TEACHER EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP

The Teacher Education Department is located in historic Lowrey Hall, one of the oldest, most significant campus buildings.  Graduates of Mississippi College were among the first schoolmasters and schoolmarms in Mississippi. Before "public" school and teaching certificates existed, many MC graduates found themselves teaching in the schools and academies across the state. As education took shape in Mississippi, Mississippi College was in the forefront of the process. Mississippi College even pioneered "Normal" education in the early 20th Century. In 1954 the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education came into existence to bring high standards to teacher training in America. Mississippi College was accredited by NCATE in 1960, becoming one of the first colleges in the South to be so acknowledged. Mississippi College received continuing accreditation by NCATE in 2000 and is to be reviewed again during the fall of 2005.

Other important features of the Department of Teacher Education relate to the decision making process and to the department's commitment to collaboration. Since the programs in the department interface with most other departments in the University and also because school districts in the region collaborate with Mississippi College in the preparation of teachers and other education professionals, a committee has been formed called the Professional Education Advisory Committee (PEAC). The PEAC reviews existing programs and/or the need for new programs. This committee is composed of faculty across campus, undergraduate and graduate students, and public school teachers and administrators.

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