AUBURN, AL (WSFA) -

A meeting held Friday to discuss the future of Auburn University's embattled Aviation Management program ended with College of Business Dean Dr. Bill Hardgrave promising to save and improve the program, but students and alumni are not fully pleased with all they heard.

"We're putting a plan in place that addresses some recent challenges and puts the program in a position to grow," said Hardgrave, who is recommending it continue to operate under the College of Business.

Hardgrave said the Aviation Management program will get better facilities and other improvements designed to make it available to more students and responsive to changes in the aviation industry.

While the Aviation Management program may be saved, alumni said there was "shock" in the boardroom full of industry leaders, professors, flight education employees, students, parents and alumni that Hardgrave plans to "sunset" the Aviation Management Profession Flight Program, effectively terminating it.

Hardgrave says the University is exploring options including one recommendation that would involve partnering with a commercial firm that would allow the expansion of flight training beyond students in the College of Business. Hardgrave said outsourcing flight education to a professional flight school, or PFS, partner would provide the opportunity for flight instruction to any Auburn student, community member, Southern Union student, Tuskegee University student or high school student wishing to obtain pilot ratings or simply learn to fly.

"This decision puts in jeopardy Auburn University's recent agreement with JetBlue Airways," the students and alumni said in a statement. "It also puts our long-standing relationships with corporations and other segments of the industry in peril."

Auburn is one of just four universities in the country to offer the Gateway Program with JetBlue, helping pilots fly for major air carriers in half the time.

Those in the meeting say Dr. Hardgrave originally said he wasn't planning on coming to the meeting, but when he arrived he read a prepared statement and then "hastily departed without engaging those in attendance."

"While we are pleased that he chose to retain the Aviation Management program, the decision to close the flight program falls well short of our stated goal and desire of maintaining our nationally recognized flight program," students and alumni, collectively working through FlyAuburn.org, said. Auburn has offered aviation education since 1941.

Read the rest here:
Students, alumni only half pleased with latest plan to save AU Aviation program