Increasing enrollment and the demands of a high-tech world have led to a proposal to change the School of Technology into the new College of Technology.

The change of status will benefit students, faculty and administration, said A. Raj Chowdhury, dean of the School of Technology.

“We are planning on being a high-tech college that prepares students for the 21st century economy,” he said. “We are training workers for the industrial economy in Ohio.”

Some of the benefits to students will be an increase in high-quality faculty and more funding, Chowdhury said. The advantage of graduating from an accredited college of technology will increase students’ ability to get a well-paying job after they graduate.

The plan will also shift the administrative structure of the department. The new College of Technology will report directly to the Provost’s Office, instead of reporting to the Dean of Regional Campuses’ Office.

The school had previously reported to the regional campuses because many of its signature programs were based at regional campuses, Provost Paul Gaston said.

The proposal will come before the Faculty Senate at its Monday meeting.

If Faculty Senate approves the plan, it will go to President Carol Cartwright and Gaston for approval. Gaston said he plans to approve the proposal at this time.

The final step will be approval by the Board of Trustees, which should take place on Nov. 16. The proposal already has been approved by the Educational Policies Council and several faculty committees.

The plan to move to college status was originally proposed in 2000, but the technology school and the Provost’s Office decided to establish goals before they moved ahead with the proposal, Chowdhury said.

“We set certain benchmarks for ourselves,” he said. “We’ve earned our college status; it isn’t being given to us.”

One of the most important achievements for the school was establishing outside accreditation, Gaston said.

The technology school has established accreditation and partnerships with more than a dozen outside institutions.

Another goal the school met was increasing enrollment. According to the Office of Research, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, it has sustained a five-year average growth rate of 7.5 percent.

“I am so optimistic about the future,” he said. “With the help of Almighty God, we are going to grow like crazy.”

Contact academic affairs reporter Amanda Garrett at [email protected].