University of Florida Drops Plan To Restructure Computer Engineering Department

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Century Tower at the University of Florida

The University of Florida is scrapping a plan to trim and restructure its computer science and engineering department, according to the Gainesville Sun.

School president Bernie Machen cited “overwhelming negative response.”

A Forbes story about the proposed cuts made waves on social media sites (though the story misstated some of the facts.)

In an email to faculty and staff, Machen said the department chairmen of computer and information science and engineering (CISE) and electrical and computer engineering have developed the framework of a new plan for a joint organization of the two departments.

The interim chairman of CISE, Gerhard Ritter, said he hoped faculty would see the plan as a good alternative.

“Hopefully, the vast majority will see that it’s an opportunity instead of a negative,” he said.

Faculty and students were concerned the idea could surface again.