Is Academics headed for a major change?

The Pipeline has been hearing rumblings from various corners of campus about a major shake-up in Academics for months now. There had been whispers about departments moving around, departments getting split up, and whole schools being overhauled. But nothing was ever definite....all just rumor and conjecture.

Well it still isn't official yet, but now at least there is a concrete document from VP of Academics Liz Hitch's office that lays out some of the plans. If even half of this stuff actually happens (it looks like it probably will) it will be the biggest change the campus has seen in many years. Check it out:

Organizational Redesign for Academic Affairs (doc)

The document is dated October 8 but the footer at the bottom of each page says September 20. We know that Hitch sent an e-mail to some faculty and staff that included this link recently.

As for what is going to happen, we will let you read the document yourself. But if you are really lazy here is the list of substantial changes listed in the report:


1. Aviation, Emergency Services, Fine and Performing Arts, Social Sciences, and Health Science become schools reporting to a dean.

2. There are no substantial changes in the School of Education.

3. Forensic Science moves to Biology.

4. The School of Business will divide the Department of Management into two smaller groups.

6. The School of Business will send Criminal Justice faculty to the department of Anthropology/Sociology in the School of Language and Social Sciences.

7. The School of Business will assume Culinary Arts faculty in hospitality management.

8. The College of General Academics will be renamed “University College.”

9. University College will include remedial programs as well as programs for high academic achievers, such as Honors, Debate, Integrated Studies and Humanities.

10. Speech Communication faculty from the current Communication Department will be assigned to the University College as a core academic skill. The debate program will be housed in or near Honors.

11. Honors will be in University College.

12. A centralized Graduate Office will be formed in the VPAA office.

13. ESL goes to the School of Adult and Continuing Education.

14. Turning Point, Wee Care, Women in Technology, and other appropriate programs that provide student services go to Student Services.


In other words...big changes. There is way more to this story, but we'll save that for future posts.

Dental Hygiene bachelor proposal goes to Regents

UVSC's Dental Hygiene program has been offering 2-year associate degrees for almost ten years. Earlier this month the school's Board of Trustees approved a new 4-year bachelor's program.


UVSC degree options open wide
College sends plan for a bachelor's in dental hygiene to state board
(Deseret Morning News, October 17 2007)

Currently in Utah only Weber State offers a bachelor's degree in Dental Hygiene. Of course the state's Board of Regents will need to give the final word on UVSC's proposal. There is a Regents meeting scheduled for October 24 at Utah State...no word if this item will be on the agenda yet, but we assume it will be

UVSC helps train dental hygienists in Ghana

There was a cool little story in today's College Times about UVSC's Dental Hygiene department's new program that helps provide training for prospective dental hygienists in Ghana.

UVSC professor establishes Ghana's first dental hygiene program
(College Times, September 17 2007)

Second year students in Kristen Kinateder-Mecham's program correspond via e-mail with students in Ghana. "In class at UVSC, we discuss some areas that we want to assess the students in. We'll come up with short-answer questions and give them to the Ghanaian students and see how they are understanding the concepts," said Kinateder-Mecham. "They [UVSC students] are learning the material very well because they're trying to help someone else understand it."

Kinateder-Mecham also travels to Ghana to do training sessions and brings books donated by students at UVSC. She is also working to establish an exchange program with the country.

UVSC honors Lucille Stoddard with Scholarship in her name

UVSC's School of Science of Health is busy raising money to endow four full scholarships in the name of former interim college president Lucille Stoddard.

UVSC scholarships to honor Stoddard, former school president (Deseret Morning News, August 14 2007)

Lucille Stoddard Honored with Scholarship (UVSC Press Release, August 7 2007)

Contributions can be made to the UVSC Foundation, earmarked for the Lucille Stoddard Scholarship, and mailed to: Utah Valley State College Foundation, 800 W. University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058-5999.