Over the last few months, I’ve given updates on our academic realignment. This week, I’ll focus on McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS).

The changes in the college will better integrate practices in health, health care and health science. They’ll also help us align community integration with workforce needs.

Three new schools

McQueary will be reorganizing into schools. Those changes will occur over two years.

One new school was created this year. Counseling moved from the College of Education and is part of the new School of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences. It also includes psychology and social work.

Two other new schools will be created next July.

The first will include athletic training, communication sciences and disorders (audiology and speech language pathology), occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant studies and RStats. This will elevate our clinical doctoral programs, will join programs with similar foundations and provides seamless student pathways into medical and clinical careers.

The second school to be created next year will include biomedical sciences (with curricular changes), kinesiology and public health and sports medicine.

Names for the schools will be announced at a later date.

Moving from a department head model to a school model with school directors and program coordinators/directors reduces the number of small departments and provides opportunities for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Other changes within MCHHS

A new interdisciplinary major in Esports will be created to address the growing industry and area of student interest. It will be spearheaded by the current department of kinesiology.

As mentioned in the College of Natural and Applied Sciences realignment note last week, faculty from biology, biomedical sciences, chemistry, kinesiology and public health and sports medicine will be making recommendations on reducing course duplications across the departments.

All curricular proposals to remove the duplications need to be submitted to college councils by Feb. 1, 2024.

I believe these changes position McQueary to meet the health care and workforce needs of our community now and in the future.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State.

Clif