Changes are coming to Marywood’s college structure, academic programs and organizational structure with the implementation of the Strategic Resource Allocation (SRA) process.

Marywood President Sr. Mary Persico, IHM, Ed.D, released the final report from the SRA evaluation process on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

Sr. Mary said in the report that the implementation of the SRA plan will begin immediately and conclude on June 30, 2019.

Positions eliminated

According to the report, nine positions will be discontinued as of Dec. 2, 2016. A severance package will be offered to the individuals affected.

These positions include the assistant director of sponsored research; associate director of institutional research; coordinator of enrollment management systems; coordinator of education curriculum lab; director of career services; director of research and sponsored programs; grants specialist; research administrator and senior director of institutional research.

Newly created and consolidated positions in some of the aforementioned areas will be posted internally on Dec. 5 and, according to the report, these positions will first be opened to individuals whose positions have been eliminated before opening the jobs to other internal candidates.

With the elimination of positions also comes two incentive plans. The first is an early retirement plan for all employees and the second is a step-down program offered to faculty members nearing retirement age.

Colleges reorganizing

Starting in August 2017, the four colleges of the university will be reduced to three, and some academic programs will be shuffled and merged, with one chairperson named for each merged program. The newly formed colleges will include the College of Health and Human Services, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Professional Studies. The School of Architecture will remain unchanged.

Some programs phasing out, others transforming

Some departments voluntarily withdrew academic programs while other programs are slated for phase out. Several programs will be placed in abeyance, meaning the university will not formally close the program with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Those programs could be restarted without a reapplication if “market needs” change.

According to the report, no new students will be accepted into programs in abeyance for the Fall 2017 semester. Students currently in the declared majors scheduled for phase out will be “taught out” to graduation.

Programs that will be phased out include: MA Art Education, BBA Business Information Technology, MS Gerontology, BS Health Services Administration (Gerontology), BA History/Political Science, BA History/Political Science (Pre-Law), MA Music Education, BA Sociology, MS Reading Education, BS General Science/Secondary Education and BS Elementary Education (Certification), Grades 4-8 only.

Programs with a low number of students enrolled in the major will be changed from baccalaureate degree programs to minor programs.

These programs include BA in Spanish, BA in Philosophy and BA in Religious Studies.

Other departments, structures to undergo further study

Based on a suggestion from the Middle States Report, some university committees have been eliminated, temporarily suspended, merged or earmarked for transformation.

There will be an in-depth study of the Core Curriculum starting in January 2017 and ending in December 2017 to reflect “current trends in the delivery of core curriculum,” according to the report.

An in-depth study of the services required of the Learning Commons staff, Web Services, OIT Office and Counseling/Student Development Center will also be completed by the end of the Spring 2017 semester.

Sr. Mary said the Athletics Department will remain unchanged.

Decisions final
“I ultimately prepared the report,” said Sr. Mary in an interview with The Wood Word. “I went over it with the Board of Trustees … and they unanimously approved it.”

Except in areas that need further study, the decisions are final, said Sr. Mary in the report. She added that she rejected some recommendations that she said she felt would “erode the culture” of the university, such as eliminating the Thanksgiving Prayer Breakfast

“When all is said and done, I know there will be sadness and hurt, even anger, and I regret that reality,” said Sr. Mary in the report. “However, we are living at a time in our University’s history that requires difficult decisions and the kind of change that will position us to move forward in new and creative ways.”

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