Zucker Family School of Education

Col. Evan T. Ortlieb, Dean

Department of Education
Dr. Britnie Kane, Department Head

Division of Counselor Education
Dr. Aaron Oberman, Coordinator

Division of Teacher Education
Dr. Christopher Dague, Coordinator

Division of Educational Leadership
Dr. Lee Westberry, Coordinator

Division of Literacy Education
Dr. Britnie Kane, Coordinator

Division of Higher Education
Dr. Tara Hornor, Coordinator

Division of STEM Education
Dr. Jennifer Albert, Coordinator

Purpose

The purpose of the Zucker Family School of Education’s undergraduate programs is to serve the people of the Lowcountry, the state of South Carolina, the Southeast, and the nation by providing high quality programs in the preparation of secondary teachers (grades 9-12) and K-12 programs in physical education and modern languages (French, German and Spanish). While approximately fifty percent of the undergraduate student body is from the state of South Carolina, students from across the United States are involved in education programs at The Citadel. Reciprocal arrangements with other states and the accreditation/approvals of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), and the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) facilitate certification in all fifty states.

Statement of Philosophy

The philosophy of the Zucker Family School of Education at The Citadel is based on five fundamental propositions. These propositions serve to orient the mission and conceptual base of the School, guide the actions and value system of the faculty, shape the curricula of the various programs, and provide to its faculty their sense of purpose and meaning for teaching, scholarship, and professional service. These five propositions are:

The faculty is committed to promoting education for all individuals to the fullest extent possible. With the implementation of appropriate teaching and assessment strategies, a fundamental guiding belief is that all students, though having unique learning styles and experiences, are capable of learning.
It is the educator’s responsibility, with the aid of appropriate resources and support, to establish a mutually respectful environment where effective learning occurs for all students.
Education is a systematic effort to facilitate the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary for the student to function in a diverse society.
The faculty is committed to upholding the highest professional standards in all situations in which they model these standards to students through their teaching, research, and service endeavors.
The faculty is committed to an open interchange of ideas wherein the perspectives of all are valued.

The School’s Mission

The mission of the Zucker Family School of Education at The Citadel is to support the development and preparation of individuals who are knowledgeable about the learning process and learners and who are effective, ethical, and reflective educators prepared to assume leadership roles in the profession and community. Further, with a focus toward learner-centered education, they are effective in educating a diverse learner population to high academic standards. The mission is based on the School’s philosophy and conceptual model.

The Professional Education Board

To facilitate the college-wide mission of preparing principled leaders for professional education, The Citadel established (effective fall of 2006) the Professional Education Board (PEB). The Citadel PEB’s primary focus is to foster academic environments that promote the development of principled leaders for the education profession and to facilitate the continuing improvement of professional education programs across the college. In pursuing these goals, the PEB will concentrate on communication, assessment, and governance issues. The Citadel’s Dean of the School of Education chairs the Board, and it is comprised of representatives from all of The Citadel’s professional education constituencies, including faculty, staff, students, and our P-12 colleagues. PEB members are appointed by the Dean of the School of Education in collaboration with the Deans of Humanities and Social Sciences and Science and Mathematics. The Professional Education Board meets quarterly during each academic year.