College Reorganization Completed With Change to Five Departments
Posted on 7/10/2007
The College of Education and Health Professions completed a reorganization of academic programs effective July 1.
Five programs within the former Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling and Foundations were moved into two other departments. Five departments now comprise the college: Curriculum and Instruction; Education Reform; Health Science, Kinesiology, Recreation and Dance; Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders; and the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing.
The academic programs of counselor education and higher education were moved into Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders. The academic programs of educational administration, educational foundations and educational technology were moved into Curriculum and Instruction. In addition, the concentrations of business education, family and consumer sciences education and technology education – all teacher preparation programs – were moved into Curriculum and Instruction. Curriculum and Instruction houses the college's other teacher preparation programs, with the exception of physical education in Health Science, Kinesiology, Recreation and Dance.
Dean Reed Greenwood said he made the decision to reorganize the college's academic programs after careful consideration of scenarios and recommendations submitted by a task force for college structure and governance created last year and led by Barbara Hinton, associate dean for academic affairs.
"We expect this reorganization to create greater synergy for our academic, research and service activities, facilitate our accreditation efforts and bring greater efficiency to the college," Greenwood said.
Faculty and staff members were moved to new offices in the Graduate Education Building and Peabody Hall to reflect their new affiliations and provide greater access for collaboration. Three research and service units formerly associated with Educational Leadership, Counseling and Foundations – the Arkansas Leadership Academy, the National Office for Research, Measurement and Evaluation Systems and the Research Advocacy Network – also moved under the Curriculum and Instruction umbrella.
In addition to the new academic structure, college officials are working on a new governance structure for the college. A College Council will replace the Faculty Council to serve as an advisory body to the dean. Each department will be represented on the new College Council, and all faculty members are encouraged to attend meetings.
The college's full Administrative Council will discontinue meeting on a monthly basis although the Executive Committee of the council – made up of the dean, associate and assistant deans and department heads – will continue to meet to discuss personnel, financial and other matters. The dean's staff and directors each meet on a monthly basis.
Final recommendations concerning the college governance are expected to be submitted by the task force in the fall semester. John Murry, associate dean for administration, is leading a task force that is drafting a new personnel document for the college.
The new fiscal year that began July 1 also began the tenure of two new department heads: Mike Daugherty is department head of Curriculum and Instruction after moving from Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders, and Mike Miller became department head of Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders after moving from the former Educational Leadership, Counseling and Foundations.
The dean and members of his staff are available to answer questions and discuss concerns about the reorganization and new governance structure. Office phone numbers, locations and e-mail addresses are available in the online faculty/staff directory at http://coehp.uark.edu/2464.htm.
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