The arrival of cold, snow and holiday commercials means that fall commencement is almost here – and all of that makes me think of the gifts you bring to the College of Education.
Your work is a part of every student who crosses that stage. Your work is part of every smile, every happy wave to family and every pumped fist. Your work not only helped them to reach their academic goals but also supplied the preparation to succeed or advance in their careers.
I am moved by your ability to support our students, even in challenging times, and I’m impressed by your innovations in programming and delivery that allow students throughout our region to earn their degrees and then walk through the doors that open.
The LEAP (Licensed Educator Accelerated Pathway) program in the Department of Special and Early Education, for example, is already changing the lives of working adults. This comes thanks to our ability to modify the curriculum delivery into consistent, dynamically scheduled sections offered in Rockford so that students can balance school with their jobs and families.
Collaboration between the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the Golden Apple Foundation, meanwhile, aims to ease the educator shortage by offering an accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching degree that career-changers can complete in just one year.
Also innovative is the Department of Counseling and Higher Education’s Executive Weekend Ed.D. in Higher Education program, which students pursue via a hybrid format and Saturday classes.
What I see in these examples (and others!) is a deep commitment to accessibility by offering our excellent academic programs “anywhere, anytime” – and something that has become a hallmark of the NIU College of Education. We are a role model in putting positive outcomes within reach of all students, many of whom simply needed an opportunity that accommodated their schedules.
During next month’s All-College Meeting (1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, in the Holmes Student Center Regency Room), we’ll share some more examples of how we’re progressing our strategic priority of Intentional Growth.
Meanwhile, we will hear from Yvonne Harris, vice president of the NIU Division of Research and Innovative Partnerships, and members of our college team to learn more about how we are supporting our Research Advancement strategic priority.
Please join me then and for the social event that follows – and, until that time, I wish you all a safe and restful winter break.
Bill
