OUR VIEW: College of Education deserves applause
Of the eight colleges at USU, the first one that typically jumps to mind is the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, because its marketing is above the rest – as it should be, since it is the college that specializes in marketing.
It has the name, the money and the recognition. It’s also always the college making headlines. The business school has created or worked with countless different programs, including Huntsman Scholars, SEED and the Shingo Prize. The list goes on and on.
However, we at The Statesman feel there is another college on campus that deserves more recognition and appreciation than students, faculty and staff give it.
Recently, the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services was recognized by U.S. News and World Report, not once but twice. The college was ranked No. 24 in the country for its program – moving up five spots from last year’s report. Another report recently put two of the education school’s graduate programs in the national Top 25. The department’s rehabilitation counseling program ranked ninth in the nation, and the special education graduate program was ranked at No. 15 among all special education programs.
We aren’t done. Our College of Education is the only education school in the state of Utah to be ranked in the Top 50, and it also ranked No. 3 in the country in funded research – receiving $44.4 million in funding for 2011.
The Huntsman School offers 10 undergraduate degrees and six graduate programs. The College of Education has just seven undergraduate programs but 18 graduate and doctorate programs.
One thing that truly impresses us is the difference in the way recognition and awards are handled by the two colleges. The business school is quick to provide us with press releases and news tips, aiming to increase the recognition of its name and merits.
When we want to publish anything about the College of Education, it’s not always handed to us. It’s not as anxious to talk or make a big deal about itself. The college’s leaders are modest and often downplay their awards. Beth Foley, the college’s dean, gave all the credit to her faculty and students.
Noteworthy things have happened in each college this year, but we believe the most underappreciated awards came out of the education college. Let’s give credit where credit is due and applaud the best-ranked college at USU.
Thank you to the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services for creating teachers who will help build up the future leaders of this nation. We are proud to be part of a university that excels in creating remarkable and successful teachers. With the way the world is turning now, we are going to need them.