The University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Wednesday released a plan approved by President Carol C. Harter for reorganization of the university's academic units. It will be forwarded to the UCCSN Board of Regents for consideration during its Aug. 8-9 meeting in Elko.
In a letter to the campus community, President Carol C. Harter described the process that began with the appointment last fall of a faculty committee to study reorganization of the university's colleges, schools, and other academic units.
Harter said the plan "reflects a creative attempt to develop sensible programmatic connections between and among academic units that will assist us in meeting the ambitious goals of our new strategic plan approved by the Regents at their June meeting."
Under the plan, two colleges - the College of Human Performance and Development and the College of Architecture, Construction Management, and Planning - will be disbanded as individual units, but the programs offered by those colleges will be continued within other colleges. Colleges proposed by the plan include Business, Education, Engineering, Extended Education, Fine Arts, Health Sciences, Honors, Hotel Administration, Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Urban Affairs.
No faculty members will lose their jobs under the reorganization. Harter explained in her letter that most faculty will not be affected at all, and those who are affected will be notified by letter of changes in their college or departmental assignments.
Provost Douglas P. Ferraro, whose office coordinated the reorganization process, said, "This is one of the most consultative processes, extending over a year's time, with which I have been involved. I am confident the reorganization document represents the best collective thinking of faculty and administrators at UNLV about the restructuring of the university for the future as it emerges as a premier urban university."
Copies of the document were delivered across the campus on Wednesday. "We truly believe that these changes will create an environment where faculty and students can flourish, and creative synergy among related disciplines will produce important new opportunities for teaching, research, and service," Harter said.
