UNIVERSITY NEWS
New provost, dean appointed to University posts Jerry D. Jorgensen, Ph.D.
Thimios Zaharopoulos, Ph.D.
Jane Wood, Ph.D.
Park University appointed Jerry D. Jorgensen, Ph.D., as provost and vice president for academic affairs. Jorgensen began his duties June 15, 2011. (Read profile story on Jorgensen that begins on page 2.) Thimios Zaharopoulos, Ph.D., who for the previous two years served as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, assumed the position of special assistant to the president for academic outreach. In April 2011, Jane Wood, Ph.D., was appointed dean of the University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Wood had been serving as interim dean of the CLAS since July 2009.
New bachelor’s degree programs added to University’s slate of offerings Park University is offering two new bachelor’s degree programs: The Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Completion Program. The interdisciplinary studies degree program, offered online and face-to-face, allows students to develop a major by combining two different disciplines, which provides students the flexibility to design their own degree, while also making efficient use of credit hours students have accumulated. The nursing degree, offered online, is designed to provide a flexible format with the busy registered nurse at heart. This career mobility program gives students an opportunity to expand their nursing knowledge and customize their plan of study.
Magazines rank Park for bachelor’s degrees awarded to minorities Park University was ranked in the top 100 of bachelor’s degrees conferred to students of color in the United States, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine. In its June 9, 2011, issue, DIHE ranked Park in the top 100 in 28 categories of race/degree major combinations, including Hispanic, African-American, Native American, Asian-American and all minorities combined, and degrees ranging from psychology, computer and information sciences, and various businessrelated degrees. Park ranked No. 78 in the nation in the “Total Minority-All Disciplines Combined” category, and of colleges/universities within the West North Central states of the Midwest region (among Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota), Park ranked No. 3. Park was the only institution based in Missouri ranked in the top 100. The University earned national top 5 rankings in three categories, including two No. 1s in the categories of “Hispanic-Human Resources Management and Services” and “Total Minority-Human Resources Management and Services.” The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine also ranked Park University among the top 100 colleges and universities in the U.S. for the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanic students. In the May 2, 2011, issue of the magazine, Park was ranked No. 60 nationally with 437 degrees awarded, representing 18 percent of the total number of degrees the University awarded in 2010. Park was the top-ranked school within the West North Central states of the Midwest region and was the only institution based in Missouri ranked in the top 100, according to 2010 data gathered by the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
Winter 2011 - 9