The University of Toledo will resurrect University College, the once-familiar campus name synonymous with assisting nontraditional students.
The board of trustees on Monday approved the July 1 formation of University College, created through a merger of three entities — the College of Adult and Lifelong Learning, YouCollege, and UT Online.
University College formed in 1970 to serve nontraditional students, but it was disbanded when its functions were folded into the adult and lifelong learning college in 2010.
The revamped University College also will include YouCollege, which provides student coaching and advising, and online courses offered through UT Online. In total, about 2,500 students, including many who have yet to declare a major, will belong to the new college.
The restructuring will trigger several administrative changes and an overall reduction of jobs.
Barbara Kopp Miller, associate provost for online education, will be dean of University College. Her salary will increase from $189,900 to $205,000 a year.
Dennis Lettman, dean of the adult college, will retire June 30 after working at UT for 27 years. His position, for which he makes $120,000 a year, will not be filled.
Julie Fischer-Kinney, interim dean of YouCollege, will continue her role in the provost office and her salary will remain $105,000. Before her roughly year-long stint as dean, YouCollege had been run by a dean and an associate dean. Those two positions have been eliminated.
To help operate University College, UT will hire an associate dean, with a salary to be determined.
The merger is the second college consolidation authorized this year. In February, trustees authorized the July 1 creation of the college of health and human services by combining the college of health sciences and the college of social justice and human service.
UT President Sharon Gaber has backed a third merger, of the college of communication and the arts with the college of languages, literature and social sciences, but that proposal has yet to come before the board.
The college restructuring effort reduces administrative positions as well as creates a more efficient organizational structure, said spokesman Meghan Cunningham.
On Monday, UT announced an engineering program aimed at attracting Toledo Public Schools students by awarding full-tuition scholarships. Those selected for the program must complete enrichment and mentoring work over the course of three summers. Sixteen students who are currently completing their sophomore year in high school have been admitted into the program, which will be partially funded through a corporate partnership with BP.
For more information about the Rocket Engineering Prep Program, which can accommodate up to 30 students, visit the website utoledo.edu/engineering/repp.html.
Contact Vanessa McCray at: vmccray@theblade.com or 419-724-6065, or on Twitter @vanmccray.
First Published April 19, 2016, 4:00 a.m.