# Why did Tulane get rid of all their engineering programs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2009, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tulane-get-rid-of-all-their-engineering-programs/504530 "2009-07-28T07:43:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tulane-get-rid-of-all-their-engineering-programs/504530/1 "2009-07-28T07:43:43Z")
From [this reference here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._Clark). Seems an odd thing to do when engineers of many stripes are in ever increasing demand. > [@](#): > > In the Fall of 2005 Clark and David Filo of Yahoo! each donated $30 million to Tulane University’s School of Engineering for merit based scholarships to provide education to deserving students regardless of financial situation in the discipline of engineering. However, after Tulane’s restructuring that saw the elimination of nearly all engineering disciplines, the board requested Clark and Filo allow the funds to be used for other programs. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tulane-get-rid-of-all-their-engineering-programs/504530/2 "2009-07-28T07:48:55Z")
I am a Tulane alum and that is the first I ever heard of something like that. It can’t be right (or maybe it is but it does seem odd). ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tulane-get-rid-of-all-their-engineering-programs/504530/3 "2009-07-28T07:53:46Z")
Looking at Tulane’s web site, there are a bunch of traditional engineering programs missing. It looks like they focused on the ones that they are best at like biomedical engineering and other high-tech biological engineering programs and did away with the rest. I did not know that but I can understand it. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina triggered a lot of this but Tulane is still doing quite well from what I read and here. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tulane-get-rid-of-all-their-engineering-programs/504530/4 "2009-07-28T07:55:58Z")
Tulane was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina, and found itself in disastrous financial situation. To counter this, they engaged in massive layoffs, firing something like 2000 part time staff members, over 200 faculty members, suspending most of their athletic programs, getting rid of a bunch of doctoral programs, eliminating a number of departments, including most of their engineering departments, and closing the all female Newcomb College and combining it with the all male Tulane College to become Tulane-Newcomb College. Here’s the renewal plan: [http://renewal.tulane.edu/index.shtml](http://renewal.tulane.edu/index.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tulane-get-rid-of-all-their-engineering-programs/504530/5 "2009-07-28T11:08:05Z")
Here’s the closest to a listing of the engineering programs to be kept and to be closed that I can find: > **[| tulane](https://tulane.edu/news/tulanian/renewal_academic_reorganization.cfm)** > > Tulane University is a comprehensive research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tulanians see challenges as opportunities, and strive to improve the lives of others in our own community and around the globe. So mechanical, electrical, computer, and civil engineering are eliminated and biomedical and chemical are kept. You know, astro, it would help if you accurately quote from the things you cite. In the citation you give, it says “nearly all,” not “all.” ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tulane-get-rid-of-all-their-engineering-programs/504530/6 "2009-07-28T12:00:06Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am a Tulane alum and that is the first I ever heard of something like that. It can’t be right (or maybe it is but it does seem odd). It is correct. ☹ opinions vary as to why the calculus worked out as it did, but the bottom line as always was money. the engineering school is too expensive to run. Compare it to a business school-some offices and a subscription to the WSJ. So yes, it is gone. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tulane-get-rid-of-all-their-engineering-programs/504530/7 "2009-07-28T14:39:51Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > It is correct. ☹ > opinions vary as to why the calculus worked out as it did, but the bottom line as always was money. the engineering school is too expensive to run. Compare it to a business school-some offices and a subscription to the WSJ. > So yes, it is gone. I’d have to guess this is at least part of it. Engineering programs are quite costly to run.