v > < 0 &hool of Education Department Works to Improve Quality Harding University's School of Education began the 19921993 school year with over 900 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in its program. Alongwith the increased number of education s tudents , the department al o began the year by looking into the future. According to Dr. Bobby Coker, dean of the School of Education, the department developed and began working on two long-range goals that would eventually improve the quality of the department. One of these goals involved a complicated process of tudying the elementary education curriculum in order to bring it in line with the new accreditation guidelines. The other goal was the addition of a new program. Dr. Coker called this an "alternative five-year program. " This is basically a five-year plan in which an education student could get both a bachelor 's degree and a master's degree in education, as opposed to just the four-year approach in which the James D. ichols, Ed. D. Professor of Education and Director of Field Experiences Lina Owens, Ph. 0. Assistant Professor of Education and Chairman of Elementary and Special Education Jeanine Peck, Ed. D. Associate Professor of Education Richard Peck, Ed. D. Associate Professo r of Ed ucation Gordon Sutherlin, Ed. D. Associate Professor of Education Betty Watson, Ed. D. Professor of Elementary Education student would receive only a bachelor's degree. The education department also was eager to panicipate in the loca l community. The department submitted a planning grant in order to form partnerships with area schools. Dr. Coker said, "This means the depaitment and the local schools would work together to help each other out in the revision of curriculum and programs. The education depa rtment would help the local school teachers in instructional and technical areas." What made the Harding University education students different from education students at other colleges and universities, according to Coker, was "our mission. By that, I mean we get a lot of value-oriented students who look at teaching not only as a career, but as a way of serving and helping others. Another difference was the quality of our students; our education students are among the best. " - Dave Jacobs Academics 55
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