Academic Structure and Governance

This project, as part of the overall One Bethel initiative, is to reorganize the university’s academic programs, and structures into schools of similar disciplines and define roles and responsibilities to support this new structure in ways that drive agile and entrepreneurial growth. This will also include uniting the shared governance responsibilities unique to faculty into a single process and structure, providing equity and consistency in the working and learning experiences for faculty, staff and students.  

By the Fall of 2026, Bethel University will launch its 4 new colleges or schools arranged by similar disciplines. This changes from the current college structure where schools were  designed to function independent from one another along with faculty counterparts in any other schools.  The breadth of this change will not just be among academic programs and majors but also to into setting up structures that allow academic affairs units will functions for the whole university instead of a part of it. Similarly, faculty governance will no longer be split into two categories of CAS and CAPS/Sem/GS but as university faculty for the first time. 

Questions?

Please fill out this form if you have any questions related to the academic restructure and governance. The questions submitted will help aid the FAQ page.

• January 2024-Cabinet input and affirmation of new school model

• March 2024-Process for updating faculty handbook approved

• April 2024-Revised faculty governance recommendations complete

• May 2024-Define composition of academic programs to new colleges and schools

• Fall 2024-Launch search for new academic deans

• August 2024-Launch revised faculty governance charter working groups

• December 2024-Revised faculty governance groups' charters sent to faculty bodies for approval

• January 2025: Academic Affairs Restructure Meetings

• February-March 2025: Listening Sessions

• April 1, 2025: Final Organizational Chart developed and released to faculty/staff

• May 2025: Final faculty governance charters approved by both faculty bodies

• June 2025: Merge parts of CAS Academic Affairs and CSG Academic Operations

• August 2025-Begin new faculty governance

• August 2025-New academic structure complete: Academic units' reporting structures will follow the new vertical and horizontal model in advance of Fall 2026.

• 2025-2026 Academic Year: Transition of policies, procedures, and processes toward standardization.

• May 2026: Publishing of 2026-2027 Academic Catalog.

• August 2026-Official launch of of new schools and colleges.