Hey professor, got a quarter?

Professors at the University of Alberta are losing their office phones as part of a plan to reduce departmental budgets by five per cent. So far, according to the Edmonton Journal, the lines have been cut in a number of liberal arts departments, including philosophy and English and film studies. Scandinavian languages professor, Chris Hale, wonders whether smoke signals and courier pigeons should be used as a substitute. "Most people, when I tell them this, they break down laughing," he said. Professors who need a phone should be able to find one in faculty lounges and departmental offices, and tax credits are available for those who use a private cell phone. Still, profs might want to start stocking up on quarters so they can plug campus pay phones.