Philosophy at University of Alaska, Fairbanks Is “Terminated”
There will be no more philosophy program at the University of Alaska, according to an article in the UAF Sun Star.
In an e-mail sent to philosophy students, Eduardo Wilner, department chair of philosophy and humanities said the program “is terminated.” Wilner says there will be a “teach-out period, meaning that all majors will be given time to finish in a ‘timely-fashion.’” Wilner was told by the provost’s office this means “within four years from the original day of enrollment.” The e-mail said that philosophy might “survive in some form or another.” A suggested solution was consolidating it with another program. Administration would prefer to merge it with the UAA philosophy program, according to Wilner. However, he said these solutions are “hypothetical, at best.”
The University is aiming to save $3 million. The Philosophy Department was likely targeted owing to its low number of majors:
As of fall 2014, philosophy had eight degree seeking students, according to university data. The average graduating philosophy class in the past decade: three.
According to the article, the department has one tenured associate professor, one professor emeritus, one professor on term appointment, and one adjunct.
Thanks to Fritz Allhoff for the heads-up about this. He notes that the University of Alaska at Anchorage, 350 miles south, has the only remaining philosophy department in the state.
Merging with UAA? No worries. I’ve made that 7 hour drive many times. Piece of cake.
It would be akin to University of Massachusetts Amherst closing their department but saying “Well we might try to merge departments so you could take philosophy at the University of Maryland”
Also of note, UAF is not some little insignificant minor state school, it the state’s major research University that attends PAC-12 academic meetings.
This ought to terrify us all.
I know this is ten-year-old news, but I’m just now learning of it, and I’m shocked and disappointed. Have there been any changes? Without philosophy, there isn’t a university. In today’s climate of neoliberal higher education, FTE’s become the only reality when short-sighted managerialism takes root and begins the process of hidden decay underneath the institution’s entire foundation. A low enrollment isn’t necessarily cause for targeting a program–a lot of other factors have to be considered. Were faculty given opportunity reconceptualize the department? Philosophy has the potential to become an incredibly popular academic offering, but programs across the nation are in need of a drastic updating and an approach that brings to the fore philosophy’s engaging curricular possibilities. If faculty were not given this opportunity, then the reason is obvious: administration is afraid of critical thinking among the faculty and aren’t interested in promoting it among current students and the state’s populace in general. Keeping the populace compliant, keeps neoliberal policies in place, and keeps shills like Murkowski in office.