- The merger of CEHS and CPASS is major part of the University’s academic transformation agenda.
- The new college will be named the College of Applied Human Sciences to reflect a focus on helping people live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives. The College of Applied Human Sciences will be comprised of three schools – the School of Education, the School of Counseling and Well-being, and the School of Sport Sciences. The three schools will build on the skills and knowledge of both colleges to establish a dynamic and forward-thinking academic unit.
- The new college will launch in July 2022, but some components of the reorganization will take more time to implement.
- The goal for creating this new college is to create a single academic unit that is highly relevant to future students, competitive in the higher education landscape and interdisciplinary in nature.
- While this merger has been under consideration for several years, it gained more urgency following the December 2020 charge from President Gee to accelerate the University’s academic transformation efforts.
- The Office of the Provost conducted peer benchmarking research across Big 12, regional and research peers and found that many institutions already align similar programs in a single college (e.g., Iowa State University, University of Kansas, Oklahoma State University, Michigan State University, George Mason University and the University of Tennessee).
- Benefits of the merger will be dynamic academic offerings, collaborative research, interdisciplinary funding opportunities, and enhanced student services.
- The two colleges will continue to operate as two separate entities until the official launch of the new college in July 2022.
- Leaders from both colleges worked through summer 2021 to map out a structure for the new college.
- Faculty, staff, students and alumni will have the opportunity to engage in various aspects of the planning process throughout the 2021-22 academic year.
- A national search for a founding dean began in late 2021.
- A restructuring decision such as this does not require Board of Governors’ vote or approval, but they have been involved in and aware of leadership’s decision-making process and progress.