Beginning in July, UCF will have two new colleges and a new interdisciplinary, inter-college school, bringing together programs in key areas where the university excels.
The new colleges and school are part of an academic reorganization launched last year to position UCF as a leader in driving 21st-century health care solutions, living and thriving in urban environments and creating and communicating content across multiple and emerging platforms.
The changes will provide new opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and research and best prepare students for the world after graduation.
The new names of the colleges and school are:
“By leveraging our talents and ideas in these emerging areas, UCF will be a national leader in 21st-century education and changing how we think about learning and discovery to tackle complex issues and real-world challenges in health care, urban innovation, education and communication,” said Provost and Executive Vice President Dale Whittaker, who initiated the reorganization in August.
The new colleges and school will be made up of existing academic programs and take effect on July 2, 2018. The changes also mean that the College of Education and Human Performance and College of Health and Public Affairs will no longer exist, as programs, centers and institutes will be realigned in the new colleges.
The College of Health Professions and Sciences will become part of the newly created Academic Health Sciences Center with the College of Medicine and College of Nursing. It will include health-related programs, such as physical therapy, sport and exercise science (now called kinesiology), athletic training, social work, health sciences and communication sciences and disorders.
Eventually, programs in the College of Health Professions and Sciences will relocate to Lake Nona, but no earlier than 2020.
The College of Community Innovation and Education will focus on the pillars of thriving, modern cities, such as civic engagement and governing, safety and justice, and health and well-being – all of which are grounded in transformative education. It will include public administration, public affairs, legal studies, criminal justice, health management and informatics, and education programs. Previously, Architecture was going to realign here, but now will stay in the College of Arts and Humanities.
The new Nicholson School of Communication and Media will redefine content creation, digital media and communication for the 21st century. It will bring together programs from the current Nicholson School of Communication and digital media and film from the School of Visual Arts and Design into a new interdisciplinary, inter-college model, joining with the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy already located downtown.
Several of the programs in this new college and school will move downtown when UCF Downtown opens in fall 2019. Additional programs will relocate downtown later, but dates haven’t yet been decided.
Additional resources and “frequently asked questions” about these changes are available on the Provost’s website, and will be updated as information becomes available.
In the coming weeks, more details will be released about organizational, staffing and leadership structures for the new colleges and school.