American University will restructure the School of Education following the departure of Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy in January 2025, according to an email from Holcomb-McCoy to SOE majors and minors obtained by The Eagle.
This restructuring comes on the heels of the University’s rising budget deficit, which is now over $60 million, according to the email.
“[O]ne of the first areas the university will likely cut is our education school,” Holcomb-McCoy wrote.
Wilkins notified faculty and staff of the restructuring yesterday, and Wilkins and President Jonathan Alger notified Holcomb-McCoy last week.
Acting Provost and Chief Academic Officer Vicky Wilkins announced Holcomb-McCoy’s departure on Oct. 22. Holcomb-McCoy will be the president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education beginning Jan. 6.
The contents of the restructuring are currently unknown. Holcomb-McCoy wrote that discussions are taking place regarding merging SOE back into the College of Arts and Sciences. The colleges originally separated in 2019.
“This goes back to a model in which the autonomy of the school is decreased,” she wrote. “Again, I’m saddened by this reality and even more disturbed that it’s connected to my departure.”
The majors and minors offered by SOE will remain intact under restructuring, but the school’s location and “other structural changes” will be decided upon in the coming months, according to a follow-up email from Holcomb-McCoy obtained by The Eagle.
Holcomb-McCoy pointed to the broader implications of the restructuring in the face of national dialogue surrounding the U.S. Department of Education, which president-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to “eliminate.”
She also shared concerns regarding representation for SOE students on campus after restructuring, such as on “student councils and other organizations on campus.”
“[T]he threat to the School’s independence affects the power and voice of SOE students, faculty, and staff,” she wrote. “... The SOE risks losing its power if it is no longer represented on the Deans and President’s Council and a permanent dean is not appointed.”
Holcomb-McCoy finished with a call to action for SOE students following forthcoming University communications.
“Please ask questions and exercise your right to be heard as future educators and leaders,” she wrote. “Most importantly, speak up regarding the impact of the SOE’s restructuring on your experiences as students.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This article was edited by Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks and Charlie Mennuti.
