Computer
      Science
      Program
      Threatened
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rumours
      have
      hit
      campus
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      the
      Computer
      Science
     
     
      Department
      is
      closing.
     
    

    
     
      In
      mid-February,
      a
      final
     
     
      report
      was
      issued
      by
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      Computer
      Science
      Program
      Advisory
     
     
      Committee,
      which
      stated
      that
      the
     
     
      mandate
      of
      UPEI’s
      computer
      science
     
     
      education
      should
      be
      redefined
      from
     
     
      the
      traditional
      courses
      to
      ones
      with
     
     
      more
      existing
      support,
      such
      as
      biolo-
     
     
      gy
      and
      nursing.
     
    

    
     
      On
      March
      1,
      the
      Faculty
      of
     
     
      Science
      issued
      a
      response
      to
      this
     
     
      report.
      The
      response
      included
      sever-
     
     
      al
      arguments
      against
      recommenda-
     
     
      tions
      that
      were
      made
      in
      the
      report.
     
     
      There
      was
      also
      confusion
      about
      the
     
     
      four
      very
      different
      types
      of
      program-
     
     
      ming:
      Traditional
      §
      Academic
     
     
      Computer
      Science,
      Information
     
     
      Technology,
      Computer
      Science
     
     
      “across
      the
      curricula’,
      and
     
     
      Interdisciplinary
      Programs.
      The
     
     
      Faculty
      of
      Science
      response
      address-
     
     
      es
      these
      issues
      in
      a
      more
      understand-
     
     
      able
      fashion.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Wade
      MacLauchlan,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      President
      and
      Vice-Chancellor
      of
     
     
      UPEL,
      discussed
      the
      reports
      and
      what
     
     
      changes
      may
      be
      taking
      place.
     
    

    
     
      “It’s
      a
      very
      complex
      thing
      to.
     
     
      get
      into
      a
      single
      report,”
      said
     
     
      MacLauchlan.
      “
      If
      you
      see
      one
      docu-
     
     
      ment,
      there’s
      always
      been
      one
      before
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it
      and
      one
      coming
      after
      it.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      board
      has
      had
      consulta-
     
     
      tions
      with
      the
      private
      sector
      and
      pub-
     
     
      lic
      sector
      in
      the
      province
      to
      address
     
     
      what
      the
      university
      can
      and
      should
      be
     
     
      doing.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      believe
      by
      the
      end
      of
      this
     
     
      week,
      early
      next
      week,
      a
      new
      docu-
     
     
      ment
      will
      be
      put
      out
      that
      set
      out
      the
     
     
      course
      that
      we
      see
      ourselves.
      It’s
      a
     
     
      type
      of
      ‘map’
      for
      us,”
      explained
     
     
      MacLauchlan.
      “Right
      now,
      we
      are
      at
     
     
      the
      stage
      of
      finding
      out
      what
      PEI’s
     
     
      role
      is
      in
      the
      computer
      science
      depart-
     
     
      ment
      and
      what
      the
      computer
      sector
     
     
      will
      be
      in
      the
      next
      many
      years.”
     
    

    
     
      He
      feels
      that
      some
      people
      are
     
     
      looking
      at
      this
      as
      a
      negative
      or
      threat-
     
     
      ening
      thing.
      “We
      have
      to
      send
      a
     
     
      broader
      message
      to
      the
      university.
      We
     
     
      have
      a
      lot
      to
      do
      and
      we
      should
      engage
     
     
      in
      it
      together.”
      He
      concluded,
      “This
     
     
      must
      include
      a
      strong
      team
      behind
      the
     
     
      computer
      science
      department
      as
      well.
     
     
      We
      must
      move
      forward
      and
      not
      lose
     
     
      momentum.”
     
    

    
     
      Steven
      Howard,
      Chair
      of
      the
     
     
      Computer
      Science
      Program,
      feels
      that
     
     
      the
      report
      was
      threatening
      to
      the
      pro-
     
     
      gram.
      “
      It
      was
      shocking
      to
      the
      depart-
     
     
      ment,”
      said
      Howard.
      “
      [The
      report]
     
     
      seemed
      rushed
      through
      and
      unre-
     
     
      searched.”
     
    

    
     
      Howard
      strongly
      supports
      the
     
     
      computer
      science
      program,
      but
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      believes
      its
      perceived
      importance
      is
     
     
      decreasing.
      “Computer
      science
      is
      a
     
     
      strong
      discipline
      that
      seems
      to
      be
      for-
     
     
      gotten,”
      he
      said
      .
     
    

    
     
      He
      believes
      that
      the
      computer
     
     
      science
      program
      was
      targeted
      due
      to
      a
     
     
      general
      confusion
      between
      using
      a
     
     
      computer,
      and
      the
      actual
      skills
      taught
     
     
      by
      the
      Computer
      Science
      department.
     
     
      “Tt’s
      like
      comparing
      the
      instructors
     
     
      who
      teach
      you
      how
      to
      drive
      a
      car
      to
     
     
      the
      engineers
      who
      actually
      design
      and
     
     
      build
      the
      car,”
      explained
      Howard.
     
     
      “Whenever
      something
      goes
      wrong
      or
     
     
      involves
      using
      a
      computer,
      we
      get
     
     
      thrown
      on
      the
      table.”
     
    

    
     
      Students
      also
      want
      to
      have
      a
     
     
      say
      in
      what
      is
      going
      to
      happen
      to
      the
     
     
      program.
      Greg
      Scott,
      a
      fourth
      year
     
     
      Computer
      Science
      student,
      is
      one
      of
     
     
      several
      students
      who
      decided
      to
      voice
     
     
      their
      concerns.
     
    

    
     
      “Computer
      science
      is
      defi-
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nitely
      important
      to.
      the
      community
     
     
      and
      at
      the
      same
      time
      is
      also
      funda-
     
     
      mental,”
      said
      Scott.
      “Especially
      with
     
     
      the
      Co-op
      Program,
      it
      gives
      compa-
     
     
      nies
      the
      opportunity
      to
      hire
      right
      out
     
     
      of
      UPEI
      instead
      of
      turning
      to
      other
     
     
      universities.”
     
    

    
     
      He,
      as
      well
      as
      other
      students,
     
     
      have
      met
      with
      the
      President
      to
      discuss
     
     
      this
      issue.
      They
      also
      plan
      on
      talking
      to
     
     
      the
      Minister
      of
      Education
      and
      the
     
     
      Minister
      of
      Development
      and
     
     
      Technology.
     
    

    
     
      “There
      is
      no
      longer
      a
      ‘hiring
     
     
      freeze’
      which
      means
      things
      are
      look-
     
     
      ing
      positive,”
      said
      Scott.
      “Other
     
     
      Universities
      are
      expanding
      their
      com-
     
     
      puter
      science
      programs
      and
      we
     
     
      should
      be
      doing
      the
      same.
      I
      think
     
     
      we’re
      getting
      the
      message
      across
      of
     
     
      how
      important
      this
      program
      is,
      not
     
     
      just
      to
      computer
      science
      students,
      but
     
     
      to
      all
      students.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      =>
      ——
      oe
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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