Letter from the Dean
Dear CPASS Alumni and Friends,
It is my honor to write this letter for the fall 2021 issue of the CPASS magazine. As you may have guessed, this past year has been extremely busy within the College and WVU. In this communication, I will focus my attention on the efforts at the University to keep our campus community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and the announced merger between CPASS and the College of Education and Human Services. There are many other wonderful things happening within our College, but I will let those stories be told throughout the pages of this magazine.
The University initiated an academic transformation process driven by the Office of the Provost with the goal of positioning the University to evolve its practices, be successful and serve as a purpose-driven leader in higher education throughout the 21st century. One significant result of this academic transformation process was the announced merger of CPASS and CEHS.
The merger is progressing well. We are focused on developing a robust new college as of July 1, 2022, enabling us to take advantage of the strengths that each college offers. The reimagined college, to be known as the College of Applied Human Sciences, will consist of three schools: School of Education, School of Counseling and Well-Being and School of Sport Sciences.
We have worked purposefully with our new colleagues in CEHS to strategically position all the majors. In support of the merger, we have created several working groups, including faculty and staff members from both colleges, and focused on proposing policies, procedures and structures to advance the new college in its first year and beyond.
These groups are focused on the following topics: promotion and tenure; communications; enrollment management; diversity, equity and inclusion; students, staff and faculty awards, recognition and internationalization; development, alumni relations and visiting committees; academic affairs, research, centers and community outreach; facilities; and budgeting.
A national search will begin soon to identify the founding dean of the new college. The University has hired Greenwood/Asher and Associates to direct the efforts and find the ideal candidate to lead. Internal searches for additional college leadership positions will occur in the 2022 spring semester.
As with other universities, COVID-19 has had a far-reaching impact on our College and WVU. We have relied upon science to reach decisions to keep our campus community safe. Throughout the pandemic, instruction has shifted along a continuum from no in-person classes to limiting density in rooms by offering hybrid in-person/online classes and a larger percentage of fully online classes to once again meeting in person.
This fall, we have an offering of in-person classes, with instructors and students required to wear masks while they are in the classroom. Students and instructors alike seem happy to be meeting in person once again. However, these recurring changes have been difficult as we adapt learning and instructional approaches on a regular basis. At the time of writing this letter, the number of reported COVID cases on campus remains relatively low and is on the decline.
In summary, this has been an extraordinary year. As a college, we are working tirelessly to shape a new academic unit that will allow the programs you graduated from to grow and evolve. Although this is a challenging process, the transformation is critical as we strive to create a bright future. Should you have questions or concerns, please reach out to my office.
Jack C. Watson II, PhD
Professor and Dean