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THE
Dec. 2, 2022 Vol. 98, No. 08
Online at TheLink.Harding.edu
Searcy, Ark., 72149
University announces merge of arts and humanities, sciences colleges
Graphic by COOPER TURMAN
BEN LANE sports editor EMMA JONES editor-in-chief Harding University announced that starting in the 2023-2024 school year, the College of Arts and Humanities and the College of Sciences will be merged to create the College of Arts and Sciences. University Provost Marty Spears announced the merger to faculty from the colleges during a meeting on Nov. 16, and to other faculty and staff via email the next day. Spears said the administration has discussed the merger since the end of Dr. Bruce McClarty’s presidency, but it was not until this year, as the University is attempting to streamline and be as efficient as possible, that the time was right. “It was very strategic going into our centennial year to put back together into one college … there’s a lot of synergy there that you can really tap into by having all of those programs together because they’re so strongly connected just through the traditional liberal arts approach,” Spears said.
The decision also stems f rom lower enrollment rates in both colleges, Assistant Vice President of Finance Tim Jones said. “Those are two areas, sciences and arts and humanities, that have disproportionately had lower enrollment the past six years or so, compared to [other areas],” Jones said. Spears also announced that Dr. Dana Steil will become dean of the new College of Arts and Sciences. Steil is currently the associate provost for academic affairs and an associate professor of computer science. Steil said the merger will better organize the College of Arts and Humanities and the College of Sciences, which will result in more efficient communication between the two colleges. The change may also decrease scheduling conflicts for students attempting to enroll in different colleges on campus because chairs within the College of Arts and Sciences will meet periodically to discuss curriculum. Steil also said that because Harding has a “culture of niceness,” faculty do not speak up in full-faculty meetings when curriculum is being voted on, which is an issue the merger may mitigate. “I see this as a really big serious responsibility that I’m very happy to do, but I take it very
seriously,” Steil said. “It’s not something I can do alone.” Another part of the rationale for the merger, Spears said, is that Harding will financially benefit from decreasing the amount of deans at the school. Harding will have one less dean and one less dean’s assistant, and Steil said his position as associate provost for academic affairs will not be filled after he leaves. In the Nov. 17 email sent to faculty, Spears wrote that Dr. Warren Casey, dean of arts and humanities, will retire after the school year, and Dr. Zane Gastineau, dean of sciences, is considering other leadership roles within the college. Both deans will complete the remainder of the academic year as deans. Casey declined to comment to The Bison, and Gastineau did not respond to request for comment. Established as the College of Arts and Sciences in 1924, the college split into the College of Arts and Humanities and the College of Sciences in 2000. Historically they have been the largest colleges by department, with seven departments in arts and humanities and eight in sciences. Spears said that for faculty and staff, the merger should not make much of an impact.
“I think it will create some new opportunities,” Spears said. “I think we’ll see some curricular changes, but we announced the combination of the colleges so this could be a season of time where we think about how this is going to impact us. There’s going to be a real diligent effort not to have a negative impact … on the different cultures … in the individual colleges.” Also announced to go into effect for the 2023-2024 school year is the elimination of the University College. According to Spears, the same services provided through the University College will shift to the Center for Student Success, which will be led by Dr. Kevin Kehl, current University College dean. The interdisciplinary studies major will be moving from the University College to the College of Arts and Sciences, as will the Honors College. “I’m excited about this change,” Spears said. “And even though there’s a lot of things that lead into making a big change like this, it is something that is very strategic that we’ve been thinking about for a while.”
Photo by MACY COX
The American Studies Institute hosts author Bob Goff as a guest speaker in Benson Auditorium on Nov. 29. Goff spoke on the idea of being “undistracted in business and life.”
ASI hosts bestselling author Bob Goff
EMILY STINNETT student writer
The Harding University American Studies Institute (ASI) concluded its distinguished lecture series for the semester on Tuesday, Nov. 29, with Bob Goff, who spoke on the idea of being “undistracted in business and life” in Benson Auditorium. Goff is well known for his New York Times bestselling books, “Love Does” and “Everybody Always.” He is also an attorney, the honorary consul of Uganda and the founder of the nonprofit “Love Does.” Goff ’s humor and joyful spirit set the tone for the lecture as he connected scripture to storytelling. Goff said people knowing what they want and deciding why they want it keeps them from being distracted. He said it’s not selfish for people to know what they want, but it is strategic because they are focused.
“I want to have terrific doctrine and terrific theology, and loving people the way Jesus loved people is terrific theology,” Goff said. “That’s what I want.’’ Goff repeatedly compared the aroma of Christ to smelling cookies in the oven, that one’s influence on people is love. He said he could sense this in the people at Harding when he arrived. “I want people to be near you and sense there’s something about you, there’s a depth, there’s a sincerity, there’s a vulnerability, there’s an awareness of what’s going on,” Goff said. “And that comes from not being distracted.” Goff discussed the importance of taking a genuine interest in others. When he was a teenager, he sent a letter to a leader in the U.S. about his parents. This leader took a genuine interest in Goff and replied to his letter, changing Goff ’s life. He asked the audience what would happen if they took a genuine interest in others.
“This idea of love just to not have an agenda, when love has an agenda it isn’t love anymore, it’s a program,” Goff said. “Faith ain’t a program. Faith is showing up, knowing what you want, taking an interest in other people and doing something about it.” A friend and neighbor of Goff ’s was dying of cancer and was too weak to attend their neighborhood’s New Year’s Day parade. So they changed the parade route to pass through her front yard for the neighbors to walk through and wave goodbye. “This is what it feels like to love your neighbor,” Goff said, referencing Mark 12. On Tuesday afternoon, Goff spoke in a classroom session for students. ASI leaders held a reception and dinner following the session. Goff spoke in chapel the following morning about immense patience mentioned in 1 Timothy. He shared many more stories about his travels to foreign countries, his
experiences working with prisoners and memories with his wife and family. Senior Ella Horton, a member of the ASI officer council, has been a part of ASI since her freshman year. She was particularly excited to welcome Goff to campus and listen to him speak. “I think that he is interesting to a lot of audiences and has a lot of wisdom to share that’s very applicable to everyone, not just a certain demographic,” Horton said. Dr. Ross Cochran, professor of Bible, had read two of Goff ’s books and had heard him speak before. He said it was great for ASI to invite Goff as ASI focuses on intersecting faith and civic life. “I think [Goff ] loves in creative ways,” Cochran said. “I think we get stuck in our well worn ways of loving. Sometimes the best response, the one that lands the best, has an element of surprise.”