The move reduces six department chairs to two, returning four of the current chairs to teaching roles.
Wright State trustees approved the measure Friday morning.
Monetary savings from the reorganization can be reinvested into renewing current programs and creating new ones, the document says.
Two examples of possible new programs, according to the university document: A bachelor of science degree in sports management and a STEM-focused master’s of business administration degree.
In fact, funding for a new sports management major and its courses has been approved, Raj Soin Interim Dean Donald Hopkins said in an interview Thursday. Funding for the new MBA will require state backing, he said.
As well, the university is offering a new certificate in defense acquisition and contracting, a certificate driven by the extensive Air Force acquisition work that happens daily at nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Hopkins said.
A Wright State course in defense acquisition began in the fall. Courses in defense contracting will begin in the spring. And there will be other defense-oriented classes offered in management and supply chain management, Hopkins said.
“We really try to build on our relationship with the base,” he said.
Hopkins said the reorganization boosts overall efficiency. Today, there are six department chairs. With this change, four of those chairs will return to teaching roles.
But there will be no reduction in force for university employees, and no student’s academic progress will be imperiled, he said. The name of the college will not change.
“I think that’s a benefit to the students because these are really quality people,” Hopkins said.
Chairs do not teach the same course load as teachers, he noted. “We’ll have less overhead,” Hopkins said. “We’ll have just two people in that chair position, one for each school.”
The fall semester saw an increase in enrollment “for the first time in a few years,” he said. But he added that these proposed changes aren’t driven by changes in student population, he said.
“These units are being formed using existing resources to facilitate the creation of new programs, as well as to enable the sharing of courses across majors,” the Wright State planning document states. “Existing programs in the college would be organized into two schools according to the reorganization plan. Each school would have a school chair.”
Trustee meeting notes
During the WSU board of trustees’ Friday meeting, trustees also approved Wright State President Sue Edwards’ ability to set the university’s tuition rates for the 2024-2025 school year.
The board also rolled back its transcript withholding policy, in line with state requirements on such policies earlier this year. Previously, Ohio law allowed institutions of higher education to withhold transcripts if the student owed money directly to the institution (not including student debt).
Beginning July 1 next year, Wright State will no longer withhold transcripts after providing financial counseling to students with an outstanding balance.
