photo by: University of Kansas

KU Department of Geology researchers and students conduct fieldwork near Canon City, Colorado.

The University of Kansas on Thursday announced the merger of three academic programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences into a new academic entity called the Department of Earth, Energy & Environment.

The new department merges the departments of geology, environmental studies and geography & atmospheric science, and will take effect immediately, according to a university press release.

The change will not affect the coursework of students currently enrolled in the three degree programs and will allow them to complete their studies without interruption to their degree requirements.

Jennifer Roberts, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said the new department is the result of years of collaboration and shared vision among faculty members across the departments of geology, environmental studies, and geography and atmospheric science.

Nate Brunsell, chair and professor of earth, energy and environment, said the merger reinforces KU’s commitment to students’ success.

“They’ll graduate with a broader set of skills and a wider network of faculty, research opportunities and field experiences than any one of our programs could offer on its own,” Brunsell said.

Degree programs at Kansas’ six major universities are subject to regular review by the Kansas Board of Regents to ensure that they are meeting expectations in terms of graduate numbers, job placements and other metrics. The Regents’ Academic Affairs Committee in May approved recommendations by KU Provost Arash Mafi that included mergers and discontinuations of programs. The merger of the geology, environmental studies, and geography and atmospheric science departments came out of that review process. In all, KU officials reviewed 247 programs in 2025.

KU’s press release did not state whether there would be any administrative job losses as part of the merger.