The University Senate approved the decision to merge the five arts and sciences colleges into a single College of the Arts and Sciences.
The merge, approved by the senate May 27, will be implemented if it is also approved by the Board of Trustees, which will meet June 17 and 18.
The unification of the College of Arts and Sciences includes the arts, biological sciences, humanities, mathematical and physical sciences, and social and behavioral sciences.
Those who are supportive of the unification say the new structure will be an improvement and will increase collaboration and synergy.
In 2008, a campus-wide committee assessed the status of the arts and sciences at Ohio State and concluded that the structure could be improved by establishing one college to replace the five separate colleges. Since that recommendation, planning for the restructuring process has begun and has been working its way through the approval process.
“The major reason for unifying the arts and sciences into one college is to promote and facilitate collaboration and cooperation between faculty and students in the departments and programs that make up the arts and sciences,” said Joe Steinmetz, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Merging five colleges into one is no easy task. The process will include working out many details of how to administer the new college. Issues such as how the advisory councils will operate and how the college will be represented in the senate still need to be resolved.
“We have worked this year to design and put in place the new administrative structure for the new college,” Steinmetz said.
Steinmetz said he hopes the integration will make life easier for students and faculty.
“Arts and sciences faculty and students should find it easier to work with other faculty and students both inside and outside of the new college,” he said.
