 "Photo: William Swart")
President Sidney McPhee's final status report on "Positioning the University for the Future," released in late May, outlined the possible elimination of the Philosophy Department.
The status report said the recommendation for the elimination of the Department of Philosophy would be supported if a viable plan for significantly increasing the number of majors has not been approved by the interim provost and president by September 30, 2009.
McPhee said that the Physics Department was also under consideration for elimination, but after drafting a report to show how the department planned to grow, it was taken off of the list. He said the Philosophy Department has the same opportunity to present a plausible plan.
"If the department doesn't develop a concrete plan on how they intend to not only reduce costs but increase growth then it is my opinion that we ought not have that department at MTSU," McPhee said.
Diane Miller, vice provost for Academic Affairs and interim provost, said if a decision to eliminate or merge the department is made, a plan to phase out the major over a three- to four-year period will allow students currently enrolled in the major to complete their degree program.
McPhee said he thinks that the Philosophy Department is already preparing a plan for how to decrease spending and increase enrollment.
Ron Bombardi, Philosophy Department chair, was unavailable for comment.
McPhee said that the elimination of the department does not mean that the major would not still be available, however, the merging of the department could still be an option if the elimination were to occur.
"Should a decision be made to eliminate the Department of Philosophy, the interim provost, in consultation with the appropriate deans, academic personnel and Faculty Senate representatives, will explore the various options for merging the department with the most appropriate and compatible existing academic department at the University," the report said.
McPhee said that the possible departments that the Philosophy Department could be merged with would not be looked into unless the elimination is emanated.
"I am pretty depressed that they are talking about eliminating the Philosophy Department," said Jeff Pair, former MTSU philosophy graduate. "It is really important stuff, and it isn't practical but it is life skills that we learn."
Pair said that he feels that college is now all about jobs and not education. He said that the Philosophy Department is one of the best departments at MTSU and it would be a disservice to MTSU students if it were to be eliminated.
"I think the department is really great because we have great professors," Pair said. "I feel like the world is moving in a direction where philosophy is on the chopping block because of the societies focus on jobs, [and] they don't realize the value of philosophy."
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