Overview

The College of Education proudly maintains a commitment to providing an education for future professionals in rural South Georgia. This commitment began with the inception of Valdosta State as an institution of higher education in 1906. The College of Education draws its population primarily from the surrounding forty-one counties, which represent 34 percent of the total area of the state and contain 12 percent of the state's population. The current enrollment of the College of Education represents 34 percent of the institution's total enrollment. Acting as a learning community, the College of Education strives to meet the needs and aspirations of the population it serves. The College of Education is organized into the following eight departments:

Early Childhood and Reading Education

Educational Leadership

Health, Physical Education and Athletics

Middle Grades Education

Psychology, Counseling and Guidance

Secondary Education

Special Education and Communication Disorders

Vocational Education

Mission

The College of Education provides quality instruction through offering comprehensive degree programs in the liberal arts, pre-professional, and professional service areas at the associate, baccalaureate, masters, specialist, and doctoral levels. In addition to a primary focus on preparing future teachers and other professionals, faculty members of the College of Education also maintain a commitment to engaging in the scholarly pursuits of research and service for the advancement and sharing of knowledge. We, as faculty members, administrators, and staff of the College of Education, envision an educational system where students fully participate in and take responsibility for their own learning process, where interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration is the norm, and where technology is fully integrated into the learning process. We also seek to create an environment that promotes the full development of human potential, supports the conviction that all individuals are capable of learning, and prepares professionals to meet the needs of all learners.

Vision

An agreed upon vision provides focus and direction for the members of an organization. The College of Education dedicates its resources and expertise to:

Preparing Professionals for Service

College of Education Goals

The College of Education defines and seeks to ensure excellence in fulfilling its mission by maintaining a positive vision for the future of education and developing goals to achieve this positive vision. The following goals support the mission and vision of the College of Education:

Curriculum

1. Develop programs that prepare individuals for roles as professional educators and human resource specialists through the development and assessment of the knowledge, dispositions, skills, and ethics necessary to become effective practitioners in a variety of contexts.

2. Identify and assess outcomes necessary to develop quality service professionals and educators capable of meeting the needs of all learners.

3. Maintain state-of-the-art technology and facilitate its application and integration by professionals and educators.

Effectiveness

4. Systematically review degree programs based on state and national criteria and participate in continuous self-study for the purpose of determining the effectiveness of current programs and practices and initiating improvements.

5. Engage in strategic planning activities to guide the College of Education in addressing identified needs.

Collaboration

6. Maintain collaborative relationships with educators at all levels and with members of the community to promote educational excellence.

Professional Development

7. Support faculty and professionals by offering enriching professional development activities.

8. Encourage individuals to develop positive healthy lifestyles and participate in learning as a developmental, life-long process.

9. Conduct research and grant projects that address issues at the regional, state, and national levels and disseminate project results.

Facilities

10. Provide facilities to ensure appropriate office, instructional, and laboratory space.

Faculty and Students

11. Recruit and retain qualified, diverse faculty members who are committed to instructional effectiveness, academic integrity, research, and service.

12. Provide an effective recruitment and academic advising program which meets the needs of all students and encourages the participation of underrepresented groups

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