缅北禁地

As part of the College鈥檚 academic master planning process, Meredith is returning to a department-head structure for academic programs. This organizational model was followed for many decades in the College鈥檚 history.

The academic master plan will position Meredith to be more nimble in developing new academic offerings and build on recent curricular innovations. These new programs include the launch of a nursing program, which attracted 30 new students for Fall 2025, and an interdisciplinary data analytics program. Both programs are designed to meet workforce needs.

The decision to return to a department head structure, including eliminating academic dean positions, was informed by input from internal audiences and research on best practices at similar-sized institutions.

Anita Thomas, Senior Vice President and Provost, says the strategic changes will have several direct and indirect benefits to current and future students, including more opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.

聽鈥淢eredith needs a distinctive approach to compete in this market and to ensure a relevant and career-ready curriculum and high-impact practices,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are excited about the interdisciplinary possibilities for creative, new programming that this structure will help foster, particularly in the area of adult education and expanded modalities for all populations.鈥�

While better supporting students’ current and future educational needs is the primary impetus for the streamlined structure, this reorganization is expected to increase faculty鈥檚 direct access to Meredith鈥檚 chief academic officer, improving efficiency and transparency.聽

鈥淭he department head structure will give faculty and department heads a more direct line of communication to me as we work together to develop and execute Meredith鈥檚 strategic plan, which will launch in Fall 2026,鈥� Thomas said.

Other recent structural changes have already had a positive impact on the College鈥檚 enrollment growth and operational budget goals. For example, creating an enrollment division in 2024 resulted in a 24% increase in new student enrollment for Fall 2025.