Academic college system to be restructured from September
Image by David Martin/Geograph
The University of Exeter has announced it will condense the six current academic colleges into three larger faculties from September.
The announcement was made by Vice-Chancellor Professor Lisa Roberts in an email to students on Tuesday 22 March. Professor Roberts explained that the future structures are part of ‘Strategy 2030’ – the university’s ten-year plan.
Currently, the University’s subject departments are organised into six colleges:
- Business School
- College of Life and Environmental Science
- College of Humanities
- College of Medicine and Health
- College of Social Sciences and International Studies
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences
However, from September, these colleges will be restructured into three faculties:
1. Faculty of Health and Life Sciences (HLS) (Comprising the life sciences elements of the College of Life and Environmental Sciences and the current College of Medicine and Health)
2. Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy (ESE) (Comprising elements from the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, the current College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, and the Business School.)
3. Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) (Comprising the current Colleges of Humanities and Social Sciences and International Studies)
In addition to the college restructuring, the university’s professional services will also be reorganised. The professional services include SID, wellbeing, and the library. There are currently twelve directorates than encompass these services, but from September these will be reorganised into eight larger divisions.
The changes are being made after several months of consultation between the university and the Students’ Guild officers, staff, and students. According to the future structures’ webpage, the reorganisation will be phased in from September over the course of the academic year of 2022/23, and students will be kept updated through the weekly University Updates newsletter.
In her email to students announcing the changes, Professor Roberts said that the changes will not impact students’ studies, progression, or graduation, but may affect where subject departments are located on campus.
A Q&A about the restructures will take place in Term Three with Professor Roberts and Mike Shore-Nye, the University’s Registrar and Secretary. A date is yet to be announced.