Erskine College Makes Changes to Academic Structure

During the 2025-‘26 school year, Erskine College began piloting a new academic structure which creates five distinct “schools” within the college: the School of Education, the School of Business, the School of Science and Mathematics, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Erskine Theological Seminary and School of Biblical Studies. The new structure, expected to yield numerous benefits for faculty and students, is set to be implemented this fall.  

Erskine Provost Edward Clavell says the five-school approach, which aligns with current best practices in higher education, will create “a clear center of gravity, a stronger voice” for each academic area and encourage “efficiency and agility.”

The new model will also strengthen Erskine’s position in the higher education landscape, says Erskine President Steve Adamson. 

“The college will be positioned to better adapt to changes in the academic marketplace, add programs, bring increased enrollment and fundraising attention, and promote the academic excellence of the faculty,” the president says.

Ultimately, the change is about “building stronger academic homes where students and faculty can flourish,” Clavell says.

The School Restructuring and Growth Committee, responsible for orchestrating the structural transition, consulted with the Faculty Executive Committee, department chairs, faculty, and administration.

“Each group plays an important role on campus, and each group has experience and expertise that must be considered when shaping institutional change,” says Assistant Professor of History Christiane-Marie Abu Sarah, who chaired the committee. “We’ve drawn on a biblical vision of community as seen in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, which remind us that we are one body with many parts.…This has been our guiding philosophy as a committee.” 

Clavell says reorganization offers four main benefits: leadership development, strategic growth, external partnerships, and enhanced recruitment and identity. 

The new structural model unifies related disciplines under the umbrella of a school. Each discipline (such as English, biology, or psychology) will continue to have its own chair, but that chair will report directly to the dean of the school, who will report to the provost.