used as a convenient excuse. I for one am disgusted that such a disaster would be used for someone to further his or her own agenda.

http://www.SaveTulaneEngineering.org/lame.bmp

I think our best bet with this new development is to continue raising funds, as that is "part" of the reason. As far as the "strategic" part I feel that public opinion in New Orleans will help a lot. We need to show that this is now a really bad strategy. Also, we need to get the alumni to know that the money issue is more of an excuse then a reason. This is completely unacceptable.

Spread the word!
_________________
- Justin Mikowski
Computer Engineering '07
"Non sibi Sed Suis" -Not for one's self but for one's people.

[Lee Hoffman]

This part of Dr. Cowen's comments made me sick. Essentially, the decision is final because they've told the outside world, including prospective students, of the new regime, therefore they cannot go back and reinstate programs.

As such, Dr. Cowen reminds me of the explorer Cortes, who, upon arriving in the New World and finding himself hopelessly outnumbered by the Aztecs, burned his ships. With no escape possible, his men had no choice but to stand and fight.

That is what Dr. Cowen has done. He has burned your ship in order to eliminate options and discussion.

Best of luck in this fight.

Lee Hoffman
Tulane College
1991

[ET097]

Dont worry, I already was mad. This is just adding more fuel to the fire.
_________________
-Elizabeth Threlkeld
Computer Engineering '06

[ggreen]

My thoughts exactly. I was mad a long time ago. I can't think of a word strong enough for what I am right now.

[limacodid]

I just wrote this to Cowen.

Dr. Cowen,
I was rereading your chat from last Friday and noticed that you didn't answer this question at all.
Disappointed: How can you claim that a recovery plan that cuts out some of the most productive and successful programs while retaining revenue-losing athletics will "ensure our continued academic excellence"?

President Cowen: The issue of athletics versus academic programs is complex. And one is not related to the other. So no one should assume that a different decision with respect to athletics would have resulted in a different decision with respect to engineering or any other program we're eliminating. Secondly, you do not build a national institution primarily on satisfying the needs within a particular region only. If you were to do this, it would require a massive investment of resources to develop the critical mass of people and expertise needed to address local problems and simultaneously address national issues needed to gain national prominence. At this time, Tulane does not have
those investment dollars.

The person asking was not asking why you cut athletics ahead of a program that could help the region. They asked why you cut one of the most productive and successful programs. You replied that they would still need to gain national prominence after an investment of resources to develop a critical mass of people. The school already has national prominence, and its existence leads to people with expertise that could help the region. No one is asking you to build the engineering school to a level that would completely save New Orleans. You also said yesterday that having an engineering school is no longer a question of money, and that it was also strategic. I really would like you to reconcile your two statements for me. You said last Friday that you do not have the
investment dollars, and yesterday you said money wouldn't make a difference at this point. I find this all deeply disturbing.