By C.J. Lynch
The College of Engineering is hoping for increased funding from the 2004-05 budget to pay for additional faculty support over the next year.
“Our budget is not finalized yet,” said Dean Allen Soyster. “But our number one priority will be the addition of new faculty.”
Soyster’s remarks follow a common trend throughout Northeastern. Last month, Dean of Arts and Sciences James Stellar cited similar financial priorities for his respective college.
The College of Engineering is categorized into five departments: chemical, civil and environmental, mechanical and industrial, electrical and computer and technology.
Professor Peter G. Furth, the chairman of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said his department had three fundamental priorities in the next budget: an increase in faculty, additional teaching assistants and money for updating equipment.
“We need some increase in faculty,” said Furth, who also emphasized the importance of finding support in the form of TA’s for professors already working in the department.
In the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, there are 9 TA’s for its 13 faculty members. In addition to support for faculty, Furth said a lack of funding often accounts for outdated equipment.
“The equipment budget has been completely haphazard,” Furth said. “We get zero, and then at the last minute, we get some money. I just go along hoping that when things break, when the stuff goes obsolete, the money will be there.”
The resources lacking with the need for finances is not only a concern to faculty, but to students as well.
“We don’t have enough labs,” said Jeff Tremble, a sophomore computer engineering technology major.
While some students are satisfied with the resources in the college, they still feel that the supply of teachers is not up to par.
“I was not satisfied, since I switched majors,” said Binh Le, a middler who switched from the College of Engineering to Computer Science. “The professors, some of them don’t speak English, it was unclear.”
Other students did not see this as a problem.
“I’ve had other non-engineering teachers that are hard to understand, but you get used to it,” said Aaron Leach, a junior chemical engineering major.
Still, the program is satisfying in its current position to some.
“I love the engineering program,” said Justin Schoeth, a senior mechanical engineering major. “I think the co-op helps out a lot too.”
-News correspondent Danielle Livoti contributed to this report.
