Provost Warwick Arden has ordered a faculty-led task force to investigate the possible reorganization of three colleges within the University.
The colleges of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Natural Resources, and Agriculture and Life Sciences may be reorganized based on recommendations provided by the task force with representatives from all University colleges.
Ethan Harrelson, a senior in human biology and CALS senior class senator, said there is some overlap between CALS, PAMS, and CNR.
“I think some programs overlap, but I think each college takes a different viewpoint or perspective on them,” Harrelson said
According to Harrelson, PAMS takes a mathematical approach, CALS considers how its programs affect farmers and agricultural growth, and and CNR’s aims to improve sustainability through education and innovation. CNR’s goals overlap CALS’s the most between the three colleges.
While Arden said he and Chancellor Randy Woodson currently have no intention of combining the colleges into a single entity, the task force will discuss specifically how the three colleges provide academic science programs, and how interactions between the programs can be enabled.
“There is a tremendous amount to be gained by interaction between of those sciences [in PAMS, CALS, and CNR],” Arden said.
However, Arden said the move to create a task force does not mean changes are not necessarily imminent.
“The end result may be no change in college department or college structure at all,” Arden said. “Or it may be that that task force recommends some changes.”
Although the final decision on how to handle the possible realignment will fall on Chancellor Woodson, Arden said he wants faculty to lead the discussion through the task force.
“It was really important that this is a discussion that is driven largely by the faculty and that this was not something that we attempted to impose on the colleges without thorough discussion,” Arden said.
The task force member list has not been finalized, although the chair of the faculty Margery Overton is slated to lead the task force, but the deans of all 10 University colleges have been asked to send Arden suggestions on faculty they believe should participate.
According to Arden, CALS, PAMS, and CNR were asked to provide two to three names, while the remaining seven colleges were asked to also provide one or two possible faculty representatives.
Robert Brown, dean of the College of Natural Resources, said he received word of the task force and is anticipating the task force’s proposal, which is due by this December.
“The College of Natural Resources is participating fully in the designated process for reviewing the delivery of science education on campus,” Brown said. ”We look forward to the [task force] committee’s report to the Chancellor in December.”
If ultimately Woodson and Arden call for the combination of CALS, PAMS, and CNR, Harrelson said Student Government would fight for the colleges to remain separate if students do not want the combination to happen.
”As the process [of realignment] continues, Student Government will keep an eye on out for whatever comes out of that task force,” Harrelson said. “I feel like the University has the interest of students in mind. We will definitely make sure that students have input on it.”
