OSU Regents approve name change for College of Human Environmental Sciences

Friday, April 22, 2011

The OSU/A&M Board of Regents Friday approved changing the name of Oklahoma State University’s College of Human Environmental Sciences to the College of Human Sciences. 

The request for the name change follows input from alumni, faculty, staff, students, donors and parents.  The name change also was approved by OSU’s Council of Deans in March.  The change will take effect on July 1, 2011.

“The new name reflects the fact that the human sciences bring together multiple perspectives to address human needs,” said Stephan Wilson, dean of the College of Human Environmental Sciences.  “The new name more closely aligns us with the national Board on Human Sciences, an affiliate organization of 140 peer institutions in the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. “

Wilson said the college’s four academic areas - Design, Housing and Merchandising; Human Development and Family Science; Nutritional Sciences, and the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration - integrate their disciplines to solve practical, reoccurring problems that individuals, families and communities face.

In addition to the latest academic programs, faculty and students in the college conduct innovative research in a wide-range of areas, including the health benefits of certain foods, development of protective apparel and textiles, state-of-the-art facilities for future hospitality leaders, and the latest design and techniques in early childhood learning. 

With a retention rate of 87 percent, more than 500 undergraduate and graduate degrees were awarded from the college in 2010.