During a building renovation, we are considering getting rid of our
departmental machine shop (the room could be converted to something
else) -- at the moment, it doesn't get much use, and we would have
access to tools elsewhere on campus. We are a 3-1/2 person department;
we do have students doing research much of the time. My question is: do
those of you in similar situations feel that a machine shop is useful,
valuable, necessary in a college department of this size?
--
Martha Takats
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Ursinus College
Collegeville, PA 19426