RE: Recommended elimination of the Department of Mining and Minerals Processing Engineering, and the merger of the Mining Engineering degree programs with the Department of Geological Engineering and Sciences.

The APC met with Dr. Komar Kawatra and Dr. Mark Plichta to discuss the implications of the proposed merger and degree closure. The APC has the following comments.

1. This Department has a very productive research budget. The APC understands that much of this work is enabled through the various research labs at the faculties disposal as currently configured. The continued success of these faculty depend in large part on the existence of those labs. We are concerned that appropriate facilities are maintained to support the research of the faculty.

2. The APC is concerned that students and funding agencies are able to identify the uniqueness of the Mining Engineering program within a merged department.

3. In the formation of the Department of Mining and Materials Processing, just one year ago, several industrial advisors offered their guidance. The APC would like to insure that any reconfiguration of such a new program would still be supported by the Department's Industrial Advisors.

4. The APC was not sure of the administrative chain of command that would oversee the Institute of Materials Processing.