Roanoke College is launching a new academic structure, effective in fall 2025, that organizes its 100+ areas of study in 16 separate departments into four schools that have been designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among departments, promote greater educational breadth for students, and facilitate increased cooperation with external partners.

The four new schools and the disciplines they will house are:

• School of Business, Economics, and Analytics 
  Actuarial Science, Business Administration, Economics, Economics/Finance, Finance, Marketing, MBA, Sport Management

• School of Communication, Culture, and the Arts
  Art, Art History, Communication Studies, Creative Writing, French, History, Literary Studies, Religious Studies, Screen Studies, Spanish, Theater

• School of Education, Government, and Society
  Criminal Justice, Education Licensure, Education Studies, Health/Physical Education, Human Services Studies, International Relations, M.Ed., Philosophy, Political Science, Public Policy, Sociology

• School of Health, Science, and Sustainability
  Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Disability Studies, Engineering Science, Environmental Studies, Health & Exercise Science, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics, Psychology, Public Health Studies 

The college's two new cannabis studies programs, Cannabis Science and Cannabis Social Justice and Policy, are open to traditional undergraduates but are administratively housed in RC-RV, Roanoke's innovative new unit devoted to community connections and access for a wide variety of learners.

The adoption of the schools structure will not change the day-to-day experience of students, but schools offer them an additional community with which to identify and within which to flourish. Students will be able to declare majors, minors or concentrations in multiple schools. If they choose, they will also be able to change easily from a program in one school to a program in a different school.

The school deans are essential leaders responsible for articulating the mission and goals of each school. The roles include pursuing new program research and development efforts, coordinating faculty development and student success initiatives, fostering external partnerships, and overseeing financial resources within each school.