[kriggy]

This is sad. None likes Alaska?
http://www.adn.com/article/20141218/uaa-suspends-chemistry-degree-program-citing-trouble-finding-faculty

[Babcock_Hall]

It sounds more like a case of "stupid administrator tricks" than anything else.  I bet if they offered decent start-up packages and salaries, their positions would get filled.

[kriggy]

Agree. I dont know what is the size of budget of this university but 2 milions doesnt seem as that much.. Especialy when one of their professors will leave (so they can use money they have been paing him to pay someone else..)

[Yggdrasil]

I believe a few universities in the UK have entirely eliminated their chemistry programs, folding chemistry faculty into life sciences departments:

Although the closure of chemistry departments is confined to the UK, the trend is disturbing to chemists worldwide and seems unlikely to halt. If the plan to close the department goes forward, as seems likely, Sussex will join Exeter, Kings College London, Queen Mary's London and Dundee in disposing of pure chemistry. Exeter recently replaced its School of Biological & Chemical Sciences with the School of Biosciences, which includes researchers in chemical biology. The new chemical biology department at Sussex would likely be much smaller than any chemistry department would ever be, so (in theory) funding it could be easier. It is not entirely clear, however, whether this will be the case, especially if overall funding continues to decline.

http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journal/v2/n5/full/nchembio0506-223.html (note: this was from 2006, and it seems like University of Sussex retained its chemistry department after all).

[kriggy]

Wow I had no idea this is happening. For me its very difficult to belive that you would close department that yielded multiple Nobel prize winners.

According to the Vice Chancellor, it is purely a financial decision, based on the fact that the chemistry department was not attracting enough students to be viable.

This year, undergraduate student applications are up 40% against a national average of 6%, with some 350 students vying for 25 spaces.

Doesnt it contradict a bit?

I understand financial reasons but it just seems wrong.
Not to mention that science based departments can get money to university via industry colaboration etc..