Several hundred Tulane University freshmen and sophomores returning to New Orleans after a semester displaced by Hurricane Katrina may be packing their bags once again.
After the Tulane advisory board's Dec. 8 decision to eliminate three of its five engineering departments, professors and administrators are urging underclassmen studying those subjects to transfer from Tulane to other universities that offer the degrees they want.
According to Joseph Sun, the director of academic affairs for Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science, Penn has not been approached for help in any way.
Tulane engineering students may apply to transfer to Penn in the fall, but they will be considered "strictly on the basis of qualifications," Sun said.
The Engineering School usually takes in 10 to 20 transfer students per year.
Tulane's civil and environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering and computer science departments have all been cut. Current juniors and seniors will be able to receive degrees from these departments if they complete their studies by next spring.
Professors in these departments will then be out of work.
In a Dec. 10 letter to all Tulane undergraduates, the university's engineering Dean Nicholas Altiero said that, in the view of Tulane President Scott Cowen and the advisory board, the decision to eliminate the three departments was "strategic."
"The departments are far too small, relative to their counterparts, to effectively compete for national prominence," the statement read.
Tulane's two remaining Engineering departments -- chemical and biomedical engineering -- will be consolidated into a new School of Science and Engineering beginning July 1.
Though students in the eliminated departments do have the option of switching into one of the remaining engineering departments or into one of Tulane's non-engineering majors, many are opting to switch schools.
Mechanical engineering department Chairman Monte Mehrabadi estimates that 80 percent of the freshmen in his department will transfer out of Tulane.
There are roughly 400 undergraduates in the departments being eliminated.
Tulane is offering freshmen who wish to transfer $2,000 to cover the cost of visiting schools.
Sophomores in the departments to be eliminated may also apply for this reimbursement, but Tulane is currently working to arrange for sophomores to spend their senior year at the University of New Orleans.
Tulane civil engineering sophomore Courtney Miller is already planning to transfer.
"We know there's no turning back," she said. "Now everyone's focused on what to do next."
