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Matt Gabriele @profgabriele.com

fwiw, Virginia Tech isn't an impoverished school either and yet here they are, the dean of the college, cutting a signature interdisciplinary PhD program without giving a reason other than "bad vibes"

For almost two decades, the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT) program has provided interdisciplinary training for doctoral students working across theoretical fields. Graduates of the ASPECT program have completed original research in their dissertations, taught thousands undergraduate students across departments in the social sciences and humanities, published extensively across fields, earned national distinction, begun rewarding careers in higher education and other fields, and contributed to a thriving intellectual community among students and faculty at Virginia Tech and beyond. Even with recognition of the remarkable achievements, however, the ASPECT program has reached a point where it is no longer viable and will plan to be closed in the coming years. The difficult situation in higher education makes career prospects for program graduates uncertain. The structure of the program, involving faculty commitments across multiple departments and programs, is no longer sustainable given competing priorities. At a time of resource constraints and unpredictable budgets, the resources required to sustain a competitive doctoral program are no longer available for this purpose. The program will plan to be closed in ways that ensure the support needed for current students to complete their degrees and is consistent with Virginia Tech and State Council on Higher Education (SCHEV) guidelines and procedures...

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