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College of Education reorganizingJuly 17, 2006 KALAMAZOO--After an extensive review, multiple departments within Western Michigan University's College of Education will be renamed and reconfigured. The move, approved by the WMU Board of Trustees at its meeting Friday, July 14, will enhance interdependence of the college's programs, which had been hampered under a previous reorganization. Three new academic departments will be formed and named. The new Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology will contain the programs, courses and faculty associated with educational leadership; evaluation, measurement and research; and educational technology. The new Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies will contain the programs, courses and faculty associated with special education and reading. And the new Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies will contain the programs, courses and faculty associated with early childhood education, elementary education, middle level education, secondary education and socio-cultural foundations. Changes to existing departments within the college also will be made. The Department of Educational Studies will be deleted, with programs, courses and faculty transferred. Special education programs and faculty will be moved to Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies; programs and faculty in educational technology and evaluation, measurement and research will go to the new Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology; and socio-cultural foundations will go to the new Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies. The other departmental change involves the Department of Teaching, Learning and Leadership, which also will be deleted. Programs, courses and faculty in early childhood education, elementary education, middle level education, secondary education and education and professional development will move to the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies, while educational leadership courses and faculty will move to the new Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology. The current departmental configuration, approved in 1998, was intended to improve the coherence and interdependence of the college's academic programs and faculty associated with those programs. But, according to Dr. Gary Wegenke, dean of the college, it had the undesirable effect of separating many of the faculty members from their primary "home" program rather than create the desired effect of fostering program interdependence. The college began a scrupulous review of its departmental structure in fall 2004, resulting in meetings of departments, program units and college committees of the whole. Questionnaires were distributed, responses analyzed and recommendations put forward. A consultant visited the college, met with faculty and administrators and recommended changes. A leadership team of faculty and staff was formed in spring 2005 and ironed out the proposed changes. The restructuring will be effective with the fall 2006 semester. Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu WMU News |
