The University of California (UC), Berkeley, one of the most prominent public universities in the country, faces a severe cash crunch and its chemistry program may fall victim, according to an article from Science Magazine. With $150 million in debt, flat income from tuition and rising costs, the university is considering disbanding the College of Chemistry and absorbing its departments into other university colleges to save costs.
The university’s College of Chemistry was founded in 1872 and today is home to 101 faculty and 1492 students and postdocs, according to the article. Several of its departments are regularly listed among the world’s best and 13 faculty and alumni have won Nobel Prizes. Though no decision has been made yet on closing the college, supporters have started a petition to save the school.
Read the entire article here.
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