<p>Earlier today, the Times revealed that most tenured faculty members at SEAS are unhappy with Dean Pe</p>
<p>Interesting… i wonder what Columbia having a lot of “getting used to” means…? Is Columbia’s culture really that much different from MIT or UIUC?</p>
<p>I don’t know about MIT or UIUC, but as someone who came here from a small LAC, it really is very different.</p>
<p>I think one of the comments on bwog got it right:
</p>
<p>Also, here is the actual letter, [url=<a href=“Columbia Faculty Letter to Provost on Dean Peña-Mora - Document - NYTimes.com”>Columbia Faculty Letter to Provost on Dean Peña-Mora - Document - NYTimes.com]Columbia</a> Faculty Letter to Provost on Dean Pe</p>
<p>As someone who has actually MET the dean and interacts with him moderately frequently, this entire thing is ridiculous. He is an absolutely charming man who would never hurt a fly with only the best of intentions. Also, as a current student in the engineering school, I have not experienced any of these so called serious issues that apparently are supposed to be effecting me? My brother is also a senior at the engineering school and has not endured any of these problems, either.</p>
<p>Stop believing everything you read. At Columbia there is always an issue, always someone protesting, always change going on. It’s really not that big of a deal. Seriously. I know people who write for Bwog, I know people who write for Spec-- one article posted is not a big deal. Two articles posted is not a big deal. It’s Columbia, for heaven’s sake. We protest-- that’s what we DO.</p>
<p>i definitely have been classes where kids had to sit on the floor because there weren’t enough chairs. </p>
<p>more importantly though, this really isn’t about the students. i mean sure grad students are unhappy about things like not being able to ta for than a year, because its a source of funding for them. the real issue is that the faculty is unhappy with him. just because he is a nice guy doesn’t mean he knows what he is doing and that he hasn’t made mistakes. until today, i had no idea that they were unhappy. though, my only interaction with them is going to class and sitting through lectures.</p>
<p>i think this article in the spectator is more informative, [url=<a href=“http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2011/12/07/dean-pe-mora-under-fire-faculty]Dean”>http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2011/12/07/dean-pe-mora-under-fire-faculty]Dean</a> Pe</p>
<p>The question isn’t whether he’s nice or trying, it’s whether he’s competent and achieving. Apparently the faculty don’t feel so.</p>
<p>Sure, him being nice doesn’t mean he’s trying (and succeeding). But all of these stories are getting their information from each other, not various sources. It’s really not that big of a deal, and it’s just the media/Columbia students doing what they do best: overreacting. If it was a larger deal, there would be multiple informative sources. Instead, there was one letter found with no background on the actual letter and people interpreting it this and that way.</p>
<p>The actual letter is here: [url=<a href=“Columbia Faculty Letter to Provost on Dean Peña-Mora - Document - NYTimes.com”>Columbia Faculty Letter to Provost on Dean Peña-Mora - Document - NYTimes.com]Columbia</a> Faculty Letter to Provost on Dean Pe</p>
<p>You still aren’t getting the point. This isn’t about the students. Its about professors.</p>
<p>No, you’re missing <em>my</em> point. By the students overreacting, I’m talking about Spec and Bwog.</p>
<p>Isabel, when the majority of tenured faculty are publicly declaring the lack of confidence they have in their dean and the dean has to hire a vice-dean to handle academic matters, it’s a big deal. Pe</p>
<p>Is the space issue only in the Engineering school? </p>
<p>Since Columbia is a pretty small campus, I’d imagine space issue is pretty common not just in Engineering, but CC also has similar issue with the lack of space for research.</p>
<p>Space is, and always has been, a huge issue for Columbia. There’s always been a tug-of-war between the professional schools, the university administration, and the undergraduate schools (particularly the College) over space allocation. Columbia absolutely does not have enough space on the Morningside Heights campus now, which is why Bollinger has pushed the Manhattanville expansion so hard.</p>
<p>[Letter</a> to the editor](<a href=“http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2011/12/19/web-exclusive-letter-editor]Letter”>http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2011/12/19/web-exclusive-letter-editor)</p>
<p>Gee, thats great and all, but how is a statement of confidence regarding the dean’s commitment to undergrads going to help change the dean’s hiring practices, or the space problems?</p>
<p>have no idea</p>