Near the end of the fall 2015 semester, Eastern University took one of the final steps in the reorganization of its layout. This included the elimination of the dance major, the French minor, and teaching positions in various departments. Already in this new semester there have been at least six significant further changes, including several major faculty changes.
There have been five major staff and faculty changes so far this semester. The first change concerned Dr. David Bronkema. Dr. Bronkema is currently the chair of the International Development Programs in the School of Leadership and Development, the Campolo College of Graduate and Professional Studies (CCGPS), and The College of Arts and Science, as well as the Associate Professor of International Development and the Templeton Chair of Christian Service Through Entrepreneurship. In addition to his current appointments, he will serve as interim Dean of the College of Biblical and Theological Studies and Ministry to his job description.
The second change concerned Dr. Harry Gutelius, an education professors. He has had many leadership roles in the Loeb School of Education throughout the past few years, and he is currently serving as interim Dean of the College of Education.
The third change concerned Dr. Trish Reger. Dr. Reger is the department chair and director of the Exercise Science program, as well as Professor of Exercise Science. She will now serve as interim Dean of the College of Health & Social Sciences.
Amy Perez, formerly Director of Advising and First-Year Programs, will serve as Assistant to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, and Augusta Allen is now the new Director of International Student and Scholar Services.
One last significant change was the creation of the Organizational Design Oversight Committee. The ODOC has been formed to ensure that the decisions that have been made, which includes the decisions made in the fall 2015 semester, as well as new faculty changes, will be executed in a timely manner. The ODOC will communicate with the ODTF in order to carry out the actions and make sure that they are handled correctly. The ODOC will be available in case of conflict that needs to be resolved and also to promote dialogue between teams in order to keep communication open.