Changing "Schools" to "Colleges"

The Academic Planning Committee is preparing to forward to the Academic Senate a proposal to change the names of "Schools" to "Colleges." While no objections to the proposal have surfaced to date, the Committee is soliciting comments from the campus community before forwarding the proposal. The rationale for the proposal is as follows:

Sonoma State University is considering changing the designation of its academic "Schools" to "Colleges." While the benefits of this change would not be dramatic or easily quantifiable, they would be significant. On the other hand, the costs associated with this change would be minimal. Some of the benefits and anticipated costs are outlined below.

Benefits

1. The new nomenclature would bring about consistency in our naming practices. Currently, we have a unit designated as a School (Hutchins) inside a larger School (Arts and Humanities).
2. The change would be a logical extension of the process started with the renaming of Sonoma State College as Sonoma State University.
3. The change would allow the designation of additional Schools inside of Colleges when deemed desirable. This could be for special units distinct from departments (such as the Hutchins School, which differs from a department in that it has its own GE program and is multidisciplinary), or it could be used for clustering of existing departments such as the performing arts departments. Currently, those departments have to use the Center for Performing Arts designation when acting as a unit. This change would allow us to designate them as the School of Performing Arts, leading to an enhanced image and higher visibility.
4. The change is consistent with current trends in universities across American higher education.
5. The change improves the image of the renamed units, clearly and unambiguously associating them with a university setting, and conveying the impression of a more substantive organizational unit.

Costs

1. Zero costs associated with letterhead, envelopes, or business cards: existing stock would be used up before ordering new, relabeled stock.
2. There would be a small one-time cost associated with replacing the signage of School offices.

Other Concerns

1. Would this change lead to new administrative positions created? No. Specifically, it does not impact the advisability of creating associate dean positions one way or another. Historically, associate dean positions in other CSU campuses have often existed in Schools, and when they have switched to College designation, it has not led to any change in the number or existence of those positions. The need or advisability of creating such positions is typically assessed based on the substantive merits of the case, based on the size of the School or College, the complexity of its operations, the availability of funds, and competing priorities. At SSU specifically, this change would not be associated with any such decisions.
2. Would this change lead to Colleges becoming more isolated from the University community at large, more like silos? No. There are already significant forces at work in universities that contribute to that effect, based on the departmental structure, the nature of disciplines, and the link of funding to unit enrollments. Compared to these larger forces, a symbolic change in nomenclature from School to College would not lead to significant additional silo effects.

Please e-mail your comments by Wednesday, March 15, to Art Warmoth, APC Co-Chair, at art.warmoth@sonoma.edu.