Budget cuts could eliminate programs like philosophy and history at Cal Poly Pomona

This is good news. A philosophy degree from Cal Poly? Get outta' here!

Let's also kill these useless programs that have zero economic value - Gender Studies, Women's Studies, Ethnic Studies. These do nothing but create the next generation of grievence mongers. Why should the taxpayers support such nonsense?If you want one of these vanity degrees, get mom and dad to pop for private college.

I want my tax dollars spent on something that will get an economic benefit for this state. Fully fund engineering and business, and let the other departments fight over what's left.

Philosophy, the Arts and many other classes may not have a direct economic benefit but are necessary non the less. Do you think we'd have Ipods and Nintendo Wii's if everyone just studied engineering and business???

Me myself and I wrote:

Philosophy, the Arts and many other classes may not have a direct economic benefit but are necessary non the less.

Vacations are necessary too, but if there's no money, you don't take one. Scarce money needs to be spent in the most efficient way that will generate the greatest return. Engineers and business people create jobs.

Me myself and I wrote:

Do you think we'd have Ipods and Nintendo Wii's if everyone just studied engineering and business???

That is just an appalling statement. Do you have ANY clue what it take in engineering and captial resources to create an iPod? Do you think an arts major would have even the slightest idea of how an iPod works? Do you?

Here's my suggestion. Send all the "study materials" for these hobby majors to some local private colleges and outsource the whole mess. If people have to the going rate, it will quickly become apparent what these degrees are worth.

The students don't have a lot of faith in the administrations' decisions, what with the president looking to jump ship and take a job at New Mexico state, that doesn't necessarily engender trust

TakeFive wrote:

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Vacations are necessary too, but if there's no money, you don't take one. Scarce money needs to be spent in the most efficient way that will generate the greatest return. Engineers and business people create jobs.
<quoted text>
That is just an appalling statement. Do you have ANY clue what it take in engineering and captial resources to create an iPod? Do you think an arts major would have even the slightest idea of how an iPod works? Do you?
Here's my suggestion. Send all the "study materials" for these hobby majors to some local private colleges and outsource the whole mess. If people have to the going rate, it will quickly become apparent what these degrees are worth.

A little angry there??? Steve Jobs would be the first to admit that artists influence apples products on every level and they base a chunk of there reputation on having pretty products. And Miyamoto the head designer at Nintendo was also a painter if I'm not mistaken. And Larry Ellison the head of Oracle is heavily into eastern philosophy.

What's appalling is that you see no value in the Arts or Philosophy while promoting a capitalist system who's products are often based upon these disciplines. Even the most ardent follower of Von Mises could appreciate that there is more to society than economy.

Me myself and I wrote:

A little angry there???

Sure, and with good reason. Look at the increases in tuition that are needed to maintain these vanity programs. So if I want to study business or engineering, I have to subsidize some silliness.

Me myself and I wrote:

What's appalling is that you see no value in the Arts or Philosophy while promoting a capitalist system who's products are often based upon these disciplines. Even the most ardent follower of Von Mises could appreciate that there is more to society than economy.

Oh please. Did I say these had no value? No. Just that taxpayers shouldn't be supporting these kinds of things. But to call these "disciplines" is utter nonsense. Medicine, biotech, engineering - these are disciplines that require college. Did Michael Jackson need the Cal State system for his "discipline"? No. How about Van Gogh?

Get over it. In good you can engage in such silliness. But this is reality check time.

TakeFive wrote:

This is good news. A philosophy degree from Cal Poly? Get outta' here!
Let's also kill these useless programs ......
I want my tax dollars spent on something that will get an economic benefit for this state. Fully fund engineering and business, and let the other departments fight over what's left.

We'd save a lot more money if we hired engineers from abroad. A lot cheaper than hiring you.... In fact, we should close all the engineering programs here too, and just start educating people in India and China. Then we'd really save a bundle! Who needs expensively educated American engineers who know the price of everything but the value of nothing?

"If you think education is expensive -- try ignorance." ;)

Thank you Arnie you will be remembered forever

My son got his BS in Computer Science from Cal Poly. At the beginning of his first quarter there, he questioned us about the value of General Ed studies. By the end of the first quarter, he was 100% in favor of them. An undergraduate degree is not just training a la ITT tech. It is the degree that makes the well-rounded, thoughtful adult. The value of the broad range of study cannot be overstated. Now, more than ever, we need that.

Welcome to the Dark ages!!!!! Pomona resident District one

I think it is terrible that the cuts always affect the students, NEVER administrators. They continue to sit pretty, making great money, never at risk. Why? Because they make all the decisions and they are trying to protect themselves. It's even worse knowing that some administrators used to be professors and should understand the value of all disciplines. Why not cut their salaries or consolidate their positions? What about time wasting committees that produce nothing but are done on the Universities dime?

The engineering degree used to be well respected. Now engineers are seen merely as techs or even like mechanics. I know many engineers are making only $35,000 a year. It's a sad state of affairs for the engineers. Cal Poly Pomona needs a nursing program. There is a great demand for it. Nurses could also make six figures easily with some overtime.

First let me start off by saying I, too, am frustrated by the state budget situation and its impact on education. Let's remember what has caused this mess to begin with--expenses exceeding revenue. Jobs are being outsourced to other countries and people are losing their homes as a result of it. The revenue is not there so expenses need to be cut.

Next, I work in higher education. I have worked at a private university and work at community college and I also worked at Cal Poly Pomona. As an administrator, I do not sit around trying to figure out ways to save my job. I spend most of my days trying to figure out how to provide the same level of services for my students knowing that my budget can be further reduced at any time. I worry about how far my budget will stretch before June 30 that the student workers in my office will not have to be let go, but that they will also develop skills to use in the workforce upon graduation. I worry about whether the state will generate enough revenue so that ALL levels of education will have enough money to keep our heads above water so we can do our best to educate students. Committees and meeting are conducted to plan, budget, review programs for currency and necessity, ensure rigorous curriculum to educate our students and many more purposes. Unless you have sat through a meeting at a college campus, do not assume all we have in mind is protecting our jobs.

It took a while for the state to get into this mess. It will take a while to get out of it. In the meantime, tough decisions within education must be made to contribute our share of the cuts.

Past My Bedtime wrote:

My son got his BS in Computer Science from Cal Poly. At the beginning of his first quarter there, he questioned us about the value of General Ed studies. By the end of the first quarter, he was 100% in favor of them. An undergraduate degree is not just training a la ITT tech. It is the degree that makes the well-rounded, thoughtful adult. The value of the broad range of study cannot be overstated. Now, more than ever, we need that.

This is not an all-or-nothing proposition. You can (and should)still have general education. But you can offer philosophy, history or political science classes without having a degree program in these fields. The study of philosophy will not go away because it's not offered at Cal Poly.

SGV Educator wrote:

First let me start off by saying I, too, am frustrated by the state budget situation and its impact on education. Let's remember what has caused this mess to begin with--expenses exceeding revenue. Jobs are being outsourced to other countries and people are losing their homes as a result of it. The revenue is not there so expenses need to be cut.
Next, I work in higher education. I have worked at a private university and work at community college and I also worked at Cal Poly Pomona. As an administrator, I do not sit around trying to figure out ways to save my job. I spend most of my days trying to figure out how to provide the same level of services for my students knowing that my budget can be further reduced at any time. I worry about how far my budget will stretch before June 30 that the student workers in my office will not have to be let go, but that they will also develop skills to use in the workforce upon graduation. I worry about whether the state will generate enough revenue so that ALL levels of education will have enough money to keep our heads above water so we can do our best to educate students. Committees and meeting are conducted to plan, budget, review programs for currency and necessity, ensure rigorous curriculum to educate our students and many more purposes. Unless you have sat through a meeting at a college campus, do not assume all we have in mind is protecting our jobs.
It took a while for the state to get into this mess. It will take a while to get out of it. In the meantime, tough decisions within education must be made to contribute our share of the cuts.

Your office should not be a jobs program for students. Tell them to go down to the career center and look a the the job board for part time employment.

Next, look at why you need all these worker bees in your office. My guess is that like most educational bureaucracies you spend an inordinate amount of time shuffing paper generated by "new initiatives" or "programs" that accomplish little of use. Yeah, they help a few students, the the ROI is lousy.

But the biggest problem is not the lack of funding, but the education bubble that has inflated college costs well beyond reason.

Just like the housing bubble, cheap and easy student loans, coupled with the Everyone Must Go To College nonsense pushed by the education-industrial complex have caused college costs, like housing, to soar out of proportion with income.

And like housing, there is a correction taking place.

Cal Poly Pomona is one of the finest institutions in the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire areas. Cal Poly Pomona can definitely increase their health science programs especially nursing and pre-med. Cal Poly should really consider turning into a UC school

John Peterson wrote:

Cal Poly Pomona is one of the finest institutions in the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire areas. Cal Poly Pomona can definitely increase their health science programs especially nursing and pre-med. Cal Poly should really consider turning into a UC school

I rather let it stay as a Cal State. Simply because the mission of a Cal State isn't to do research like the UC's, but to educate students. Educating students and having great accessibility to that education is the most important thing there is as a university.

Cal Poly Pomona whether it is a Cal State or UC is still a superb university. This university is a hidden gem.

Philosophy is not gender studies. Philosophy teaches logic, ethics, and critical thinking. I don't know how one can have a university without those subjects.