About College of Education

Dean's Greeting

The College of Education offers degree programs and workshops for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as working practitioners. The majority of our full-time faculty teach both undergraduate and graduate courses. All programs are offered on our main campus in Romeoville. Selected graduate programs are offered at our Tinley Park and Shorewood campuses, in Chicago and at several other local school districts in the Chicago suburbs for the convenience of working adults.

Faculty practice our philosophy of “Developing Learning Communities” in their classrooms and with relationships with area school districts. The College has worked with over 50 school districts in seven counties encompassing over 130 schools during the last three years, providing students with a wide variety of clinical, student teaching, intern and practicum placement opportunities.

Accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the College updates existing programs as needed in accord with the Illinois State Board of Education standards. Additionally, programs such as the accelerated Master of Arts with Elementary Education Teacher Certification and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, Instructional Technology have been developed to meet local and national trends in the education profession.

We invite you to learn more about our programs online or contact us for further information.

Mission

In keeping with the University Mission, the College of Education is committed to enacting the values of knowledge, justice, association, wisdom, and fidelity through the teaching and scholarship of the faculty, design of academic programs, content of the curriculum, focus of school partnerships, and service to the larger community. A culture of critique, possibility, and inquiry is fostered where students and faculty recognize the political, social, moral, and economic dimensions of education, submit their own beliefs and understandings to scrutiny, challenge dominant discourses, and understand their responsibility as a social advocate for all students, especially the marginalized. This mission requires students and faculty to engage in ongoing reflection and dialogue while maintaining a willingness to wrestle with this difficult and complex work.

In order to develop learning communities, students, faculty and local school personnel should value diverse perspectives, collaborative decision-making and interactive learning experiences. The College of Education through the pre-service, advanced and professional education programs encourages the development and practice of these integrated components.

Philosophy

The College of Education values:

• Instruction that enables and transforms all learners to effect positive differences in our world.
  
  
• Inquiry-based and personalized instruction that enables all students to construct meaning to deepen and extend their understanding.
  
  
• Lifelong learning that includes teachers and students working together in a climate of mutual respect, provides opportunities for growth and fosters the development of professional relationships.
  
  
• Diversity of the learning community, multiple viewpoints and perspectives and the contributions of all teachers and students.
  
  
• Reflection and self-assessment in the development of professional knowledge, skills and dispositions that contribute to continuous growth.
  
  
• The University working in partnership with the wider community to impact the growth and development of teaching and learning.

The College of Education is guided by the following three unit standards:

• Candidates and Faculty are Knowledgeable Critical Transformative Educators
  
  
• Candidates and Faculty are Multicultural Educators
  
  
• Candidates and Faculty are Social Justice Advocates

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