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From the Dean

Janet Finch, Ph.D.

Hello TSU Tigers!!

Welcome to the land of golden sunshine!! In this land, students are challenged to THINK, WORK, and SERVE.  In the College of Education, we strive to meet students wherever they are, online, on the ground, synchronously, or asynchronously.  So, I am excited that you have chosen “BIG Blue” country to achieve your hopes and dreams.  As the Dean of the College of Education, I want you to know “ Excellence is Our Mindset .”  In The Spirit of Excellence, we greet, serve, teach, and support you in becoming all you desire.  In the College of Education, you will find talented scholars and researchers in educational leadership, teaching, and learning, psychological services, counseling, assessment and accreditation, global student support services lab, and teacher educator program. 

If your desired dream is to become an exemplary leader, who may include becoming an assistant principal, principal, higher education administrator, superintendent, professor, president, vice president, chancellor, or assume other leadership roles in the field of education, you have made a wise choice to come to the College of Education at Tennessee State University.   In the Educational Leadership Department, faculty with superior experiences in leadership from all educational levels exist.  The College of Education received grant funds in 2019 (Aspiring Assistant Principal Preparation) to train secondary school leaders from across Tennessee to become better equipped to deal with many of the societal challenges facing leaders today.  Students will simultaneously complete a master’s degree in educational leadership.   

Suppose you are interested in learning about how to meet the many challenges that today’s classroom teachers face or simply desirous of exploring and enhancing your professional teaching skills. In that case, I invite you to explore the Teaching & Learning Department in the College of Education.  TSU prides itself in being one of the leading and top HBCUs in the country.  The Teacher Education and Student Services Office augment the classroom teaching experiences through collaboration with diverse school-based mentor teachers and other professionals who provide practical, real-world experiences to classroom application.  The Teaching and Learning Department offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in various areas.  Faculty in this department are highly qualified researchers and teaching scholars.  Licensure programs are available in Early Childhood and Elementary Education (in partnership with the College of Liberal Arts).  Masters and Doctoral degree programs are available in various areas.  If you are interested in becoming a licensed teacher leader and need further information, I invite you to visit the Teaching and Learning website.

Maybe you are desirous of becoming a school counselor to assist students with a plethora of counseling services in meeting various needs. Yes, you have again made a great choice.  The Department of Psychological Sciences and Counseling provides undergraduate students with a broad understanding of psychology and opportunities for graduate students to pursue an interest in scientifically based professional practices and services.  If you are interested, I invite you to visit the Department of Psychological Sciences and Counseling website, which you can see virtually.  This department also offers a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a Ph.D. in Psychology. 

The information above represents examples of many choices that exist in the College of Education.  If you are interested in additional information, please visit the departmental websites referenced above.  We also offer certifications, i.e., teacher certifications and special education certifications.  To ensure success in your chosen field of study, the college also provides academic support, tutoring, test preparation, mentoring, and other support services that you may need to achieve your desired career goals and dreams.  These services are available through the Global, Retention, Advising, Coaching, Intervention, Education-Opportunity to Learn (GRACIE-LOL) laboratory.  This lab is designed to meet the specific learning needs of students and integrate career planning and tutoring to enhance retention.

Again, I welcome you to the College of Education, where we meet you where you are and take you to where you desire to go.  We also commit to providing you, our student, with a global perspective and opportunities so that when you leave this educational experience, you are committed to serving others in “ The Spirit of Excellence.”