A new and improved college on the horizon
By Richard Mast
mastr@findlay.edu
The University of Findlay is merging the College of Business and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences in January 2026. These plans, unveiled earlier this week, bring together the two colleges under one dean with the goal to create new opportunities for both students and faculty.
Dr. Ron Tulley, the Dean of CAHSS, said the merger also reflects the university’s history.
“When this started in 1882, it was a college of business with liberal arts classes. There was always that kind of merger,” said Tulley. “What if we looked at these two units that we have, combine them into one, get a fresh start.”
This is seen as a chance to expand opportunities for students and better prepare Findlay graduates for a changing job market. Tulley pointed to the potential for stronger career pathways. “Business already has these deep connections with corporations in the community,” Tully said. “There’s a possibility for influx, not just of the obvious financial resources, but also the connections for internships and things like that, that we may not have had before.”
Dr. Kirby Overton, Dean of the College of Business and soon the dean of the newly combined college, added that this merger will also address key concerns in the job market.
“One of the biggest gaps that employers say they see in new hires is, are the people skills,” Overton said. “So this really gives us the opportunity to better marry those technical (skills) with those people skills.”
Overton sees the merger as a chance to modernize UF’s academic offerings.
“It’s creating a new identity,” Overton said. “ It’s coming together, it’s collaborating, it’s taking the strengths of both colleges and improving on the weaknesses of both colleges as well.”
Overton emphasized that while the programs may evolve and change, the core values of both colleges will stay.
“We’ll still honor the traditions, the culture, the programs,” Overton said. “It’s an opportunity to kind of have a fresh perspective on things and keep some things the same, restructure some pieces as well.”
Those opportunities could include more crossover between the departments. Overton envisioned entrepreneurship into the art while also rethinking traditional business programs. “Can we incorporate psychology more into leadership curriculum and management curriculum and those sorts of things,” Overton said. “Can we revamp our marketing programs and make it more attractive for businesses to hire students?”
Tulley said that early faculty reactions have been largely positive, while student response won’t truly become clear till the new year when the merger goes into full effect.
“Change always brings fear,” Tulley said. “But I don’t get that sense right now. Folks understand that it seems more recently, I would say post COVID, that change is coming more rapidly and they know they have to adapt.”
While the merge won’t be fully into place until Fall 2026, both the deans agree that the long-term goal is to position UF students for success in an ever changing world.
“The overall vision is just to be able to really invest in our students and ensuring that we are helping to develop very well-rounded students who are able to go out into whatever industry they choose and be leaders in whatever capacity they choose to be leaders,” Overton said.
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