University of Florida shutting down research in Computer Science department

I graduated from UF in 2007 and have in no way since kept up with departmental politics, but as of then, CISE was a bit of a Frankenstein creature. As an undergraduate, if you were looking for a computing-related degree, you had five possible majors to choose from:<p>* Computer Science (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; CISE Department)<p>* Computer Engineering with Software Emphasis (College of Engineering; CISE Department)<p>* Computer Engineering with Hardware Emphasis (College of Engineering; ECE Department)<p>* Electrical Engineering (College of Engineering; ECE Department)<p>* Computer Information Sciences (College of Business; CISE Department).<p>So basically, the CISE department was answerable to three different colleges, and some of those colleges offered very-closely-related degrees that weren't in the CISE department.<p>As for myself, I started out in Computer Engineering with Software Emphasis. I later switched to Computer Science. The reason for this change was that I wanted to double in Mathematics, which belongs to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Having a double major is a lot easier when both majors are in the same college, because you then don't have to worry about satisfying conflicting and redundant gen. ed. requirements.<p>So, as a CISE alumnus, I have a vested interest in maintaining the reputation of that department, and this reorganization sounds likely to damage it. However, the status quo (as of 2007) is a mess, and this change might overall be for the better.

I graduated from UF in 2009, with degrees in both Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. UF was running into huge budget issues, which they mostly took out on Liberal Arts. At the time, the Computer Science department was under Liberal Arts and Sciences, not engineering.<p>The department chair at the time, Sartaj Sahni, responded by cutting teaching funding and letting some of the best teachers go. UF had a few teachers without PhDs, which reduces a university's ranking in US News &#38; World Report. Of course, these teachers were the ones that REALLY cared about teaching, since they didn't have research distractions. These teachers were replaced with postdocs who lack the experience needed to teach at a major institution.<p>I don't know how you can have a solid program if you slash your best teachers to save research, then slash your research to save teaching. Doesn't make sense.

As a 2004 graduate of UF (ECE, not CISE) this news worries me. Can anymore more familiar with the situation explain whether or not this more about consolidating ECE/CISE, or if this is just a simple gutting of the computer science at UF.<p>Many schools suffer the issue of CS being extra-engineering, and then having a "computer engineering" department within engineering, and you end up with quite a bit of duplication. I'm hoping that this is simply part of a consolidation process.

<i>The fertile environment for software tech companies in Gainesville and Florida as a whole will be severely damaged.</i><p>Is Gainesville really that fertile a ground for software startups? Moreover, will reducing research funding at University of Florida necessarily make the existing environment for startups worse? For example, what if the savings are invested into a greater emphasis on teaching?

Is this the same University of Florida that did this: Give a 6 year 24 million contract to a coach of a so called amateur sports team ? <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4374311" rel="nofollow">http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4374311</a> Is this the same UF that gets a cut of SEC 2.25 billion dollar contract ? <a href="http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2008/08/20080825/This-Weeks-News/ESPN-Pays-$225B-For-SEC-Rights.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2008/08/2008...</a>? Yes I think it is. Hmmm I wonder why they have nothing left for cs education.

As a 2002 graduate, it pains me to see this. More so, when they are saying that they will cut the TA funding. I got through college because of my TA scholarship, and I still have fond memories of teaching the undergraduates. Some of them are still friends.<p>We also did some nice research in my Masters, a lot of concepts(Grid/cloud) which we are currently using in our Startup.<p>In any case, I just hope the department and the University come through this with their reputation intact.

There are over 400 graduate students here in the CISE department at UF. With the cuts to all TA funding plus half the research faculty instantly being forced to stop research in addition to those faculty who do not wish to remain as teaching only faculty there will be 200+ of us graduate students leaving. At over $10,000 a year in tuition, the loss of these 200+ graduate students tuition is far in excess to what the college of engineering as a whole stands to save by consolidating and gutting the department. Next year instead of a $1.3M deficit to plug they will have an additional 2M+ less in tuition revenue alone. I would love to see where the dean decides to turn to next to "consolidate." This is not a sustainable approach to a budget deficit because she is greatly devaluing the degree in the eyes of the current students and we are going to transfer elsewhere to finish our degree programs. She can honestly apply the 5% budget cuts across the board to all departments and let everyone take a small hit or irrevocably damage computer engineering at UF and still have a budget issue.

Seems like the university is deciding to focus on Electrical and Computer Engineering and deemphasize Computer Science.<p>Core competence and all that.<p>It even has an odd name like CISE (Computer and Information Science and Engineering).<p><a href="http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120411/ARTICLES/120419892?p=1&#38;tc=pg" rel="nofollow">http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120411/ARTICLES/1204198...</a>

as a former UF student, I have to say this just seems like a terrible idea. disappointing.

I really hope that they're simply consolidating Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and CISE (Computer &#38; Information Science Engineering) into a single department and keeping existing faculty.<p>As a 2010 graduate (CISE - I wanted a mix of engineering and liberal arts), this is quite troubling to me. I remember when they announced that they would be laying off a number of faculty members (mostly lecturers) -- some of whom were the best instructors in the entire department. Now they're getting rid of research in the name of teaching? What a farce.

For those of you who have a "vested" interest in the reputation of a department you graduated from many years previous (and by many I mean more than a year ago) and are worried about its reflection on you.<p>Perhaps, instead, you should concern yourself with your personal professional achievements and credentials post graduation and how those reflect on you. To me that seems like a MUCH more productive use of your time.<p>This seems like a concern to future and current students; rather than alumni.<p>// Light-hearted jab at UF alumni<p>Leave it to a Gator grad to be worried about keeping-up appearances.<p>Go Knights!

I was planning on transferring to UF next fall to get a bachelors in Computer Science. It worries me how little the university cares about Computer Science if they're planning to make such a decision. I personally would like to thank everyone who signed this for rallying against such actions.

Reddit discussion: <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/ufl/comments/s5jsk/uf_engineering_dean_proposes_to_dismantle_cise/" rel="nofollow">http://www.reddit.com/r/ufl/comments/s5jsk/uf_engineering_de...</a>

Let us think - how is an engineering department taught by mostly non Engineers? Odd I know, but rumor has it CISE does it. Not so with EE/ECE. BTW, CISE instructors are welcome to join EE/ECE - most of their research is done together already anyway. But hey, who cares about figuring out all of the details, lets just make this a sensation like all the other BS news.

This is absolutely ridiculous. Can't imagine university like UF doesn't have CS program.....

Filed under "Flori-duh"<p>God I hate that state. The most idiots per capita I've ever encountered.

Thank you, Rick Scott!

They have a powerhouse college football team. That will keep America relevant in the future.

I'm a current UF student, and what the hell?! The presidents of UF and FSU are lobbying the government to allow the universities to increase tuition without limits (ie, without asking the Florida Legislature again), and UF comes out with this? Is this their way of sending a message to the Legislature? "Don't approve our tuition hikes and this will happen"? They're asking for a tuition hike to make UF more "competitive" nationally, but how does eliminating a research department and cutting faculty who are great teachers but not PhD's make you more competitive?<p>It doesn't!

I'm in no way associated with UF, but I don't think the answer for why this is proposed is too difficult.<p>Take this:<p><pre><code> CISE, the only department at UF engaged in Computer Software research, will become a teaching only department, and inevitably, its ranking, reputation and enrollment will plummet. </code></pre> and add this:<p><a href="http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120331/ARTICLES/120339944" rel="nofollow">http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120331/ARTICLES/1203399...</a><p>Can you say "diploma mill"? Good; I knew you could.