In addition to professional education, School offers psychology, social work, sociology and counseling programs
The home of Campbell University’s professional education, psychology and social work programs is now the School of Education & Human Sciences, the University announced today.
The name change better reflects the scope of the school’s offerings, according to Dean Alfred Bryant.
“When I came to campus, I realized this school was more inclusive than education,” said Bryant, whose two-year anniversary as dean coincides with the June 1 announcement. “I started having conversations with the provost and asked if there had been conversations about a more inclusive name. The answer was ‘yes,’ and I was given permission to explore it.”
The School of Education was born from the Department of Education at Campbell in 1985, and since that time, the school has grown to add majors in psychology and social work, a minor in sociology and master’s programs in clinical mental health counseling and school counseling. Bryant said he approached faculty in those programs about how a name change would benefit them. The feedback suggested a more inclusive name would help would-be students discover their programs more easily during their initial searches.
Adding “human sciences” was the result of several interviews with faculty, discussions among administrators and research into other schools with similar titles.
“Psychology, for one, is focused on the science of how a person thinks and feels, but we also feel like this title is important for our professional education program as well,” Bryant said. “It’s a huge part of counseling. It’s a huge part of the school administration focus, and it filters into teacher education easily. It’s a name that has received support from all levels.”
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Mark Hammond said he was “delighted” that the Board of Trustees supported the name change, which he said “better indicates the breadth and depth of the academic programs housed in the school.”
“We considered many variations over the last couple of years, and the School of Education & Human Sciences came out as the winner,” Hammond said. “[The name] provides a clear moniker to reflect all existing programs, while at the same time providing us flexibility for additional academic programs in the future.”
Dr. Katie Van Allen, associate professor of psychology who has been with Campbell for 11 years, said it was time for the change as the school has grown to include new career fields and areas of study.
“When people think of education, they think of teaching,” she said. “And while teaching is, of course, an honorable profession and important to what we are, our school represents much more than that now, and that wasn’t being reflected in the name. I think the name refresh reflects the diversity of the programs we have.”
Van Allen said Campbell psychology students often continue their education and earn a graduate degree in various counseling programs. Popular professions include family counseling, marriage counseling, school counseling and behavior analyst. Other students go on to law school or health science programs like medicine or physician assistant. She said the psychology program at Campbell has grown in her 11 years, with enrollment hovering around 100 students on main campus. The sociology minor, she added, has also grown in popularity.
She, too, thinks “human sciences” is a solid reflection of the work she does and the work students go on to do after earning their Campbell degree.
“We focus on humans and trying to understand the science behind why people think the way they do and behave the way they do,” Van Allen said. “These programs tie in nicely to Campbell’s mission. They really do emphasize the aspect of community and helping your fellow humans and mankind in general.”
The name change is effective immediately and has been updated across all Campbell websites and social media platforms. The School of Education & Human Sciences will continue to update signage and other areas where the name is used — such as name tags, business cards and letterheads — leading up to the fall semester.
“Changing the name to the School of Education and Human Sciences acknowledges the inclusion of other departments, like social work, that were not previously recognized. This is good for the morale of the faculty and students. It will also help with recruitment, as it provides recognition of our importance within the university community.”
— Dr. Susan Mallard Barnes, associate professor and social work coordinator
“The inclusion of ‘human sciences’ in the new name better reflects the long tradition of the science of psychology at Campbell University. The name will help prospective students to ‘find’ us when they are looking for universities with a psychology major. I am pleased the University leadership moved forward with this change to make psychology more visible at Campbell University.”
— Dr. Laura Lunsford, assistant dean, School of Education & Human Sciences
“With the inclusion of ‘Human Sciences’, our name now better encapsulates the work of our growing sociology program to foster a scientific approach to understanding our diverse and complex society, with a special focus on rural and underserved communities.”
— Dr. Justin Nelson, assistant professor of sociology
“Changing the School’s name to make it relevant across all programs has been something discussed over the years. I’m thrilled to see the name change finally come to fruition.”
— Dr. Sam Engel, associate dean, School of Education & Human Sciences
“We’re excited for the name change which is more indicative and inclusive of the programs within our School.”
— Dr. Chris Godwin, assistant dean, School of Education & Human Sciences