Underfunding (under)graduate science education to death

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "J. Paul Reed" <preed () sigkill com>
Date: July 15, 2004 7:13:24 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Underfunding graduate science education to death


Dave:

There has been much discussion on IP and in other forums on the state of
core math and science education in America; I thought you (and IPers, if
you like) might find the following email illustrative of one of the many
facets of the problem.

It seems that California Polytechnic State Univ. (SLO) is so hard up for
cash this year that THEY ARE CANCELING the lab (and all degrees' lab
requirements) for the first physics course in the core sequence for this
entire school year.

This is a disconcerting reaction, especially from an institution 
considered
to be one of the nation's "top engineering schools"; it makes you wonder
how common this is in other public universities who are forced to cut 
their
budgets at the hands of the state legislature.

Later,
Paul
------------------------------------------------------------------------
J. Paul Reed -- 0xDF8708F8 || preed () sigkill com || web.sigkill.com/preed
Math, my dear boy, is nothing more than the lesbian sister of biology.
                                            -- Peter Griffin, Family Guy

I use PGP; you should use PGP too... if only to piss off John Ashcroft


----- Forwarded message from acadprog () calpoly edu -----

From: acadprog () calpoly edu
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 15:58:11 -0700
Subject: PHYS 131 to PHYS X141

To Students with Majors that Require PHYS 131:

PHYS 131 will not be taught this year. Due to budget constraints, the
Physics Department created PHYS X141 (without a lab) to replace PHYS 
131.
If you have not already completed PHYS 131, you should plan to register 
for
PHYS X141.  A "Blanket Curriculum Substitution" has been filed to cover 
all
students in your major, so you don't need to request a "Course
Substitution."

If you have taken PHYS 131 prior to Fall 2004 and want to repeat a D+ 
grade
(or lower), you should register for PHYS X141. Within the first six 
weeks
of the quarter that you are registered in PHYS X141, you will need to
process a repeat form (available in the Records Office). The repeat form
will require the approval of the Physics Department Chair.

W. David Conn
Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Undergraduate Education

----- End forwarded message -----

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