Jamie Anderson

A new college may emerge on the SDSU campus in the near future. The university is looking to form a new college from two existing colleges.

The College of Family and Consumer Sciences and the College of Education and Counseling would form a new college. Both colleges share a similar mission and focus on enhancing people’s quality of life.

The Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department is invited to join the new college, as well. It incorporates health and sciences much like FCS. The new college would then cover mind and body completely. The HPER Department is currently in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The reason for the creation of the new college is that the colleges could be working together since they have similar missions. These two colleges both have some education programs, and if they were together, it would be an active collaboration.

“I am in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. I think it is great that the two are combining because we are a pretty small college, so I think we would benefit from more numbers and organizations associated with FCS,” said Christi Rumpca, a junior early childhood education major. “We often have trouble getting enough volunteers for projects or finding the funds for events because of the competition with larger colleges.”

Officials from the two colleges will work throughout the 2008-2009 academic year and then will propose a plan to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Carol J. Peterson and President David L. Chicoine for consideration. If approved, the colleges will move forward on seeking Board of Regents approval and identifying a transition team for the new college. The new college could be put into effect as soon as the 2009-2010 academic year.

“If it does pass, it will have a positive impact on the university because all the human sciences will be together,” said Jane Hegland, acting dean for the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “Students that are in the two current colleges would then be graduates of the newly formed college.”

The majors and programs in the current colleges will not change. The last time there was a major change in the colleges was in 1964. There have been minor alterations within the colleges since then but none so drastic as this proposal of a collaborative new college.

CEC prepares people to work with the same populations as FCS, such as teaching and education. The disciplines vary, but it makes sense for them to work together, said Interim Dean of CEC Howard Smith.

There are three departments within the FCS and CEC. Currently, they collaborate on research projects between departments, but so much more could be done with the formation of this new college, said Smith. The two colleges are smaller on campus, and as independent colleges, they do not have the resources; however, by combining the new college will allow the two to become more equal with other colleges.

The transition of the new college should be an easy one, Smith said. The committees for the colleges are looking at surrounding universities, such as North Dakota State University, Montana State University and University of Nebraska-Lincoln to see how their programs are organized.

“It seems logical to do things in the best possible way,” he said. “Nothing has to be bad for us to improve it. We are trying to work towards the potential of the university.”

For more information about the College of FCS, contact Laurie Nichols at [email protected]. For information about the CEC, contact Howard Smith at [email protected].