Kent State released another round of models for its Transformation 2028 plan. The models were shared privately with faculty and staff.

What’s in it?

The new models divide the Kent campus into five or six colleges and divisions.

In the models, programs are kept with their existing home units. However, schools and departments grouped together will have a single administrator who will lead multiple departments or schools.

A proposed Division of Health will have no divisional head. Instead, multiple leaders of the proposed colleges and schools would report directly to the provost.

Why it matters

T28’s restructuring of colleges is primarily a cost-cutting effort to reduce administrative staff after the university overspent its fiscal year 2024 budget by $18.6 million.

The new models would reduce the number of deans from ten to six or seven, assistant/associate deans from 28 to 15 or 18 and the number of school directors/department chairs from 40 to 24 or 29.

What’s next?

Faculty and staff will give the Office of Provost feedback on which models they prefer. The provost will use that feedback to create a final model. No timeline has been announced for the changes.

Alton Northup is news director. Contact him at [email protected].