2008 Woodie Awards
Div. of Education to become School of Ed.
Eric Peterson
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Campus News
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On July 1, 2008, the Division of Education, currently part of the College of Liberal Arts, will officially become the School of Education. Also on that date, the College of Liberal Arts will become the College of Arts and Sciences.
After recently adding a new program in educational leadership, as well as having an increasing number of faculty and students, the Division of Education required a separate identity.
"Quinnipiac University is growing, becoming larger and more complex, and there was a time 12 years ago when there was no School of Communications," said Kathleen McCourt, the Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. "As interest grew, we moved to have a separate School of Communications. Now, as our education programs are growing, we want the education programs to grow further, so adding them as a separate school gives them visibility."
McCourt hopes that more visibility will help the new school recruit good students. Even though the fresh identity will in no way change the curriculum or degree requirements, the change allows for an improvement in status. The School of Education will have sole representatives on the faculty senate rather than have representative voters as a part of the College of Liberal Arts.
"As a division, we were connected to the College of Liberal Arts. Now we won't be under that umbrella," said Mordechai Gordon, associate professor of education. "It is important to participate in the conversation and have a voice. It's more like being on an equal footing with other schools in the university."
The road to establishing the School of Education did not prove to be difficult at all. Changing the name was just administrative re-organization since nothing changes for the degree programs and nothing changes for the students. Cynthia Dubea, the current dean of the Division of Education, will be the dean of the School of Education.
In another move for growth of the university, the College of Liberal Arts will officially become the College of Arts and Sciences. As part of the change, the departments of biological sciences, chemistry and physical science, currently in the School of Health Sciences, will be incorporated into the College of Arts and Sciences. Much like the School of Education, these changes in health sciences will not affect the curriculum or degree requirements.
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