(Loretto)- The Saint Francis University Board of Trustees authorized the creation of four schools within the university, effective with the 2008-09 school year. They are: The School of Business, the School of Health Sciences, the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, and the School of Sciences.
“The restructuring of our academic programs into schools is part of our overall dynamic strategic plan to further elevate Saint Francis University,” said university president Fr. Gabriel Zeis. “This will provide wonderful opportunities to advance the position of our university in many important ways, including marketing of the individual schools, branding, student recruiting, and the development of new majors and new revenue.”
“This has been a large effort that is very significant for the university,” adds Mark Thomas, chair of the trustees academic affairs committee.
The School of Business will include the business department majors in accounting, economics, finance, management, management information systems and marketing, along with the MBA and master’s in human resource management programs and the Small Business Development Center.
The School of Health Sciences will include the programs in physician assistant sciences, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and nursing, along with the master’s programs in health science and medical science.
The School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education will consist of the fine arts department, which includes art, music and theater; the behavioral sciences department, which includes psychology, social work, and sociology/criminology; the English and communications department, which includes English, communications and modern languages; the history and political science department; the philosophy and religious studies department; and the education department, with majors in elementary education, secondary education, special education and graduate programs.
The School of Sciences will include the biology department, which includes environmental biology, marine biology, and pre-professional studies; the chemistry department, which includes forensics and pre-professional studies; and the mathematics and physical sciences department, which includes computer sciences, engineering/physics and mathematics majors.