UI seeks approval from regents for departmental name changes
The Board of Regents Academic Affairs Committee recommended the approval for departmental name changes. The University of Iowa requested two changes at Wednesday’s in-person meeting.
The Old Capitol building is seen on March, 6, 2021.
June 2, 2021
The state Board of Regents recommended approval for two University of Iowa departmental name changes on Wednesday.
The UI’s first request was for the Department of Rehabilitation and Counselor Education to be changed to the Department of Counselor Education in the College of Education.
Lois Geist, the associate provost for UI faculty told the regents that the departmental name change goes along with the new accreditation process and makes the department an all-encompassing program by eliminating the word “rehabilitation.”
The Council on Rehabilitation Education and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs recently joined into one accrediting body for counseling preparation programs, according to a regent document.
“There are no changes. As far as the students are concerned, [it] should have no impact on their processes,” Geist told the regents.
Geist said the UI has received support for the proposed changes from the other regent-governed institutions.
While the departmental name change will not affect current students, all master’s and doctorate students in school, as well as mental health and rehabilitation counseling programs will be represented equally, according to the regent document.
The UI Department of Surgery is also requesting that the division of cardiothoracic surgery at the Carver College of Medicine be changed to a free-standing department as the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
According to a regent document, the division of cardiothoracic surgery was granted stand-alone department status by the Board of Regents in 2005. The regents approved the department to reenter the Department of Surgery in 2018 to allow surgeons to stabilize under new leadership.
Geist told the regents that the UI is requesting its reversion to keep up with national trends and to recruit prominent thoracic or cardiac surgeons.
Regent Nancy Boettger said the Academic Affairs Committee recommended approval of the UI’s requested name changes.
The regents will consider the implementation of these changes in August.