FAQs: College Transition
We are pleased to announce that the School of Public Administration has joined the
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
; the School of Urban and Regional Planning has become the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and joined the
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
; and the Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work and the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice have partnered to become the new College of Social Work and Criminal Justice.
Please browse our comprehensive list of FAQs below for helpful answers related to the transition.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the changes take effect?
You will begin seeing the new college name and new host college affiliations beginning on July 1, 2020 – the first day of the new fiscal year. All active student records will be updated by the university after the Fall 2020 drop/add deadline (approximately on August 31). Students will not need to submit any change forms to reflect their new college affiliation. All current students of CDSI who are graduating in Summer 2020 will graduate from CDSI. Beginning with Fall 2020, you will graduate from your new host college.
Which Schools are going where?
The School of Architecture and the School of Public Administration will join the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. The School of Urban and Regional Planning is becoming the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and will join the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. The Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work and the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice will partner to form the new College of Social Work and Criminal Justice.
What should I expect as a result of these changes?
Until Fall 2020, nothing changes. You will have the same professors, same advisors, same classrooms, same classes, same school affiliation, same college name, same everything. When the Fall 2020 semester begins, your program will officially be part of its new host college, but much will still remain the same in your day-to-day activities. After the drop/add deadline, you may have a new academic advisor, and you will have a new college – either a new host college or a new college name, depending on your school or department – but nearly everything else will stay the same. For advising changes in Fall 2020, please access the
FAU Success Network
for accurate information on your assigned advisor and their office location.
Will my School's name change?
If you are enrolled in the School of Urban and Regional Planning, yes. As part of the school’s move to the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, its new name will be the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. All other school names will remain the same.
Will my classroom locations change?
No. Classes already in process will remain in their same classrooms. Classroom locations for future semesters will continue to be assigned as they always have been. Students in all colleges will be informed of their classroom locations prior to the start of each new semester.
Where do I go to register for classes?
The process of registering for classes will stay the same. All students should continue to register for the classes using the
online portal.
Will the course catalog be updated?
Yes, in Summer 2020.
Where will my academic adviser be located?
Through Summer 2020, please continue to find your advisor in SO-44, Suite 113. If you are in the Schools of Architecture or Public Administration, or the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, your advisor will be located within your new college after the drop/add deadline in Fall 2020. Please access the
FAU Success Network
for accurate information on your assigned advisor and their office location. If you are in the new College of Social Work and Criminal Justice, your advisors will remain in the Academic Advising Services Center in the Social Science Building SO-44, Suite 113.
Where will the School's administrative and faculty offices be located?
The location of administrative and faculty offices will remain the same:
- Criminology and Criminal Justice: SO 208
- Social Work: SO 308
- Architecture: HE 607 (Fort Lauderdale Campus)
- Public Administration: SO 202
- Urban and Regional Planning: SO 284
Will student clubs be reassigned?
Yes. All student clubs will remain with their host Schools and follow them to their new host colleges.
How does this change impact transfer students?
There is little to no impact to transfer students.
Will this change result in higher or lower tuition?
Neither. Tuition costs are determined by FAU Administration and will not be affected by these changes.
Will degrees/diplomas say the new college name or the old?
Summer 2020 commencement and degree conferrals will be associated with the existing college name: The College for Design and Social Inquiry. This will be the last semester with the CDSI affiliation. Beginning with Fall 2020 commencement, all degrees will be associated with your new host college.
What college name will appear on my transcripts?
For students graduating in Summer 2020 or prior, transcripts will show the old college name. For students graduating in Fall 2020 and beyond, transcripts will reflect the new host college.
Will the change affect my student loans?
Not at all.
Will the college websites change to reflect the change?
Yes:
- The School of Architecture webpage and the School of Public Administration’s webpage will be hosted on the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters website.
- The webpage for the School of Urban and Regional Planning (to be renamed as the “Department of Urban and Regional Planning”) will be hosted on the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science website.
- The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice webpage and the Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work webpage will be part of the new website being built for the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice. Once complete, the new college website will be added to the FAU.edu homepage.
Will the college logos change?
Yes. The new College of Social Work and Criminal Justice will have a new logo. Both Schools in the new college will also have new logos to reflect their new college name. The three Schools moving to new host colleges will also receive new logos that reflect their new host college name.
How do we refer to our new host colleges?
In formal written and verbal communication, the full college names should be used: Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters; Charles E. Schmidt College of Science; and the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice.
On second reference, they can be written or spoken with the surname only: Schmidt College of Arts and Letters and Schmidt College of Science.
Informally, they can be referred to as “Arts and Letters”, “Science”, “Social Work and Criminal Justice”.
How do we refer to our new host colleges?
In formal written and verbal communication, the full college names should be used: Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters; Charles E. Schmidt College of Science; and the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice.
On second reference, they can be written or spoken with the surname only: Schmidt College of Arts and Letters and Schmidt College of Science.
Informally, they can be referred to as “Arts and Letters”, “Science”, “Social Work and Criminal Justice
Will our social media sites change?
Yes. The social media accounts and pages will be adjusted to reflect the changes.
Can I change my resume to reflect these changes?
Yes, and we encourage you to do so.
Will campus signage change?
Yes, campus wayfinding signage will be updated to reflect these changes.
If alumni request new diplomas, what will the college name say?
All regenerated diplomas will retain their original content, including the college name that was in place at the time of degree conferral.
How will the new college assignment benefit the Schools, colleges and FAU at large?
The Sandler School of Social Work and the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice naturally pair well together because of their shared vision for effecting social change, driven by their considerable overlap in curriculum and research areas, as well as their impact objectives.
In much the same ways, the Schools of Architecture and Public Administration will find symmetry with their colleagues in Graphic Design and Political Science within the College of Arts and Letters. The same is true for the School of Urban and Regional Planning, which complements the Geoscience Department and the environmentally-focused programs within the College of Science.
All Schools will now belong to colleges with clear identities and missions that align with each individual School’s goals. These changes will also maximize opportunities for interdisciplinary research and programming collaboration, as well as clarify communication to alumni, donors and community partners. These benefits open doors for tremendous progress in FAU’s race to excellence.