Currently, the Liberty University School of Engineering offers degrees in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Computer Science. However, Computer Science is going to be moved to the School of Business. The administration believes this to be a good decision; however, this will simply decrease the value of a Computer Science degree from Liberty University.

The reasons given for moving Computer Science to the School of Business would be to allow the degree to be offered online and to unite Computer Science with Information Technology and Information Security (which are in the School of Business). Offering the Computer Science degree online would require a much higher pass rate of students enrolled in the degree and would therefore require lowering standards. Part of these lowered standards include eliminating the requirement for Calculus 2, Discrete Math, and replacing calculus-based physics with algebra-based physics. The rigor of coursework, on top of simply being ABET accredited, is what has set the university apart, and employers that recruit heavily from Liberty shouldn’t have to reevaluate the exceptional quality of education they have come to expect of graduates.

Overall, the move to the School of Business would make Computer Science more similar to Information Technology. While Information Technology and Computer Science both use similar resources, the two fields are vastly different. Information Technology is a study of how technological resources work, whereas Computer Science is a study in the design of developing algorithms. When all is said and done, Computer Science is a study in how to engineer programs instead of how to use programs, and is thus more suited with a department dedicated to design.

Moving the Computer Science degree to the School of Business is an odd decision, based on standards across universities. The makers of this petition do not currently know of any university which offers a Computer Science degree through any department other than the Engineering Department or a dedicated Computer Science department. Of the Forbes list for the best Computer Science universities, the top ten all offer a Computer Science degree through their Engineering Department, or through a dedicated Computer Science department. Changing from this natural setup would confuse employers, and it would send the message that our Computer Science program is more focused on business goals rather than on innovation and design.

Additionally, many Computer Science and Engineering students are incredibly concerned about the move because of the relationships that naturally form between students in these degree programs. Computer Science students complement Engineering students by giving them an understanding of the best coding practices (since much of engineering includes working with modern programming languages). Additionally, Engineering students complement Computer Science students by providing an understanding of the design of most efficient computational tools that computer scientists can use to design computer programs. Liberty University's Makerspace is a perfect example of an environment in which Computer Science students cooperate with Engineering students for a focus on design and implementation of programs.

In conclusion, Computer Science students at Liberty University do not want a degree program that is made to fit the abilities of the average person who desires a Computer Science degree. Rather, they desire a degree that matches the skill set of software engineering. Offering a Computer Science degree through the School of Business would devalue the education that Liberty University Computer Science students have paid and studied for.