College of Family Life gets the axe
Departments under the College of Family Life have been moved to other colleges.
Provost Stan Albrecht said Utah State University needed to reduce money spent, due to the $9.5 million budget cut. Revamping Family Life departments made it possible for the university to save money, while creating a “more efficient managing structure.”
“This is not a program discontinuance,” he said. “Nor does it immediately affect degree programs.”
Students majoring in Family Life programs can continue their studies as planned.
Nutrition and food sciences will now be administered by the College of Agriculture. Family and human development, as well as family and consumer sciences, will move to the College of Education.
Family and consumer sciences education will merge with agricultural systems and technology education. It will be administered by the College of Agriculture.
Interior design will move to the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
Apparel and textiles will align with the E-Commerce Center and be administered by the College of Business.
Albrecht said, “We can never make a change like this without a few bumps in the road.”
Family Life Senator Andrea Ekins said some aspects of the change are difficult to deal with. There were about 1,200 students in the college, she said.
“You lose your college name that means a lot to you,” she said. “But, I’m just going to trust the president and stand tall as a representative of, in my opinion, the most fundamental unit of society – the family.”
Likewise, Jean Lown, human environments professor, is looking at the positive side.
“The faculty are really, really focusing on the students – trying to answer their questions,” she said. “The faculty are still here. We’re still teaching our classes.”
Albrecht said the faculty members have been extending themselves to assist the students. The change provides a good opportunity to strengthen programs, he said.
-amarie@cc.usu.edu