Placements for academic units currently housed in University College were announced today in an email from David Lee, provost and vice president for academic affairs. 

Diversity and Community studies will be moved to Potter College of Arts and Letters, the Honors Academy “as an academic department will be dissolved,” the School of Professional Studies will be moved to the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and the School of University Studies will also be dissolved. 

For the units that are being dissolved, “faculty will move to the academic department most appropriate to their academic training and/or teaching responsibilities,” according to the email. 

While the School of University Studies will be dissolved, Lee said faculty will “move to the academic department most appropriate to their academic training and/or teaching responsibilities.” All former University Studies classes for Summer 2018 and Fall 2018 have been relocated to main campus.

The Mahurin Honors College itself will not be dissolved. Faculty members from the Honors Academy will keep their primary teaching assignments which support Honors College curriculum. Lee also said they are working to develop a new structure which provides oversight of Honors College curriculum. 

“Academic Affairs and the receiving colleges are committed to protecting everyone’s tenure and promotion rights, and will abide by processes set forth in the Faculty Handbook and/or any pre-existing agreement that may be relevant to individual faculty members,” Lee said in the email. “I encourage the faculty and staff in PCAL, CEBS, and OCSE to welcome your new colleagues, and to take this restructuring as an opportunity to think creatively about how to integrate their expertise and the programs they deliver in ways that best enhance the learning opportunities for WKU students.”

It was announced on Feb. 26 that the Budget Council had recommended eliminating University College as a cost-saving measure. The elimination will go into effect on July 1 of this year.

{{tncms-inline content=”<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>Colleagues:</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>I am writing to provide a brief update on our progress at integrating University College faculty, staff, and programs into the other academic colleges.  We have been working steadily and thoughtfully to identify the best new homes – both academic and, in some cases, physical – for UC personnel and programs.  While there is still more work to do, here is where we stand right now. </span> </p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>1.  The Department of Diversity and Community Studies will be moving as a unit to Potter College.  Dean Snyder will be working with the PCAL faculty (including their new DCS colleagues) to determine the best way to align the programs and personnel within the college moving forward.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>2.  The Honors Academy as an academic department will be dissolved, and the academic department most appropriate to each faculty member’s academic training will become their new tenure home.  However, these individuals will maintain primary teaching assignments that support the Mahurin Honors College curriculum.  We are also working to establish a new structure that provides appropriate curricular oversight of the Mahurin Honors College curriculum.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>3.  The School of Professional Studies will be moving as a unit to the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.  Jeff Butterfield will be working with Dean Evans and the new CEBS Dean to ensure that the SPS faculty and staff, as well as programs are integrated into the college in the most seamless and appropriate way possible.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>4.  The School of University Studies as a unit will be dissolved, and faculty will move to the academic department most appropriate to their academic training and/or teaching responsibilities.  In addition, all former SUS classes for Summer 2018 and Fall 2018 have been relocated to main campus, and we are working on identifying office space for the faculty on main campus as well.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>Academic Affairs and the receiving colleges are committed to protecting everyone’s tenure and promotion rights, and will abide by processes set forth in the <strong>Faculty Handbook</strong> and/or any pre-existing agreement that may be relevant to individual faculty members.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>I encourage the faculty and staff in PCAL, CEBS, and OCSE to welcome your new colleagues, and to take this restructuring as an opportunity to think creatively about how to integrate their expertise and the programs they deliver in ways that best enhance the learning opportunities for WKU students.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>Thank you.</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span> </span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span> DDL</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span> </span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><strong><span>David D. Lee</span></strong></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>Western Kentucky University</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>Office of Academic Affairs</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span>(P) 270-745-2297, (F) 270-745-5442</span></p>” id=”33641959-5e87-4fd8-b73a-8aa4050d5136″ style-type=”info” title=”More Information” type=”relcontent”}}