School of Education: 25% enrollment increase
Marking a 25 percent increase in undergraduate student enrollment, William Carey University’s School of Education celebrated the start of a new academic year by welcoming incoming education majors from the Hattiesburg and Tradition campuses to "Signing Day.”
The gathering happened Aug. 29 at Fairchild Hall on WCU’s Hattiesburg campus.
“It’s like signing day for athletic teams. It’s an opportunity for the university to honor students who will be part of the next generation of teachers and to thank them for investing in the future of our state by choosing this profession,” said Dr. Ben Burnett, dean of the WCU School of Education.
“The state of Mississippi is experiencing a serious teacher shortage. Several years ago, the faculty of William Carey’s School of Education made it their focus to increase the number of teachers. In the state. Their hard work has paid off for all of us.
“This year, we have more than 250 undergraduate students. That’s a 25 percent increase in our enrollment over last year and the largest number of undergraduate education majors since 2013.”
William Carey is leading the way with creative solutions to solve the teacher shortage:
- WCU offers a tuition discount to assistant teachers who want to complete their degrees and become fully accredited classroom teachers.
- In the spring, WCU received a three-year, $600,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Education to administer a new Teacher Residency Program. The program seeks to make new elementary school teachers “effective on day one” by providing them with more classroom experience and access to mentor teachers while they’re still in college. WCU’s Tradition campus will partner with the Ocean Springs and Gulfport school districts on the project.
- A partnership with Pearl River Community College makes it possible for WCU to offer junior- and senior-level teacher education courses at PRCC’s Hattiesburg campus.
- Through the “alternate route” program, WCU partners with school districts to provide scholarships and classes to help people who already have bachelor’s degrees earn their teaching certificates.
- WCU’s Leadership Academy brings K-12 principals and administrator with proven success in teacher retention together to share strategies and build support systems.
“The William Carey University School of Education is fortunate to have an experienced, hard-working team. Our faculty members have an average of 27.2 years of experience in K-12 schools,” said WCU President Dr. Tommy King.
“They have the expertise and the dedication to help address Mississippi’s challenges and ensure a quality education for our children. I congratulate them on their success.”