By Mallory Sherwood, Managing Editor

ACU’S fifth college will open for prospective students in the fall of 2007, coordinators said.

The School of Information Technology and Computing, which has been in the works for three years, is in the process of developing new degree plans, courses and majors for students of the future school.

Beginning this summer, the Computer Science Department, one major component of the new school housed in the Foster Science Building, will move into Mabee Business Building and make the first transition for the school. The other two departments in the school are Information Systems and Information Technology.

Dr. Dwayne VanRheenen, visionary of the new school and provost of the university, said in an e-mail the idea came after many discussions with faculty about how the university could better serve students who desired careers in technology-related fields.

“We know that the role of information technology in the world of the 21st century will continue to grow and will permeate almost every sphere of society around the world,” VanRheenen said. “While ACU has invested millions of dollars in our own technology infrastructure and in educational technology to enhance teaching and learning, we had not seriously investigated the kinds of majors and minors we should offer that would enable gifted students to graduate from ACU and change the world through technology.”

Thus came the decision to bring in consultants to develop a new plan for the university. The consultants assessed the desirability and feasibility of enhancing the information technology field of study.

After looking at career opportunities, trends for graduates, the number of potential students who wanted to study information technology at a Christian university, and the expertise of the current faculty and staff, VanRheenen said the consultants recommended the university move towards developing a school of information technology. Last fall, the Board of Trustees affirmed the recommendation.

The School of Information Technology will be “incubated” in the College of Business Administration under the direction of Dr. Rick Lytle, dean of COBA.

VanRheenen said Lytle will take care of the day-to-day leadership in the formation of the school for the next two to three years until the school is ready to be an independent college with its own dean.

Lytle said the goal of the school is to attract new students to the university.

“The one thing we hear from the admissions office is that information technology is the one of the most popular majors prospective students ask about,” he said. “We want to be able to offer something that other schools can’t.”

He said the new school will do that in several ways.

One way is to strengthen the relationship with the university and Abilene’s Texas Tech graduate school program branch. He said the graduate school has a software engineering master’s program that could be linked to the university’s new school. He said this would allow students to obtain a master’s in information technology in a year and a half.

Lytle also said the committee helping him and VanRheenen develop this school is working with ways to attract students from the community colleges in Abilene such as the Texas Technical Institute and Cisco Community College.

“We think there is probably a pool of students who would want to flow through ACU’s new school if they knew they had the opportunity,” he said.

The plans for the school wouldn’t have progressed this far if it weren’t for the numerous people involved, he said.

Dr. Tim Coburn, professor of statistics, has been instrumental in developing the school. He has spent more than a year and half conducting research on other information technology schools across the country. He and others have been able to meet with alumni and friends to create a networking system for the school as well.

Coburn said the reaction among faculty, staff, alumni and current students is generally favorable and upbeat. He said everyone is beginning to envision what the future could look like for the school.

Potential students will have a bright future with the new school, VanRheenen said.

“After four years with us, studying side by side with faculty and scientists in classrooms, laboratories and internships, we hope they will leave ACU prepared to be Christian leaders in technology,” he said.