[Iefac.list] Closing of FIU ISE Dept, and plea from students

Tue Jun 3 13:59:18 EDT 2008

Saif,

Thank you for your concerns about FIU.  The IIE Board of Trustees
discussed this matter at its recent meeting in May.  I want to let you
know that last week, I sent a letter to the FIU Board of Trustees on
behalf of the Institute of Industrial Engineers.  The letter was under
Ken Musselman's (IIE President) and my signature.  

In the letter, I expressed concern with the potential closing of the
department.  The letter defined the breadth of our profession and
highlighted the many ways that IEs are contributing to the success of
organizations around the globe.  In the letter, I also suggested that
FIU is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the dramatic global
growth that our profession is currently experiencing.  I pointed out how
industrial engineers contribute to resolving many of the grand
challenges recently identified by the National Academy of Engineering.
I suggested that the university can be very well-served by continuing
its IE program and I offered to facilitate discussions between FIU and
the many successful industrial engineering departments in North America
as well as with the deans of engineering who are industrial engineers.

I also spoke with the Executive Director of INFORMS about this matter
and outlined our plans as an association to support the university.

I sincerely hope that the comments of our association, its many
concerned members, and other like-minded groups and individuals will
sway the FIU Board.  My understanding is that they meet on June 12 to
address this matter, and perhaps to make decisions about the future of
the program.

Thanks again for your concern.

Don

Don H. Greene, P.E., CAE

Executive Director

Institute of Industrial Engineers

770-349-1129

________________________________

From: Saif Benjaafar [mailto:saif at umn.edu] 
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 6:29 PM
To: fellows at lists.iienet.org; iefac.list at mailhost.ces.clemson.edu
Cc: Don Greene
Subject: Fw: Closing of FIU ISE Dept, and plea from students

In case you have not seen this... Please consider signing the petition.
Perhaps IIE can intervene on behalf of the department at FIU.

Saif

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Ariela Sofer <mailto:asofer at gmu.edu>  

To: cieadh at lists.iienet.org 

Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 2:39 PM

Subject: Closing of FIU ISE Dept, and plea from students

Dear CIEADH members, 

INFORMS has recieved information about Florida International Univeristy
closing their ISE dept along with 17 other FIU depts to cope with a
severe budget shortfall.  Here is the news story on the Miami Herald's
site.  
http://www.miamiherald.com/519/story/543918.html

FIU has a very strong INFORMS student chapter and the students are
protesting and generating petitions to send to the Governor.  It is a
heartbreaking story.

Below is a plea for help from the student chapter at FIU - they are
collecting signatures on a petition to try and keep the dept from
closing down.  The petition can be signed at the following link
http://www.petitiononline.com/ISE52108/    The students are also asking
INFORMS members (And I am sure, also, IIE members) to send letter to the
FIU's president stating how important and valuable Industrial
Engineering is.

More information can be found at the web page  "Keep Industrial and
Systems  Engineering at FIU Alive!!" that the students have established
at  http://web.mac.com/save_ise/ISE_PLAN_X/Welcome.html

Please consider helping the FIU ISE Dept as urgently requested by the
students.   Also please pass the word to your faculty 

Thanks,

Ariela

________________________________

From: informs at fiu.edu [mailto:informs at fiu.edu]
Sent: Wed 5/28/2008 17:10
To: executive_director at mail.informs.org
Subject: INFORMS FIU Chapter

Dear Dr Mark Doherty,

My apologies for taking the attribute of just sending this email to you,
but we really need all your help.

We are currently pursuing a degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering
(ISE) at FIU. FIU with no reasonable justification has proposed to
permanently close our department. This decision will impact the current
students, alumni, South Florida community and industry.
As students, we will be working on a degree which will not have the same
value as it has today, having a degree from a department which does not
exist is not the same as having a degree from a department which is
stable and strong as it currently is.
This is the situation of over 300 students. We would like to encourage
you to sign the petition that we, as students, are preparing for the
Governor. The petition can be signed at the following link
http://www.petitiononline.com/ISE52108/
We need your help more than ever to reach our goal to stop the closure
of our department. It would be highly appreciated if you could send
letter to the FIU's president stating how important and valuable
Industrial Engineering is, and foward this email to all Informs members.
We are counting with your support to keep open a department that is
strong, healthy and needed for the community.  More information can be
found at the following web site
http://web.mac.com/save_ise/ISE_PLAN_X/Welcome.html
Thank you so much for your valuable time, understanding and support.
Sincerely yours,

Industrial and Systems Engineering Student Body

INFORMS FIU Chapter 

-- 
Ariela Sofer                                 asofer at gmu.edu
Professor and Chair                          Tel: (703) 993-1692
Systems Engineering & Operations Research    Fax: (703) 993-1521
George Mason University, MS4A6               mason.gmu.edu/~asofer
Fairfax, VA 22030                                          

Don H. Greene, P.E., CAE

Executive Director

Institute of Industrial Engineers

770-349-1129

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