Student success and faculty support efforts are being aligned under the Office of the Provost to strengthen collaborations, eliminate duplications and provide a wider dissemination of best practices.
As Student Affairs joins the office its units, including the Center for Advocacy and Student Experience, Rocket Launch new student orientation, the Military Service Center and Counseling Center, will more closely work with the academic support services that were already in the Provost’s Office, such as the Learning Enhancement Center, Trio Support Services and the First Year Experience.
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is being incorporated across the Division of Academic Affairs and will no longer be a separate team led by a vice president. Instead, the student focused initiatives, like the Multicultural Emerging Scholars Program and the Catharine Eberly Center for Women, will be aligned with student affairs operations. And the faculty and staff support services, such as trainings and campus resources, will be aligned with the academic operations and institutional effectiveness area of the Provost’s Office.
“We are deeply committed to supporting our students and a campus community that celebrates and respects people of all backgrounds and experiences. Rather than separate units for Student Affairs and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, those efforts should be integrated across everything we do,” Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Scott Molitor said. “Bringing all of these teams together in a more intentional way will enhance the way we support the student, faculty and staff experience at UToledo.”
The Office of Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships led by Valerie Simmons-Walston also is being incorporated across the Division of Academic Affairs, where they will continue their work on diversity, equity, inclusion and outreach efforts within the Toledo area while working with academic colleges and Student Affairs to create a stronger sense of community within UToledo and to strengthen engagement with our students and the broader Toledo region.
It also is a period of change for the academic colleges in the Division of Academic Affairs as the College of Arts and Letters merges with the Judith Herb College of Education and the College of Health and Human Services merges with the College of Nursing. Those mergers will be effective July 2025. For the transitional 2024-25 academic year, Dr. Rebecca Schneider will be acting dean of the education college and Dr. Mark Merrick will serve as the acting dean of the nursing college with Dr. Eileen Walsh as chief nursing administrator.
The Jesup Scott Honors College, University College and College of Graduate Studies are aligned under academic program administration rather than being led by a dean with dedicated faculty. And UToledo Online was separated from University College as a dedicated unit to grow and support the University’s 100% online degree programs and workforce development efforts.
“We are still finalizing components of the organizational chart this summer, but we are already finding alignments that we’re excited to have ready to go when students and faculty return in the fall,” Molitor said.
