CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents on Friday approved the creation of a new college with the combination of the College of Science and Mathematics and the School of Polytechnic Studies. The new college will become the College of Science, Technology and Agriculture effective July 1, 2012.
The creation of the new college comes as the University faces a fourth straight year of flat or decreased state appropriations necessitating a re-examination of all vacant positions while minimizing the impact on the University's core function of teaching students. Consequently, the retirement of the dean for the School of Polytechnic Studies created a vacancy that Dr. Chris McGowan, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, filled as interim dean of the School of Polytechnic Studies in 2011. Under his leadership, departments within both the College of Science and Mathematics and the School of Polytechnic Studies have been working together in a synergistic manner.
As a result, the creation of the new College of Science, Technology, and Agriculture was proposed and extensively reviewed on campus according to policies as outlined in the Faculty Handbook. The name for the newly created college was recommended to the president by a committee of the dean, chairs from both the College of Science and Mathematics and the School of Polytechnic Studies, the vice provost and the provost.
According to McGowan, "A meeting of both college and school councils will be scheduled in the near future to discuss the formation of new governance structures and committees for the new college and to begin development of a strategic plan for the College of Science, Technology, and Agriculture."
"Looking forward, I believe the creation of this new college will provide us with the impetus to recruit more outstanding students, grow our programs, and it will foster even greater cooperation and collaboration among all of our departments."