Today we officially launch DePaul University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. As one of DePaul’s ten colleges and schools, SCPS will carry forward and build upon the work of its predecessors, the School for New Learning and Office of Continuing and Professional Education.
Dedicated to providing adult-oriented degree and non-degree offerings that emphasize continuing and professional studies, SCPS aligns with Strategic Priority Four of
Grounded in Mission: The Plan for DePaul 2024. As announced last September, this reorganization will position DePaul to be more successful and sustainable in expanding the access for diverse adult learners to a range of lifelong learning opportunities available online, on-campus and on-site through agreements with educational, civic and corporate partners. In this, SCPS will work closely with EMM and the other colleges and schools, and it will host the new Office of Prior Learning Assessment.
The more than 10,000 alumni and 1,300 graduate and undergraduate students of SNL, plus the continuing education students of CPE, will now be affiliated with and served by SCPS. The new school has inherited and now delivers the three graduate and nine undergraduate programs of SNL, plus it will begin offering a new BA in Healthcare Administration and two universal combined degree programs this fall. The continuing and corporate education offerings of CPE will add to the school’s offerings. Underway is strategic planning for specialized marketing and further innovative program development intended to keep apace with an ever dynamic market.
I am grateful to the faculty and staff of SNL and CPE for their participation in the planning and implementation of the changes. I also thank the many teams and many, many individuals across DePaul for their contributions to this process.
As already announced, a search will be launched soon to hire a permanent dean of SCPS, and Don Opitz continues as interim dean through June 30, 2020.
Salma Ghanem
Interim Provost