Unified College Taskforce

Timeline

Transition Point Number One timeline. Described in text below.

Phase One

  • November 7, 2025 – Task Force Charged
  • November 7 – 17, 2025 – College-Wide Surveys (CAHS & CHHP)
  • November 21, 2025 – Task Force Outlined 2-Phase Approach
  • January 2026 – Listening Sessions, Group 1
  • January 9, 2026 – Launched first work groups
  • February 2, 2026 – Report I Submitted
  • February 5, 2026 – College Name Communication to Task Force, Endorsement of Plans for Individual Unit Homes
  • March 4 – Provisional Codes Ready for Provost Review and EPPC, Submit for March FS Review
  • Early March – Listening Sessions, Group 2
  • March 2026 – Transition Proposal Due

Phase Two

  • July 1, 2026 – New College Established
  • Late Spring, Summer, Fall 2026 – Establishment of Unit Groupings and Support Structures in the College of Health and Human Sciences

Updates

December 2025 Provost’s Update (Log-in required)
December 2025 Taskforce Update (Log-in required)
March 2026 College Name Update (Log-in required)
March 2026 Taskforce Initial Report for Phase I Planning (Log-in required)

Purpose

The Unified College Taskforce is charged with exploring the shape, structure, academic components and governance of a new college at ECU, formed by combining our College of Allied Health Sciences and our College of Health and Human Performance. The taskforce shall ensure that their proposal for the new entity reflects the values, expertise, and aspirations of our university community, as well as those of the existing colleges.

Objectives

As Chancellor Rogers stated in his recent message to campus, this unified college will allow us to reinvest in teaching and classroom support, as well as generate efficiencies to support our fiscal health initiative. However, above and beyond the financial component, the taskforce shall keep the following core purposes of the unified college in mind:

  • elevate curricular pathways for students;
  • create opportunities to develop early entry for graduate assurances;
  • encourage research synergy, and efficient use of lab space and facilities;
  • highlight opportunities for interprofessional education; and
  • seek opportunities to rethink the way we do basic science education in health sciences.

Taking into account this overall vision, the objectives of the taskforce are as follows:

  1. Name the New College: The Taskforce shall propose a name for the new college by the preliminary deadline determined by the committee.
  2. Recommendation of Outcome: As described in the timeline section above, the taskforce shall produce a preliminary report which names and outlines the structure of new college and the units that will comprise it. This proposal should also include the destination for any departments / programs from existing colleges that are better suited to different areas. The taskforce will determine how quickly it is able to produce this preliminary report, with the understanding that early in the new year is preferred.
    Once the taskforce can move forward with an approved name and structure, it will work to produce a final transition proposal by March 6. The final proposal should detail a plan to operationalize the unified college, including:
    1. proposed outcomes for administrative structures, personnel actions and unit code, staffing, technology / systems, budget and resources, and applicable policy/procedure;
    2. a detailed timeline(s) to debut the unified college by July 1;
    3. a summary of identified efficiencies (financial or otherwise) realized through the creation of the unified college.
  3. An Inclusive Approach
    The taskforce should take care to use an inclusive approach, making use of staff and other resources as needed, including the creation of sub-groups within the taskforce to work on specific ideas or tasks within the greater scope of the project. The taskforce should determine the appropriate timing and scope for feedback from public or constituent groups, assuring transparency within the process.

Members

The taskforce shall be chaired by Dr. Sarah Williams and includes representative members from each of the existing colleges, health sciences disciplines, and other university stakeholders. Additional individuals may be identified to act as resources to the committee or subcommittee(s).

  • Dr. Sarah Williams, Executive Director, Office for Faculty Excellence
  • Dr. Nicole Bromfield, Dean, College of Health and Performance
  • Dr. Robert Orlikoff, Dean, College of Allied Health Sciences
  • Dr. Tony Kulas, Chair, HHP (KINE)
  • Dr. Clif Watts, Chair, HHP (RSSM)
  • Dr. Michele Wallen, Chair, HHP (HEP)
  • Dr. Alan Taylor, Professor, HHP (HDFS)
  • Dr. Kevin White, Associate Professor, HHP (SSW)
  • Dr. Tiffany Blanchflower, Assistant Professor, HHP (IDMR)
  • Dr. Michael Wheeler, Chair, CAHS (NUTR)
  • Dr. Leigh Atherton, Chair, CAHS (DARS)
  • Dr. Denise Donica, Chair, CAHS (OT)
  • Dr. Elijah Asagbra, Associate Professor, CAHS (HSIM)
  • Dr. Alex Durland, Clinical Professor, CAHS (PT)
  • Dr. Kathrin Rothermich, Associate Professor, CAHS (CSDI)
  • Dr. Espen Spangenburg, Professor, BSOM
  • Dr. Shannon Powell, Associate Dean, CON
  • Dr. Maggie Wilson, Vice Dean, SoDM
  • Dr. Rachel Gittman, Associate Professor, THCAS (BIOL)
  • Dr. Lauren Turbeville, Assistant Professor, CAHS (OT)
  • Dr. Ed Gomez, Professor, HHP (RSSM)
  • Ms. Jessica Veale, Clinical Assistant Professor, CAHS (PA)
  • Dr. Guyla Evans, Chair, CAHS (CLS)