The College of Engineering & Natural Sciences is no more
Last Thursday, The University of Tulsa announced the renaming of the Oxley College of Health Sciences to the Oxley College of Health Sciences & Natural Sciences (HSNS), after rebranding the College of Engineering & Natural Sciences (ENS) to the College of Engineering & Computer Science (ECS). I have been waiting a year and a half for this change to be made, and I could not be more excited.
This change moved departments such as biology, chemistry, physics and geosciences from the engineering college to the health sciences college. According to the email sent to students, while this is “a structural change, this shift does not represent any changes in curriculum, faculty or physical space.” It goes on to say that “effective fall 2023, university leadership anticipates no impact to students currently enrolled in or planning to enroll in these areas.”
While leadership does not think there will be an impact, I disagree; there certainly will be, but I anticipate a positive change for both parties. Even if classroom locations are not moved or class credits are not reallocated, there will be a new energy to the majors and their sense of self-importance.
Attending graduation for the class of 2022, I was amazed by just how large the College of Engineering & Natural Sciences was, sitting just about as large as every other college combined. It seemed ridiculous to have such an enormous college representing a massive range of career paths and opportunities.
This realization meshed well with an event I participated in prior to graduation where college deans discussed opportunities within their majors, and all that was discussed for the College of Engineering & Natural Sciences was what you could do as an engineer.
It seems that people forget who all the title of ENS encompassed. It was more than just engineering, but also the natural sciences — the biologists and chemists who would go on to become doctors and researchers. As stated in the email, “engineering and computer science represent two of the most successful programs within The University of Tulsa,” and it has become more and more obvious that others within the natural sciences are being overshadowed by them.
By moving the natural sciences to the Oxley College of Health Sciences, they will have room to grow. They will not be overshadowed by engineering, and they will have labs, resources and research opportunities to encourage even more learning experiences to strengthen graduate and medical school applications. Why only be confined to the compresses of Keplinger Hall when theoretically, the opportunities at Oxley College will now be open to those biologists and chemists?
These majors will no longer be in competition for scholarships and grants with the engineers when it comes to funding, now within a space where they can shine. Complimentary to that, now the engineers get our own entire space. Engineering is already so diverse and complex, representing the thermal sciences of chemical engineering to materials science of mechanical engineering, while also incorporating the circuitry of electrical engineering and the geological sciences of petroleum engineering. This is already a program that is so multifaceted, that the only way everyone can get equal attention and admiration is through thriving in our own college.
With how large engineering is, it is incredibly exciting for the College of Engineering to become its own thing while the other natural sciences will have room to grow, learn and experiment with other sciences that will hold similar career paths. No one will be overshadowed by anyone, and each respective program will shine. Personally, I think ECS has a nice ring to it.
