By Kristen Oxley
Assistant Editor
April 7, 2006
The 2006 summer class schedule will have a few additional courses, as the education department has decided to add undergraduate education classes to their summer program for licensure students.
The addition was made “in order to make it easier for students who want to do their major and pursue education,” said Beverly Schmalzried, chair of the education department.
To become a licensed teacher in Tennessee, a student must have declared a major and take education classes, according to Schmalzried.
“It’s a nice accommodation for our undergraduates to do this,” said Academic Dean Mark Matson.
A majority of education students are Master of Education students, Matson said. Many of the education classes are similar between undergraduate and graduate studies, so the professors will be teaching master level classes at a lower level.
Matson does not expect a big demand for these classes, but he said it will help some of the undergraduate students to move through the process of acquiring a teaching license quicker. Schmalzried said that the faculty could be flexible with the students’ needs.
The summer undergraduate education classes will include Child Guidance, Intro to Early Childhood/Elementary Education, Early Childhood Administration, Literacy Development, Intermediate Curriculum and more. The classes will be taught by members of the education faculty, including the two most recent additions to the education department, Tausha Clay and Tracey Crowe.