Emporia State realigns schools, creates new institute as reinvestment process continues

Emporia State Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Brent Thomas says he’s pleased with a major restructuring of programs on campus as announced Wednesday.

Thomas says the moves link academic programs by their “commonalities” rather than their histories while optimizing space usage and creating cost savings — all three of which are big goals for ESU and the Kansas Board of Regents.

This is the latest announcement from Emporia State after the Board of Regents approved the university’s Framework for Workforce Management in September, setting the stage for several reinvestment announcements since then but also the termination of over 30 faculty and staff and the end of the debate program.

The full list of adjusted programs and the new Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies can be found below.

4:15 pm Wednesday

Emporia State University is announcing a major restructuring of programs as its reinvestment process continues.

The university announced the creation of a new institute and several new schools Wednesday:

*Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies: Includes Interdisciplinary Studies and Ethnic, Gender & Identity Studies.
*School of Applied Health Sciences: Includes Psychology, Counseling, Nursing, HPER.
*School of Business & Technology: Includes Accounting and Technology, Business Administration, Economics and MS Informatics.
*School of Humanities & Social Sciences: Includes English, Modern Languages, Communication, Social Sciences, Sociology & Criminology and Intensive English Program.
*School of Library and Information Management & Library and Archives: Adds Instructional Design & Technology to the restructure from fall 2021 that combined SLIM and University Libraries and Archives.
*School of Science & Mathematics: Includes Biological Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Earth Science, Chemistry and Forensic Science.
*School of Visual & Performing Arts: Includes Art, Music and Theatre.
*The Teachers College: Includes Elementary Education/Early Childhood/Special Education, School Leadership and Middle/Secondary Education and Field Placement & Licensure.

University leaders say the changes offer new collaboration and innovation avenues while advancing academic programs, helping ESU to serve future generations of students while meeting the needs of the state’s workforce. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Brent Thomas says the moves link academic programs by their “commonalities” rather than their histories while optimizing space usage and creating cost savings.

ESU says the new alignment received input from students, faculty and staff before it was finalized. The plan has the approval of Kansas Board of Regents Chair Jon Rolph, who says ESU “continues to implement innovative solutions that meet the needs of modern students and adapt to higher education’s changing landscape.”