University of Florida Eliminates Computer Science Department

[Blieb]

Computers?! We don't need no stinkin' computers!!! -> College of Tablet Science?

Now that NASA is all but gone, we are giving up on being rescued by more intelligent life forms.

Discuss.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevens...ce-department-increases-athletic-budgets-hmm/

 

[Jodell88]

It's Florida. As outsider looking in, Florida has the highest percentage of idiots in America, so this doesn't surprise me.

 

[polarmystery]

It's what plants crave!

 

[vi edit]

Eh, CS is sort of a dying degree anyway. It's getting diverted to either Computer Engineering or Information Systems. Both of which are still remaining intact at that university.

 

[kranky]

Probably just a tactic by the school to get the public to pressure the state to give the school more money. State funding of the school has been reduced 30% over the last 6 years. It's just like when municipalities don't get the tax increase they wanted, they insist the only solution is to reduce the police force as if there are no other alternatives. That's what will get the public to accept higher taxes.

So instead of cutting programs such as Communications Sciences and Disorders, Women's Studies or Visual Art Studies, they target a program that they know will get people riled up.

You can be sure that when the school announced cutting Computer Science, they didn't mention the increase in the athletic budget.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Eh, CS is sort of a dying degree anyway. It's getting diverted to either Computer Engineering or Information Systems. Both of which are still remaining intact at that university.

I would disagree. In the schools around me that have these 3 degrees, they break down like this:
- Computer Engineering - Hardware based. Almost an EE degree, but with a computer (data transfer and storage) focus. This is probably for your hardware designers and/or embedded systems people.
- Information Systems - A "business" degree. Basically a small amount of watered down programming/architecture classes and a bunch of business classes. This is probably for your project managers.
- Computer Science - More of a complete "computer programming" degree. You learn the most about general programming concepts, data structures, algorithm development and analysis, etc. There is really no focus on the business side and a smaller focus on the hardware side.

While I think the CE and CS need to overlap somewhat, I think they are distinct enough to warrant separate degrees. There is a whole lot to learn in both disciplines that probably wouldn't benefit someone working in field specific jobs.

 

[ichy]

Meanwhile, the athletic budget for the current year is $99 million, an increase of more than $2 million from last year.

Disgusting.

 

[Broheim]

Probably just a tactic by the school to get the public to pressure the state to give the school more money. State funding of the school has been reduced 30% over the last 6 years. It's just like when municipalities don't get the tax increase they wanted, they insist the only solution is to reduce the police force as if there are no other alternatives. That's what will get the public to accept higher taxes.

So instead of cutting programs such as Communications Sciences and Disorders, Women's Studies or Visual Art Studies, they target a program that they know will get people riled up.

You can be sure that when the school announced cutting Computer Science, they didn't mention the increase in the athletic budget.

this.

atleast I hope so.





oh god please let it be this.

 

[jalaram]

So instead of cutting programs such as Communications Sciences and Disorders, Women's Studies or Visual Art Studies, they target a program that they know will get people riled up.

Those programs probably already got cuts over the past 6 years as well. They're the first ones to get reduced.

With regards to "elimination", it's not the whole dept. It's the research arm. While still very bad, the Forbes headline is a bit over the top.

Ars link

 

[unokitty]

As has been noted, its very possible that this is a political gambit designed to pressure the Legislature into allocating more funding.

UF won't cut women's, ethnic, theatre, or similar studies because, no one in the legislature would care.

Its a dangerous tactic, I wish them luck. But given the current political climate in Florida, its tough to be optimistic.

Uno

 

[thraashman]

Those programs probably already got cuts over the past 6 years as well. They're the first ones to get reduced.

With regards to "elimination", it's not the whole dept. It's the research arm. While still very bad, the Forbes headline is a bit over the top.

Ars link

Eliminating the research arm is certainly different than eliminating an entire department/degree. Considering CS is one of the degrees with the highest level of employment right out of college right now, I think it's best to keep it around.

 

[ElFenix]

Disgusting.

floriduh nets $10 million on athletics.

 

[RavenSEAL]

How Rick Scott hasn't been impeached, I don't even...

 

[Bateluer]

Disgusting.

Keep in mind, obesity is a pretty big problem these days too.

 

[ibex333]

Computer Science is too broad a term. I think it's really bad how colleges have it right now.

It's always more about the money and less about actually TEACHING students something.

Students should specialize in fields they are interested in and spend little time on other topics and concepts. Those should only be used to introduce students to related fields and areas in IT to make them more well rounded people.

As it stands right now, colleges have way too much Mathematics in Computer Science programs. If someone wants to create pages with HTML and CSS, there is no need for them to study Trigonometry and Calculus. It's ridiculous to state otherwise.

I know people who barely passed basic math yet they create wonderful web pages. Clearly, math is not very important in this case.

 

[jalaram]

Keep in mind, obesity is a pretty big problem these days too.

Fat and stupid is no way to go through life.

 

[Drako]

They are doing what other schools do.

There will still be computer science classes, but they will be handled by the College of Engineering or Business School.

I'm not sure why they had a separate department anyway.

 

[ichy]

As it stands right now, colleges have way too much Mathematics in Computer Science programs. If someone wants to create pages with HTML and CSS, there is no need for them to study Trigonometry and Calculus. It's ridiculous to state otherwise.

Are you trolling? A real CS degree is NOT about creating web pages.

 

[werepossum]

Those programs probably already got cuts over the past 6 years as well. They're the first ones to get reduced.

With regards to "elimination", it's not the whole dept. It's the research arm. While still very bad, the Forbes headline is a bit over the top.

Ars link

So we're reduced to asking what results (if any) the University has been getting from its research lab.

One thing's for sure though, the move will cost them any chance they had at the very best CS students, if only because it damages the prestige of the degree.

 

[Fritzo]

Sounds good to me. All this computer stuff is just a fad anyway.

 

[RavenSEAL]

Computer Science is too broad a term. I think it's really bad how colleges have it right now.

It's always more about the money and less about actually TEACHING students something.

Students should specialize in fields they are interested in and spend little time on other topics and concepts. Those should only be used to introduce students to related fields and areas in IT to make them more well rounded people.

As it stands right now, colleges have way too much Mathematics in Computer Science programs. If someone wants to create pages with HTML and CSS, there is no need for them to study Trigonometry and Calculus. It's ridiculous to state otherwise.

I know people who barely passed basic math yet they create wonderful web pages. Clearly, math is not very important in this case.

+15x^98/.09*sqrt(2,647,944)*1

 

[ZOOYUKA]

You can be sure that when the school announced cutting Computer Science, they didn't mention the increase in the athletic budget.

I'd be willing to bet that UF Athletics are 100% self funded. It is not taking money that would otherwise that would be used for academics. Like most major universities I'm sure their football revenue is the life support for their minor sports like golf, track, gymnastics etc.

Eliminating the athletics would do nothing, but kill a cash cow that enhances the university.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Computer Science is too broad a term. I think it's really bad how colleges have it right now.

It's always more about the money and less about actually TEACHING students something.

Students should specialize in fields they are interested in and spend little time on other topics and concepts. Those should only be used to introduce students to related fields and areas in IT to make them more well rounded people.

As it stands right now, colleges have way too much Mathematics in Computer Science programs. If someone wants to create pages with HTML and CSS, there is no need for them to study Trigonometry and Calculus. It's ridiculous to state otherwise.

I know people who barely passed basic math yet they create wonderful web pages. Clearly, math is not very important in this case.

Computer Science is about solving problems, not creating web pages. You're a crazy person.

 

[sdifox]

Computer Science is too broad a term. I think it's really bad how colleges have it right now.

It's always more about the money and less about actually TEACHING students something.

Students should specialize in fields they are interested in and spend little time on other topics and concepts. Those should only be used to introduce students to related fields and areas in IT to make them more well rounded people.

As it stands right now, colleges have way too much Mathematics in Computer Science programs. If someone wants to create pages with HTML and CSS, there is no need for them to study Trigonometry and Calculus. It's ridiculous to state otherwise.

I know people who barely passed basic math yet they create wonderful web pages. Clearly, math is not very important in this case.

who goes to college just to be able to build websites? Computer science is applied math, take away math and there isn't much left.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Computer Science is too broad a term. I think it's really bad how colleges have it right now.

It's always more about the money and less about actually TEACHING students something.

Students should specialize in fields they are interested in and spend little time on other topics and concepts. Those should only be used to introduce students to related fields and areas in IT to make them more well rounded people.

As it stands right now, colleges have way too much Mathematics in Computer Science programs. If someone wants to create pages with HTML and CSS, there is no need for them to study Trigonometry and Calculus. It's ridiculous to state otherwise.

I know people who barely passed basic math yet they create wonderful web pages. Clearly, math is not very important in this case.

If all you want to do is create pages with HTML and CSS, you can go to ITT-Tech. If you want a degree in the science of computers and computing, you're going to be learning some math.