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Summary: May 12, 2011
Bruce Shepard
President
Western Washington University
Old Main 440
516 High Street
Bellingham, WA 98225-9000
Dear President Shepard,
On behalf of our state's technology business and research leaders of the Technology
Alliance board, we are writing to express our grave concern over recent reports that
Western Washington University is considering the closure of its computer science
program. While we appreciate the significant ongoing budget challenge the
university is facing, we cannot agree with this proposal at a time when demand for
computer science graduates is growing. This is one of the degrees in highest
demand of any in our state and is critical to our future economic well-being.
In reviewing Provost Riordan's statements to the media, we appreciate WWU's
commitment to quality and your desire to carefully review the university's strengths
and weaknesses. We completely agree that strategic cuts make more sense than
continued across-the-board cuts, which erode quality. However, the major with
some of the highest demand in our state economy should be provided with the
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