Marywood’s Academic Affairs is undergoing restructuring, moving from a three-college structure to a two-college structure. The change is the result of the departure of a dean and the desire to save money.
The Reap College of Professional Studies and the Insalaco College of Arts and Sciences have merged into the new Reap College of Creative and Professional Studies.
This administration decided on the change during the summer of 2023 when looking at what structures could change with the departure of Dean Johnson. The idea to merge Insalaco and Reap College went to the Board of Trustees in the fall of 2023 for approval and is now in effect.
The Spring 2024 semester will act as their transition period.
Dean James Sullivan, the new dean of the new Reap College of Creative and Professional Studies, stated that there were multiple factors when deciding to merge. A major factor in the decision was the voluntary departure of Dean Jeffrey Johnson, the previous Dean of Insalaco College of Arts and Sciences, which left no one to oversee the Liberal Arts departments. Sullivan pointed out that through the merger, the university can save money and put its savings toward departments where it can be better utilized.
In addition to overseeing the majority of the Liberal Arts programs, Sullivan will continue to oversee all of the departments that previously fell under the Reap College of Professional Studies.
Sullivan said the merger can create more of a community between the different programs.
“We find that the college structure can create barriers and now that I oversee several other academic units, I can begin to help them see other ways of connecting with each other,” said Sullivan.
Lastly, Sullivan plans to create “schools” within Reap College and have different academic departments within those schools. He stated the University’s departments have often been single-disciplined and created barriers between other departments.
Music, Theater & Dance, Art, and Multimedia Communication will form the School of Visual and Performing Arts. All of the liberal arts programs, with the exception of science and math, will form the School of Humanities.
“When we bring together academic departments together under a school that has some commonality in its academic units, it again creates opportunities for cross-disciplinary educational opportunities,” said Sullivan.
The College of Health, Human Services and Sciences is also undergoing some changes as a result of the summertime restructuring decision.
Shelby Yeager, dean of the College of Health, Human Services, and Sciences, reported that the Science, Computer Science, and Math Departments, formerly of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, recently joined the College of Health and Human Services.
“The college now houses the prerequisite courses for many of the health professions under one area and provides for a seamless transition for these students,” Yeager explained.
This new academic structure will not change the curriculum or affect how students learn; however, according to the deans, these new changes will give incoming students more sense of community and continue to let programs grow.
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