Last month, the University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees approved the reorganization of the College of Education and the College of Health and Applied Sciences. The Department of Psychology and Counseling, which has been a part of the College of Education, has been removed from that college and placed in the College of Health and Applied Sciences.
Dr. David Skotko, chair of the Department of Psychology and Counseling and interim dean of the College of Education, said the move will bolster the impact of the College of Education. ?The change will allow the new dean to put 100 percent of his or her attention on issues facing education in Arkansas,? he said.
With the change, the board also approved a renaming of the College of Health and Applied Sciences to the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences as of July 1.
Dr. Neil Hattlestad, dean of the college, said the name change is appropriate for the college. ?It more accurately describes the essence of our work. Programs in health professions are always concerned for promoting positive human behaviors ? that?s part of a healthy lifestyle. Because this department adds so much to our efforts to improve human behavior, this seems an opportune time to change the title to better reflect the activities of this department.?
Hattlestad said the Department of Psychology and Counseling would be a positive addition to the college. ?This move will foster greater interdisciplinary collaboration. We have many programs and research projects with common interests. Our mission statement talks about improving the health and well being of the public and this program fits well into that.?
The move also will place both of the university?s doctoral programs in one college. ?This type of consistency will promote the culture of doctoral education,? Hattlestad said.
