UWRF college merger approved by Board of Regents

On Dec. 9 the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents approved the merger of the College of Business and Economics (CBE) and the College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS.) The merge will officially happen July 1, 2023.

The merger will reduce the number of colleges on campus from four to three and save on administrative costs, according to campus officials. The goal is to help increase support for employees and students, according to Dawn Hukai, the interim dean of CBE and CEPS. 

There are three specific goals for the reorganization. “Achieving greater balance among the remaining colleges in terms of the size – number of faculty, staff, and students – as well as the size of the budget and representation on governing groups and removing barriers for collaboration across the academic programs in the current two colleges. Strengthening the argument for accreditation by giving programs in the newly merged college more support,” said Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs David Travis to the Falcon Newsroom.

The new college's name is the College of Education, Business, and Allied Health (CEBAH.) There have been over 50 presentations, meetings, and group discussions that took place to move the reorganization, according to Travis. There will be 1,900 students in this new college.

“[This will] allow our complementary professional fields to work more closely with each other and take advantage of efficiencies and economies of scale,” wrote Hukai. Leadership groups are still working on the internal structure of the new college.

Students will remain in the same departments as they are now and will be advised by the same faculty and staff. The colleges will host a combined award recognition event in April and in Fall of 2023 both colleges will walk together for commencement, Hukai wrote.

“I’m pleased by the collaborative spirit I have seen at UW-River Falls which resulted in this important reorganization,” Jay Rothman, UW System President said. “It’s a testament to the value UW-River Falls places on continuously trying to improve the student experience.”