The departure of the dean and several faculty from the College of Education Health and Human Studies next month is not expected to disrupt the overall academic programs in the college.

Dean Diana Rogers Adkinson is leaving Southeast in May provost and senior vice president at the Bloomsburg University Adkinson said there are three faculty positions in the department to be filled by Aug. 1, and proper steps are being taken to make sure teachers who fill those positions can transition into them smoothly.

“We have a special orientation just for new faculty and that helps get them up to speed on university support and resources,” Adkinson said.

As dean, Adkinson helped to launch several programs at Southeast, including the EDvolution Center and Holmes Honors, which helps recruit and retain minority education majors.

“This is something I am really proud of, helping to grow the number of underrepresented students choosing to go into the teacher workforce,” Adkinson said.

Ke-La Harris, who is part of the Holmes Honors program, said she is sad to see the dean leave because Adkinson has motivated her to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher.

“She has done a lot for the Holmes program when it has come to funding and she is just amazing all-around,” Harris said. “There was a time that I couldn’t afford to take the Missouri General Education Assessment (MoGEA) and she made sure that I was able to.”

Adkinson said even though she and other faculty members are leaving the college of education it will not take away the foundation these programs have been built on.

“Because they have had such a really good impact it would be really hard for the next dean to come along and say we are going to throw those out,” Adkinson said.

She added because these programs have such a profound influence on the university, the next leader who comes in can build on what has been established in these programs and take them to the next level.

“Not only build on what we have but take them to a level that I couldn’t see,” Adkinson said.