Two of Lander University's academic departments have undergone name changes as approved by the university's Board of Trustees at its most recent meeting in late September.
The Department of Business Administration in Lander's College of Business and Public Affairs has been renamed the School of Management, and the William Preston Turner Department of Nursing is now The William Preston Turner School of Nursing.
President Daniel Ball said, "The renaming is significant because the two units will now be more in line with the traditional concept of professional schools." He added that the name changes will provide better recognition and identity, which will improve recruitment and fundraising.
The School of Nursing is in the College of Science and Mathematics. Dean David Slimmer said the program, which was introduced at Lander in 1957, is a recognized leader in nursing education in South Carolina. He pointed out that its graduates have an outstanding record of passing the national licensing examination for registered nurses on their first attempt, and that over 35 percent of Lander's incoming freshmen are interested in choosing nursing as their major.
Slimmer said, "Designating the department as a school better aligns the nursing program with the other professional programs on campus as well as nursing schools throughout the country." Robbie South is the director of the school.
To Robert Barrett, dean of the College of Business and Public Affairs, renaming the Department of Business Administration the School of Management gives the school a distinctive identity. "We are happy to be called a school as we prepare for our 2013 reaffirmation of accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business."
Barrett said the School of Management, whose director is Carol Woods, offers four concentrations within the Bachelor of Science degree: accounting, finance/economics, health care management and management/marketing. He noted that it also offers minors in leadership, international business, and economics, and a certificate in health care management.
The school has 475 students majoring in business and 18 full-time faculty members. Barrett added, "We are very excited about the opportunity to promote the new name."