Dillard’s academic structure changed this fall for the third time since 2010-11, including the disbanding of the College of Professional Studies and creation of the College of Health Sciences.

Other changes included additions to the College of Business, separation of Film from Mass Communication, elimination of Sociology as a major and creation of Mathematics and Actuarial Science as a major.

Dr. Walter Kimbrough, university president, called the latest changes the result of “new areas of focus,” with the goal of being more efficient. And Dr. Yolanda Page, vice president for Academic Affairs, said more changes may be in the wings.

 “At this point, no additional structural changes will occur this year, but that does not mean changes will not occur in academic year 2014-2015,” said Page of the latest changes, which were made prior to her arrival by the Board of Trustees. She said she will spend the next few months figuring out if the current structure is right for Dillard.

According to university catalogs, up to 2009-10, Dillard had divisions rather than colleges in Business, Education and Psychology, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Public Health, Nursing and Social Sciences. The provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs at the time was Dr. David Taylor.

In 2010-11, the university moved to the college structure. The College of Arts and Sciences included the departments of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM; Humanities; and Social Sciences. The new College of Professional Studies included the schools of Business, Nursing, Public Health and Mass Communication.

In 2011-12, according to the catalog, with Dr. Phyllis Dawkins having replaced Taylor, the School of Business separated from Professional Studies and became the College of Business, and the College of General Studies was added, including the first-year experience and the general education core taken by all DU students. That scenario continued in place for 2012-13.

In the current catalog for 2013-14, the university still has four colleges, including Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Business. However, the schools of Nursing and Public Health have become the new College of Health Sciences. With the College of Professional Studies disbanded, the School of Mass Communication, which had Film as a concentration, became a department again and moved back to Humanities, and Film became a separate major in Humanities.

In addition to the College of Health Sciences, here’s how the line-up looks now:

• College of Arts and Sciences includes: the School of STEM; School of Humanities (it was a department last year); and School of Social Sciences (previously a department).
• College of Business includes: the School of Accounting and Financial Economics and the School of Business Administration, formerly both departments.
• The College of General Studies remained the same, including the general education core, continuing education, the honors program, first-year experience and second- through fourth-year experience.

Additionally, this year, Sociology no longer is a major. During the last academic year, DU had a major in Sociology with concentrations either in Criminal Justice or Social Work; now both are majors offered in the School of Social Sciences. And the Mathematics major has now become Mathematics and Actuarial Science.

Thus far, Page said she isn’t aware of any backlash to the changes.

 (Jabarie Walker contributed to this report.)