Eastern Kentucky University (1906-)

The College of Arts and Sciences was established as the School of Arts and Sciences on July 1, 1965. The schools of Applied Arts and Technology, Business, and Education were also established then. The Board of Regents approved their creation on the recommendation of President Robert R. Martin following the evaluation of Eastern Kentucky State College by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in February, 1965. The title was changed from "School" to "College" on July 1, 1966 when Eastern Kentucky State College became Eastern Kentucky University by act of the General Assembly. The College ceased on June 30,1979 when three colleges were formed from it and Central University College: College of Arts and Humanities, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, and College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The dean during the fourteen years of the college was Frederic D. Ogden. The associate dean from 1967 was Glenn O. Carey.

The School of Arts and Sciences had sixteen departments. Twelve were long established: Art, Biology, Chemistry, English, Foreign Language, Geography, Geology, Health and Physical Education, History, Mathematics, Military Science, Music, and Physics. Political Science had been created in 1961 when the department of History and Political Science divided. Three new departments began operation on September 1. 1965: Anthropology and Sociology, Drama and Speech, and Social Science. Three faculty members and course offerings in anthropology and sociology were transferred from the Department of History to form the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. Two positions were added. One faculty member and course offerings in speech were transferred from the Department of English to form the Department of Drama and Speech where three positions were added. The Department of Social Science was composed of faculty who had been in the Department of Business (became School of Business) and who taught social science survey courses. Two positions were added. Dean Ogden was department chairman in 1965-1966.

Excluding Military Science, the School had 182 faculty members; 48 (26.4%) held a doctorate and 19 (10.5%) had three years of graduate study while 115 (63.2%) had a masters degree and less than one year of additional study or only a bachelor degree and some graduate study.

In 1979 the College also had sixteen departments. Most were the same as when it was established but with some title changes. Four departments had been transferred: Social Science in 1966 and Military Science in 1967 to Central University College; Health, Physical Education and Recreation to the College of Education in 1967; and Mass Communications to the College of Applied Arts and Technology in 1978. The transfer of Mass Communications was made at the request of the department faculty since it was scheduled to be moved in 1979 as part of academic reorganization. Four departments had been added: Philosophy in 1966, Geology separated from Geography in 1968, Psychology transferred from the College of Education, except for Educational Psychology, in 1969, and Communications in 1973. The sixteen departments were Anthropology, Sociology and Social Work, Art, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, English, Foreign Languages, Geography, Geology, History, Mathematical Sciences, Music, Philosophy and Religion, Physics and Astronomy, Political Science, Psychology, and Speech and Theater Arts.

By 1979 the College had 245 faculty members some, such as the deans, taught reduced loads and some were on sabbatical or other leave. There were also several part-time faculty. The number with a doctorate was 176 (72.4%), with three years of advanced study 25 (10.3%), with two years of advanced study 23 (9.5%), and with masters only 19 (7.8%). Most of those faculty with the two years of advanced study held the MFA and the MSW degrees which were the terminal degrees in studio art and social work. Approximately 75 institutions of higher education were represented in the degrees held by faculty with a doctorate.

When the College was established, the emphasis at Eastern was upon the preparation of teachers. The achievement of university status reflected a broader emphasis to include non-teaching programs. During its fourteen year history the College added some thirty undergraduate programs, seventeen graduate programs, and five associate degree programs. A total of forty-six undergraduate degree programs, some with several options, were offered when the College ceased. Included was a major in economics offered in cooperation with the College of Business.

Some programs which had originated in Arts and Sciences had been transferred to other colleges (broadcasting, journalism, and public recreations to the College of Applied Arts and Technology; speech pathology and audiology to the College of Education) and became the basis for the Department of Special Education; medical technology and medical laboratory technician to the College of Allied Health and Nursing.

The College continued to offer the MA in Education. The first non-education masters degree programs (English and History) were begun in 1966 at Eastern. In 1979 the College was approved to offer a joint doctoral program in biological sciences with the University of Kentucky.

Several pre-professional programs in engineering, forestry, optometry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy were provided. The College had a three-two program in engineering. The student spent three years at Eastern and two years in engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Kentucky, or Auburn University. He/she received a B.S. degree from Eastern in Chemistry or Physics. On the initiative of the College, Eastern affiliated with the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs. Mississippi. The affiliation provided undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to take courses and conduct research in marine sciences.

In 1965 the College granted only the BA and B.S. degrees. In 1979 the College offered, in addition, the following degrees: Associate of Arts, Associate of Sciences, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Individualized Studied, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Master of Arts, Master of Sciences, Master of Music, Master of Music Education, and Master of Public Administration.

Several programs were accredited by professional associations: Chemistry, American Chemical Society; Music National Association of Schools of Music; Social Work, Council on Social Work Education, Political Science, MPA program, National Association of Schools of Public Administration, and Legal Assistance program, American Bar Association.

A major problem throughout the existence of the College was its relationship with Central University College. Consideration was given to the creation of Central University School during 1965-1966. This school would have overall responsibility for the general education program. Students would be registered in it during their first two years or until they had earned 60 credit hours. President Martin appointed Dr. Clyde J. Lewis chairman of a committee to study a proposal for this school. Dr. Lewis was chairman of the Department of History. He relinquished his chairmanship and was designated Acting Dean of Central University School. Upon the recommendation of President Martin, the Board of Regents approved the establishment of Central University College, effective July 1, 1966 with Dr. Lewis as Dean.

Conflicts concerning Central University emerged during 1965-1966 and continued. They involved differences in philosophy and general education: one emphasizing a broad survey approach and another discipline oriented approach. Arts and Sciences chairmen were concerned that they had slight control over general education courses in their departments. They opposed general education courses in humanities, natural sciences, and social science which were established in Central University College. They worried about the enrollment in their courses. They also felt that they had lost control of and contact with their students since they were enrolled in Central University College during their freshman and sophomore years. The administrative arrangement of the Dean of Central University College also being the Chairman of the Committee on General Education was another cause of concern.

While efforts were made to resolve the differences between Arts and Sciences and Central University College, the basic conflict was not settled. Essentially it was resolved by merging the two colleges and creating three new colleges.

Although the life of the College of Arts and Science was relatively short, it had a crucial role in the development of Eastern Kentucky University and in the strengthening of its faculty and academic programs.

Author: Frederic D. Ogden