Six deans propose schools be named colleges

---

by Tom Uribes

Six of the university's eight deans of academic schools want the designation of their schools changed to college - citing such reasons as prestige, consistency with traditional higher educa-tion infrastructures, and better fund raising opportunities.

The deans asked President John D. Welty in a Sept. 28 memo to consider their request "at the earliest possible date" so the change might be reflected in next year's General Catalog, which is currently in production.

Dr. Benjamin Cuellar, dean of the School of Health and Human Services, authored the request on behalf of the Council of Deans and the six schools seeking change. The deans consulted their department chairpersons and faculties earlier in September.

"There are many good reasons for this change," Cuellar wrote, "including image and added prestige, the maintenance of a similar designation to like units at other CSU and non-CSU campuses, the possibility of enhanced external funding, of greater partnership opportunities, and the possibility of enhanced student and faculty recruitment."

The proposal would change the six academic schools to the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, College of Arts and Humanities, College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Health and Human Services, College of Science and Mathematics (Natural Sciences), and College of Social Sciences.

Only the Sid Craig School of Business and the School of Education and Human Development would not change; the deans for those schools say the school designation is more appropriate for their respective disciplines.

Dr. Fred Evans, dean of the Sid Craig School of Business, said that most named business schools nationally are known as schools, not colleges.

"There is not a strong sentiment for change among my faculty," he said. He added that he is not opposed to the other schools changing. "I've always been an advocate of letting those who want to change do so," Evans said.

Dr. Paul Shaker, dean of the School of Education and Human Development, said his school prefers no change because "there is no over-arching powerful reason for it."

"It's just mainly that that is what we have been," he said. "It's on everything we've printed on or carved it into. We're satisfied with our name." But he also added that in higher education in the United States, the terms school and college are used interchangeably.

Any proposal to rename schools must be reviewed by the Academic Senate for a recommendation to the president, who makes the final decision, according to the university's Academic Policy Manual.

At Journal press time last Monday, a proposal had not been submitted to the Academic Senate, according to its chair James Kus, who said the process could take about three months by the time it works through the Academic Policy and Planning Committee and the Executive Committee.

"I have heard several faculty express strong opinions against such a change," said Kus. "Colleges are seen as independent, and no one thinks that such a name change would be accompanied by any move to give more power to the ex-schools."

April Schulthies, catalog editor, said she does not anticipate that a change will be imple-mented for the 1999-2000 General Catalog, noting that a decision would have to be made by December to affect this year's cycle.

Cuellar said the proposal has been under consideration for five years, but the lack of unanimity among the deans prevented action. Then-provost Alexander Gonzalez insisted either school or college be used, not both, according to Dr. Luis Costa, dean of arts and humanities.

Like most of the deans, Costa favors the change, saying school is outdated and almost non-existent in his discipline.

"I am president of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences and I can count on one hand the number of universities that still use school," he said. Costa received no objections from department chairs and said, "The faculty did not object either, although there were questions."

Dr. Ellen Gruenbaum, dean of the School of Social Sciences, said she was "initially reluctant to change," but is now very supportive.

"It is a common label elsewhere and we will be pleased to have it," she said. "We need new stationery for the new area code anyway, so it is a good time to consider it."

Most deans felt the name change proposal would not incite the type of controversy that raged with the name of the university a few years ago. The general consensus in their surveys was that most faculty and department chairs either did not object or held no strong feelings either way on the matter.

Others raised questions regarding departments possibly following suit and changing their designation to schools; titles of administrators; collective bargaining issues; and costs.

Cuellar said in his memo to the president that "no change in structure, administrative expense or reporting line would occur."