A Note from the Provost

Dr. Tammy Randolph, Interim Provost

As interim provost, my primary role is to oversee and support all academic operations on campus. Thus far, in my tenure, that’s been a lot of needed support.

As you may be aware, Southeast restructured its academic colleges this past summer. New and reorganized colleges, and in many cases new deans, were all in effect August 1. You can imagine the busy start to the semester those changes have given us as we addressed logistics and worked to ensure these improvements designed to benefit our students wouldn’t inconvenience them in the process.

If you are wondering why we would undertake such an endeavor, the reorganization was the result of significant budget reductions and the need to realign academic programs to better serve students.

Everyone can understand budget reductions, but what do I mean about realigning our programs? Think about the changes to the mass media industry in the last five years. Now consider how much it has changed since its inception. Tweet, blog, vlog? As industry changes, certainly, the way we teach and learn must also evolve.

Sometimes that means programs that may have once been closely aligned aren’t, or now there are programs that pair better together. For example, our new Harrison College of Business and Computing. There is a case to be made that computer science belongs with the sciences. However, when we see just how connected our computer science students are to the business world, this partnership made more sense. There isn’t a business in existence not worried about data security or the threat of cyber attacks.

Some alumni have asked, “but what if I don’t feel connected to my new college?” That is understandable. Your college experience does not reflect our new structure, and that’s okay. Today, we see TV students collaborating on the Fault Line Film Festival with theatre students. Our journalism students have to be ready for a camera even if their dream is to work at The New Yorker. Why? Because online content includes video and those same writers make up the pundit panels on the 24-hour cable networks.  Welcome the Holland College of Arts and Media.

Yes, industries change and as a University future-focused with a mission of preparing our students to launch extraordinary careers, we have to change as well. So please enjoy this special edition of the magazine, a look at our new colleges and all the things our community is achieving.

 

New College and Department Structure

College of Education, Health and Human Studies

    Department of Child and Family Studies

    Department of Communication Disorders

    Department of Elementary, Early and Special Education

    Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation

    Department of Leadership, Middle and Secondary Education

    Department of Nursing

    Department of Psychology and Counseling

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

    Department of Communication Studies and Modern Languages

    Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work and Sociology

    Department of English

    Department of History and Anthropology

    Department of Political Science, Philosophy and Religion

College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

    Department of Agriculture

    Department of Biology

    Department of Chemistry and Physics

    Department of Engineering and Technology

    Department of Mathematics

Harrison College of Business and Computing

    Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance

    Department of Computer Science

    Department of Management

    Department of Marketing

Holland College of Arts and Media

    Department of Art and Design

    Department of Mass Media

    Department of Music

    The Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance