The mission of the Department of Education is to advance the science and practice of education, and to promote related careers in counseling and mental health. The Department of Education seeks to nurture minds, to advance knowledge, to promote life-long learning and adjustment, and to elevate the human spirit. The overarching goal of the teacher education programs is to develop culturally and ethnically sensitive instructional leaders and counseling specialists who work to elevate the quality of schools and to improve achievement for all students, regardless of their environmental circumstances. The program strives to educate a diverse population of teachers and counselors who are able to address the unique challenges of the twenty-first century.
Emphasis is placed on preparing minority and rural professional personnel.
Appropriate national and state standards determine the graduate courses of study. Graduate and undergraduate interns and graduate practicum students work in the PDS where there is shared school-university assistance and governance. Continuous Enrollment Students in all Education Department graduate programs must show continuous enrollment in their required course of study. It is the responsibility of the student to follow the schedule as it is designed by the professional staff. Two summers are included in the scope and sequence for this initial teaching program.