More views have been circulating with regards to UF President Machen’s proposed budget reductions for fiscal year 2008-2009, and I take this means to update interested spectators. Don’t forget to sign the petition here if you agree that the program ought not to be cut. As Leiter and Brandon suggest, add a comment as to why you’re signing the petition (I wish I had heeded their advice when I signed it earlier today).
First, The Chronicle’s Sara Hebel reports here on the $4 billion budget cuts state lawmakers forced upon education, health care, and “other areas of state spending.” State colleges and universities, according to her story, were asked to thin their budget by 6%. So, although it appears that UF’s President Machen was the first Florida university administrator to announce $47 million budget cutbacks, he won’t be the last.
Second, the Florida Student Philosophy Blog has had some thoughtful commentary here. One should note the comments by Sabrina Jamil (see comment #3). She says that it is unusual UF’s administrators aren’t facing as many cutbacks as academic programs. Also, she points out that Greek organizations don’t seem to be suffering from the budget cutbacks either.
Finally, Brandon offers a dissenting argument here. He argues that the loss of UF’s PhD program in philosophy is “a good thing,” since it will cut back on the number of philosophy PhD graduates entering the tight academic philosophy job market. He’s got a point!
