Pictured Above: The college had 2,384 students last year and 130 faculty members, according to its website.
Courtesy of USF
By Sophie Ojdanic and Nancy McCann
USF will save $6.8 million over two years as it dismantles its College of Education and reconfigures it into a graduate school of education that falls under another college.
That was the message that Judith A. Ponticell, the college’s interim dean, sent to faculty and staff on Thursday, the day after The Crow’s Nest broke the news that the college is closing.
The undergraduate students who are now enrolled in the College of Education will be able to complete their degrees, Ponticell and Provost Ralph Wilcox told reporters. There were 2,384 students in the college last year, and the majority were graduate students.
But Ponticell and Wilcox did not directly address the question of faculty layoffs. The department has 130 members, according to its website.
The change, which will reduce the college’s budget by 35 percent over two years, “reflects the evolving demands of students, who are increasingly seeking alternate pathways to teacher certification outside of the traditional baccalaureate degree,” Ponticell wrote.
It also reflects the “significant budget challenges” that USF faces amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Going forward, USF education students will have an opportunity to earn teacher certification through a master of arts in teaching degree which may be completed in a fifth year” after a bachelor’s degree, Ponticell wrote.
That will give USF education students “a competitive advantage among job seekers in the market.
“Re-envisioning the College of Education as a graduate school enables us to leverage our strengths in our master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degree programs, and to place a stronger emphasis on research opportunities and contributions to our important preK-12 partners and beyond.”
Word that the College of Education will close reverberated like an earthquake among its students.
Henry Burrows, a senior education major, said he understood that the university had to make budget cuts, “but I do not understand how it was decided to close the entire College of Education. I mean, every profession needs a teacher in order to continue.”
“At the forefront of my mind are the students- as it should also be for the President, Provost, and board,” Burrows said. “Of course this is shocking and hurtful that they would close the college. Right now, the news is that students currently in the College of Education can finish their degree. This leaves Education majors who have not yet completed their General Knowledge Test and been officially admitted into the College in limbo. Will they be allowed to get a degree in education?”
Sophomore marine biology major Cassidy Dee took to Facebook to question the university’s decision.
“Education is such a popular degree program everywhere they’ll be turning away a lot of future students,” Dee wrote in a Facebook comment to The Crow’s Nest.
Laura Cee, a graduate student in the college of education, called it “a great shame to eliminate the program.”
Courtney Reed, a senior elementary education major, said she doesn’t understand the university’s decision.
“Education is needed for everything,” Reed said. “The profession of teaching can never and will never die out.
“I wish the program would stay open for future teachers to be able to have the same opportunity I was so lucky to find.”
The change has brought new stress to incoming freshmen as well.
“There’s a group chat for education majors and it’s been blowing up all day,” Abigail McCurter, an incoming freshman, said. “Everyone is anxious. A lot of people are crying — even one of the professors was crying when she had a giant meeting with anyone who wanted to attend.
“I’m planning on looking for an alternative major in case … I have to switch, but there is nothing else that I want to do the way that I want to be a teacher.
“I’m still kind of in panic mode and I don’t understand how an entire college’s undergrad program is getting axed, especially for something so important.”
Amanda Sabean, a senior elementary education major, also emphasized the importance of the college.
“It’s sad to see the university cutting these programs, especially during a teacher shortage in a time where well-educated and well-trained teachers are especially vital,” Sabean said. “I’ve learned so much through my courses and my field experiences, and I know I wouldn’t be nearly as prepared for full-time teaching without them. I wish more people could’ve gotten the same opportunities.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit USF and other schools hard, with revenue sources sharply declining while unexpected pandemic protection expenses rise.
USF said earlier this month it planned to cut $37.6 million – including more than $13 million from its colleges – between now and the end of June, with additional cuts the following fiscal year.
Enrollment in the College of Education has fallen over the last decade from 5,117 to 2,384 last year, Wilcox said. Its dean, Rob Knoeppel, left in July to become dean of the School of Education at William & Mary.
USF St. Petersburg had a College of Education for years. But it was eliminated because of consolidation, and the campus’ education curriculum is now overseen by an associate dean, Brenda Walker.
‘Strategically reimagining and reconfiguring education’
This is the message that Judith A. Ponticell, the interim dean at the College of Education, sent to the college’s faculty and staff on Thursday afternoon.
Dear Colleagues,
Like many Institutions of Higher Education across the State and throughout the nation – USF faces significant budget challenges in the face of COVID-19 while we continue our progress as a consolidated preeminent research university.
As part of our strategic budget renewal process, USF must reduce the College of Education’s annual budget allocation by $6.8 M (or 35%) over two years, a challenging task that demands a comprehensive assessment as we plan for the future of Education at USF.
To that end, we are strategically reimagining and reconfiguring Education at USF from a comprehensive College of Education to a more focused Graduate School of Education with an appropriate organizational affiliation with another college such as the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. This will allow us to continue to serve our students and communities, including our vital partners in our area school districts.
This change reflects the evolving demands of students, who are increasingly seeking alternative pathways to teacher certification outside of the traditional baccalaureate degree. Going forward, USF Education students will have an opportunity to earn teacher certification through a Master of Arts in Teaching degree which may be completed in a fifth year following a baccalaureate degree in a content area, giving Education students a competitive advantage among job seekers in the market.
A Graduate School of Education is not an unusual model for institutions in the American Association of Universities (AAU) or universities with high research activity, nor is it uncommon to house a school of education within a college with associated academic expertise and interests.
Re-envisioning the College of Education as a graduate school enables us to leverage our strengths in our master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degree programs, and to place a stronger emphasis on research opportunities and contributions to our important PreK-12 partners and beyond.
In moving forward with planning for a Graduate School of Education, leadership, faculty and staff will be guided by institutional data, best practices, the needs of the communities we serve, our accrediting body (CAEP), SACSCOC, and we will follow processes to ensure that currently enrolled students can complete their degrees at USF.
We have much work to do together to grow forward as a Graduate School of Education. I thank each of you for your ongoing support and your commitment to high quality learning and professional experiences for our students.
Every day, you make an impact. I am incredibly proud of your talents, your contributions to our field, and the dedication that each of you demonstrates in service to our students, our university and our surrounding communities.
Thank you,
Judith A. Ponticell
Professor and Interim Dean
College of Education
This story is ongoing. Stay with crowsneststpete.com for updates.
Aya Diab and Annalise Anderson contributed to this report.
