Under one roof?
Well yes, there are economies of scale in centralization, but there is also vulnerability. Our university recently lost our Extension Division because other departments claimed they could do distance education cheaper and better. Whether that is true is yet to be seen but we lost 70+ years of expertise and 20 faculty.
On the other hand, Medicine argues that it is unique and requires:
- artists that are trained in medical illustration not general graphic artists;
- faculty development that understands the role of physician-faculty and how medical training fits into an international profession;
- an IT department that's only responsible to Medicine.
I feel a little caught in the middle of this argument because I've had experience on both sides. Personally I like decentralized better because I can be more creative and inventive, but I do feel overwhelmed occasionally by the do it all nature of smaller units.