SALEM, Va. (WFXR) – Roanoke College has announced an expanded educational vision for the school to lead innovation and spark change for a new destination for students applying to the liberal arts college.
The new academic structure will become effective in the fall of 2025 to organize its 100 plus areas of study in the 16 separate departments into four schools.
The four new schools and discipline the college will introduce include:
- School of Business, Economics, and Analytics
Actuarial Science, Business Administration, Economics, Economics/Finance, Finance, Marketing, MBA, Sport Management - School of Communication, Culture, and the Arts
Art, Art History, Communication Studies, Creative Writing, French, History, Literary Studies, Religious Studies, Screen Studies, Spanish, Theater - School of Education, Government, and Society
Criminal Justice, Education Licensure, Education Studies, Health/Physical Education, Human Services Studies, International Relations, M.Ed., Philosophy, Political Science, Public Policy, Sociology - School of Health, Science, and Sustainability
Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Disability Studies, Engineering Science, Environmental Studies, Health and Exercise Science, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics, Psychology, Public Health Studies
The two new cannabis programs include, Cannabis Science and Cannabis Social Justice and Policy, and will be open to undergraduates and will be housed in the RC-RV, which is Roanoke’s new innovative unit.
The introduction of the new academic structure resulted from almost two years of work that led to a 12-person Restructuring Task Force that worked on research, ideas, and feedback from students and staff.
The structure was endorsed in April 2023 by the faculty and the Roanoke College Board of Trustees.
“Our exciting educational vision is deeply connected to what learners will need to thrive in the 21st century,” said President Frank Shushok Jr. “This isn’t just a new academic structure; it comes out of a conviction that learners of today and tomorrow must be exposed to multiple forms of knowledge, the skill to work with individuals from many different backgrounds, and the capacity to pivot and adapt as the world changes rapidly around them.”
This new structure will not affect the normal day-to-day experience but will offer students more community opportunities which will hopefully help them succeed.
When applying to Roanoke College, prospective students will be able to declare majors, minors, and concentrations within the multiple schools and can easily move from school to school if they choose. With the school’s liberal arts experience, which includes honors students, there also be more learning opportunities and May Term courses to preserve and further Maroon Connections.
“I’m excited about our new academic structure and so grateful to the many campus constituents who worked hard to develop it,” said Dr. Kathy Wolfe, vice president of Academic Affairs and dean of the college. “This enhanced concept brings opportunities to encourage greater interdisciplinary learning, build industry partnerships and advisory boards around compelling and emerging areas of expertise, and elevate the college’s reputation by lifting up areas of focus that were buried in its overall structure.”
Dr. Alice Kassens will lead the School of Business, Economics, and Analytics on top of being director of the college’s Center for Economic Freedom. She has been a member of the faculty for 19 years.
“I am thrilled and honored to be the first dean of the School of Business, Economics, and Analytics,” Kassens said. “The future of innovation lies at the intersection of business, economics, and data-driven analytics. We hope to empower the next generation of leaders with the tools and knowledge they need to not only navigate but to shape the global economy. Under this new umbrella, we will efficiently harness the power of insight and strategy to build sustainable growth and create lasting impact.”
Dr. Wendy Larson-Harris, who is currently the chairperson of the Department of English and Communication Studies, will be the Dean of the School of Communication, Culture, and the Arts. Larson-Harris has been a professor at Roanoke for 22 years with teaching interests in medieval literature, film, interdisciplinary humanities, and gender studies.
“The purpose of a liberal arts education is to deepen students’ understanding of the world they are encountering, while giving them the inspiration and tools to make a difference in it,” she said. “My goal is for the new School of Communication, Culture, and the Arts to be a hub of innovative programs that build connections between students’ scholarly and creative endeavors, including the technical skills needed to bring them to life and shared in the wider world. Anyone with a smart phone can produce content, but media without art – innovation, creativity and technique within a given medium – is just noise.”
Dr. Marit Berntson will take over the School of Education, Government, and Society. Berntson is a professor and chairperson for the Department of Sociology and Public Health and has been a faculty member of Roanoke College for 22 years.
“I am honored to be chosen to head the School of Education, Government, and Society,” Berntson said, “and I’m excited to realize the goals of the college’s new strategic plan. The interdisciplinary nature of the schools complements trends among students to cross disciplinary boundaries in unique combinations of majors, minors and concentrations. I look forward to developing new programs, exploring online and evening classes, forging new partnerships in the Roanoke Valley, and welcoming veterans, transfer students and other learners.”
Dr. Karin Saoub will be the dean of the School of Health, Science, and Sustainability and has worked as a professor for 15 years at Roanoke College. She is also the M. Paul Capp and Constance Whitehead Professor of Mathematics and chairperson of the Department of Math, Computer Science, and Physics.
“Our programs within the School of Health, Science, and Sustainability have a long history of collaboration, and the new school structure will allow us to build upon that solid foundation as we seek to innovate and enhance the STEM fields at Roanoke,” Saoub said. “We are committed to providing exceptional educational and experiential opportunities that will position our graduates for successful careers and lives of purpose.”
Roanoke College’s goals include student success, academic innovation, access and equity, and a culture of excellence. The shift is from disciplinary specialization to interdisciplinary collaboration and modernization.
“We live in a world full of complex issues and wicked problems that can’t be solved from the perspective of just one specialty or another,” Wolfe said. “So much fascinating work happens at the intersection of disciplines, so we want our graduates to be able to connect the dots among specialties and perspectives. This reorganization will allow growth and collaboration to germinate in wonderful and unexpected ways.”