New structure forms four schools, strong sense of solidarity

Four years ago, three schools from the former College of Fine and Professional Arts joined with the College of Education. The new school became the College of Education, Health and Human Services.

“Even though those three schools came together and we changed policy, it didn’t help us form a new identity,” said Nancy Barbour, associate dean of the College of Education Health and Human Services.

In a quest for a new identity, the College of Education, Health, and Human Services has reorganized from three departments and three schools to four schools. The reorganization of the college came into effect July 1.

The college will now be separated into the School of Health Sciences; the School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration; the School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences; and the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies.

Last year, Daniel Mahony, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services, began the reorganization process by meeting with every faculty member, Barbour said.

Faculty input was essential to the process. All of the programs were reorganized into groupings that made sense conceptually.

“It is really an attempt to become a college with a new identity of being education, health and human services,” Barbour said.

Alexa Sandmann, interim director of the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies, also described a sense of unity.

“We may be four schools, but we are also very supportive of each other,” Sandmann said. “It is a positive place to be. We want to make sure everyone feels like a full participant in all matters.”

The college did not get rid of any faculty or staff positions because of the reorganization. However, there are now four chair positions instead of six, which eliminates some extra cost. Two chair-level positions had been empty before the restructure took place.

There were a number of people who decided it would be the right time to take the University Employee Separation Plan that involved monetary incentive.

Last academic year, the university offered the package to employees with more than 24 years of service.

“It remains to be seen if those will be replaced, but that is a budget issue, not a new school issue,” Barbour said. “I think that is true all over the university. We will have to wait and see monetarily if we can advertise for new positions.”

Previously, the College of Education, Health and Human Services was divided into Adult Counseling; Health and Vocational Education; Education Foundations and Special Services; and Teaching, Leadership and Curriculum Studies departments.

The three schools comprising the college were Exercise, Leisure and Sport, Family and Consumer Studies, and Speech Pathology and Audiology.

Contact College of Education, Health and Human Services reporter Kelley Stoklosa at [email protected].