Petition to President Machen to Keep Philosophy's Ph.D. Program 

6:24 pm PDT, May 13, Kiara Toti, Florida
PhD Philosophy: Yes, Please!

6:17 pm PDT, May 13, Sean Neubeck, Australia

4:48 pm PDT, May 13, Name not displayed, New York
liberal arts are essential for a well-rounded education. Taking away these will only hurt the students and might prevent them from growing into free-thinking individuals who can examine an issue through different lights.

4:35 pm PDT, May 13, Michael Baker, Florida
I have closely followed the new budget proposal, and found the loss of the Philosophy PhD program the most regrettable. As a business major I understand and respect how difficult budgetary decisions can be, but the Liberal Arts are what make a University a balanced "universal" academic environment and not simply an over priced vocational school.

4:26 pm PDT, May 13, Jayne Earle, Florida
Have you lost your mind?

4:25 pm PDT, May 13, Philip Robbins, Missouri
Philosophy is a core discipline in the humanities, and no university that wishes to maintain its research profile in the humanities can afford to dispense with its Philosophy doctoral program -- especially one as distinguished as the program at UF. Eliminating the Philosophy PhD program at UF would be, at best, penny-wise and pound-foolish.

3:35 pm PDT, May 13, Charles Poole, Florida
It disappoints me to hear this news having earned both a BA and MA from UF's Philosophy program, but it also dismays me in light of certain experiences encountered as I pursue a Ph.D. at FSU's School of Theatre. FSU's PH.D. in Theatre Studies has been placed merely on indefinite hiatus, the effects of which have been far-reaching within the department. Demoting the program in this manner makes it more difficult to recruit and retain Masters students, which harms the graduate program further. A lack of Ph.D. and MA students then presents a significant strain on the teaching load for those graduate students who remain _and_ professors alike. The smaller pool of instructors presents real challenges to teaching the required undergraduate courses, let alone any special topics courses. So the elimination harms the undergraduate program, too. Finally such conditions can conceivably lead even the most dedicated professor to question whether continuing at such a department is in his or her best professional interest. Is it reasonable to expect strong professors to stick around a non-terminal degree offering program whose increased teaching load prevents them from pursuing their own research and publication? In short, eliminating the Ph.D. can cause a department to implode. I cannot overstate how grateful I am to have studied philosophy at UF or how fond my memories are of the experience. Eliminating its Ph.D program would be doing a big thing badly; please don't.

2:43 pm PDT, May 13, Sean Waters, Colorado

2:36 pm PDT, May 13, C Thomas Moore, Kentucky

2:32 pm PDT, May 13, Bobbie Bean, Florida

2:29 pm PDT, May 13, Gabriela Phillips, Florida

2:28 pm PDT, May 13, Laura Guidry-Grimes, Florida
I have personally witnessed FSU's Theatre Department's struggle following the Provost's decision to destroy the Theatre Studies Ph.D. Philosophy is integral to a liberal studies education, seeing as these lessons infiltrate every level of discourse from biology to political science to psychology, etcetera. Well-learned graduate students will boost the prestige of the University of Florida, and they will also help undergraduates receive a top-notch education. I guarantee that this decision would create a trickle effect that would hurt the entire department. My fiance received his bachelor's and master's degrees in UF Philosophy, and through him I am aware of the exceptional faculty in the department. The Ph.D. program often serves as the lifeblood of any department, as it offers intensive study to talented students, brings that talent to the university in the first place, allows proper instruction to undergraduates, and keeps the faculty stimulated and motivated. Moreover, if UF no longer offers a terminal degree in Philosophy, the university will see a dramatic drop in applications and talent among the students in the department. The Ph.D. is required for the majority of students who want to pursue the field professionally. The President will thereby discourage master's philosophy students, which will in turn discourage undergraduates from studying the subject. President Machen, please support UF's current students, faculty, and prospective students and leave this program be.

2:09 pm PDT, May 13, Justin Leiber, Florida
Dan Dennett mentions the case of a mobile-when-juvenile sea creature that promptly eats its brain once settled down to a stationary adulthood. Alas UF.

2:02 pm PDT, May 13, Daniel Beaulieu, Florida
I spent my first two years at the University of Florida trying out a variety of majors. At times, I was majoring in political science, public relations, English, and history. Finally, I switched to my true calling - philosophy. Never before did I feel I was adequately challenged, nor had I ever found a subject so intellectually stimulating. I will be graduating in the Spring, so your decision does not affect me, President Machen. However, I am angered by the fact that you are depriving future students like me the same opportunities and challenges that I had. Without the Ph.D. in Philosophy, there will not be the great TAs that the program currently enjoys. Many of my most stimulating and rewarding classes during my time at this university were taught by philosophy graduate students. I strongly encourage you to reconsider your decision, and do everything in your power to save the Philosophy Ph.D. program - even if it means making some sacrifices yourself. I do not believe the University of Florida could call itself the "flagship" university of the state if it did not have a solid philosophy program.

1:37 pm PDT, May 13, Bethany ONeill, New York

1:12 pm PDT, May 13, David Schrader, Delaware
The University of Florida has a distinguished Philosophy program, one of the very few in the southeastern United States. To eliminate this program would be an embarrassment for the University of Florida. It would serve the people of Florida and of the region poorly. It would drop the University of Florida out of the ranks of first-rate comprehensive universities. Dr. David E. Schrader Executive Director American Philosophical Association

12:54 pm PDT, May 13, Eugenia Scharf, Florida
Unless Ph.D. no longer stands for Doctor of Philosophy,I can't imagine anything dumber than continuing to award this degree in a large university lacking a Department of Philosophy. It would (and should) make UF the laughing stock of the academic world.

12:11 pm PDT, May 13, Pam Boland, Georgia

11:43 am PDT, May 13, Monica Kalinowski, Florida
Philosophy is one of the basics in creating an educated person. Let's keep it alive and well at UF!

11:27 am PDT, May 13, Salas Sanchez Bennasar, New York

11:15 am PDT, May 13, Eugenio Zaldivar, Florida
I know of no university that is both excellent and yet fails to offer a PhD in Philosophy.

11:11 am PDT, May 13, Jean-David Lafrance, New York

11:02 am PDT, May 13, Name not displayed, Florida
President Machen, please reconsider your decision. It's unfortunate that you have to seriously reduce the institution's budget, but philosophy is the core of all subjects.

10:46 am PDT, May 13, James Filler, Texas
These programs are too important to cut.

10:27 am PDT, May 13, Piers Turner, North Carolina

9:55 am PDT, May 13, Laureen Cobb, Texas
I feel it is a mistake for you to be considering the removal of the Philosophy Program at your institution. It would be a very short-sighted move and I urge you to reevaluate and reconsider your options. There is no substitution for Philosophy in this world. At its roots, it is the basis for systematic logical thinking which, in and of itself, impacts all areas of free enterprise and life in general. In the unfortunate position that you are in, having to pick a program to drop, it is my opinion that you should drop one that doesn't play such an important, widespread role in society as a whole. Perhaps a Physical Education Program, which would have less detrimental potential, would be a better option?

9:43 am PDT, May 13, Meredith Polansky, North Carolina

9:16 am PDT, May 13, Holly Stillman, Florida
Philosophy is the foundation of all other disciplines. You cannot remove it without jeopardizing the integrity of UF's entire academic structure.

9:06 am PDT, May 13, Douglas Jesseph, North Carolina
It's disturbing to find out that the University of Florida has no interest in being a serious institution of higher learning. I can see no economic rationale that might justify this move, as the trivial cost savings will be vastly counterbalanced by the damage done to the reputation of the university.

8:53 am PDT, May 13, Greg Reber, California
this is a needed program to maintain forums for thought and pushing the envelope.

8:50 am PDT, May 13, Santiago Zabala, Germany

8:38 am PDT, May 13, Michael Heyman, Massachusetts

8:38 am PDT, May 13, Alexander Silano, Florida

8:35 am PDT, May 13, Dan Svatek, Florida
UF needs philosophers, not philistines

8:30 am PDT, May 13, Peter Salomone, Florida

8:20 am PDT, May 13, Reese Ruder, Florida

7:49 am PDT, May 13, Amanda Swenson, Florida

7:47 am PDT, May 13, Aaron Shaheen, Tennessee

7:46 am PDT, May 13, Name not displayed, Illinois

7:13 am PDT, May 13, Margaret Romero, Texas

6:54 am PDT, May 13, Thomas Ryckman, Wisconsin
You have a very good Ph.D. program in Philosophy. I should think that, if you want to become one of the best state universities in the country--you not there yet, you would want to build on that foundation rather than destroy it.

6:43 am PDT, May 13, Scott Kimbrough, Florida
Cutting the Ph.D. would predictably result in the loss of excellent faculty. In addition, the quality of graduate students would go down, adversely affecting the instruction of undergraduates at the university.

6:00 am PDT, May 13, Steph Boluk, Florida

4:21 am PDT, May 13, Garrau Marie, France

12:10 am PDT, May 13, Spencer Hamilton, Florida

9:37 pm PDT, May 12, Arthur Rosales, Florida
I find it ridiculous that there even has to be a petition to begin with. Unbelievable.

9:08 pm PDT, May 12, Name not displayed, Canada
As UF alumna, I have to say that eliminating this program poses an embarrassment to our institution.

7:41 pm PDT, May 12, Name not displayed, Florida
Cutting UF's Philosophy PhD program is just an astonishingly terrible idea.

7:38 pm PDT, May 12, Stephen Armstrong, Florida

7:33 pm PDT, May 12, Taylor Carman, New York
Please reconsider this short-sighted and obviously unwise decision.

7:28 pm PDT, May 12, Dustin McCook, Florida
If they want to cut spending, they should dump the pathetic "Tobacco Free Florida" campaign.

7:15 pm PDT, May 12, HaNa Kim, Virginia

6:53 pm PDT, May 12, Mary Bridgewater, New Jersey

5:33 pm PDT, May 12, Damien Vacaflor, Florida
Philosophy is the thought behind the universe. It, next to mathamatics, is the WORST program to cut.

5:15 pm PDT, May 12, Michael Lubbers, Michigan
The "blowback" from decisions like these are rarely ever seriously considered. Cost-cutting measures may balance budgets, but if/when financial stability returns, not everything can be bought back.

5:02 pm PDT, May 12, Skyler Kern, Florida
I believe we should keep the money dedicated towards to betterment of philosophy by allowing funding for students to advance in the field of Philosophy.

4:40 pm PDT, May 12, Claire Long, North Carolina
President Machen, as a student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, I fear the the loss of the PhD in Philosophy would be detrimental to the college.

4:28 pm PDT, May 12, Nakul Krishna, United Kingdom

4:22 pm PDT, May 12, Clariece Stuewe, Florida
Florida students and graduates - need this PHD program.