About Us
About the School of Education
Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) is the oldest public institution of higher education in Connecticut, and the largest of four regional universities that comprise the Connecticut State University (CSU) system. CCSU was established to prepare teachers for the common schools of the state in 1849 and became the sixth normal school in the United States. Its founder and first principal was Henry Barnard who later became the first U.S. Commissioner of Education. In 1933, the New Britain Normal School became Teachers College of Connecticut and began offering four-year baccalaureate degrees. In 1955, a graduate school was established and in 1959 the institution's name was changed to Central Connecticut State College (CCSC). CCSC became Central Connecticut State University by action of the Board of Trustees in 1983.
Currently CCSU enrolls approximately 6,000 full time and 6,000 part-time students. Graduate enrollments are slightly under 2,800 students, 400 of whom attend full time. The University believes that teaching is its primary function and that teaching, complimented by applied scholarship, can be used in partnership with the people and institutions of the Greater Hartford Metropolitan Region.
Accreditation
Programs in the School of Education and Professional Studies are accredited by the:
In addition, the School of Education and Professional Studies is a member of the:
- American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
- Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU)
The education programs also hold national recognitions from the following NCATE affiliated organizations:
- Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI)
- Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
- Educational Leadership Constituent Consortium (ELCC)
- International Reading Association (IRA)
- National Association for Sports and Physical Education (NASPE)
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
- National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
- National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
- National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
- International Technical Education Association/Council on Technical Teacher Education (ITEA/CTTE)
The Mission of the School of Education and Professional Studies
The faculty of the School of Education and Professional Studies constitute a professional school dedicated to the quality preparation of professionals in education and other human service settings. As an integral part of Central Connecticut State University’s history and traditions, the faculty in the school embrace the university’s mission and commitment to “encourage the development and application of knowledge and ideas through research and outreach activities.” Guided by the purpose of preparing leaders for service in diverse communities, it is our mission to provide leadership for:
- Preparing beginning teachers to serve in the region, the state, and the nation;
- Preparing entry level, culturally competent, generalist social workers for practice;
- Providing advanced preparation to administrators, teachers, counselors, specialists, and other educational leaders;
- Providing advanced preparation to specialists in physical education, counseling, and nursing;
- Applying principles of learning and assessment through a variety of technologies to guide our own best practice and that of practitioners in the professions;
- Developing knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for professional practice and community service through learning experiences that are rich in diversity of perspectives, values, attitudes, and beliefs and that are enhanced by active reflection;
- Influencing educational and social policies at the local, State, and national levels.
Principles of the School of Education
In pursuit of its mission, the School has been guided by a set of principles and beliefs which stem from basic values such as educational quality and intellectual integrity, high standards and distinction, and respect for diversity and social justice.
Specifically action rests on the following principles:
- High Standards.
All professional preparation programs should be characterized by distinction and those being prepared should be encouraged to aspire to and to meet the highest of standards;
- Respect for Diversity.
All professional programs should be committed to strategies that foster understanding and respect of all persons a multicultural society;
- Educational Access and Social Justice.
All professional preparation programs should promote access for a diverse learning community of students and serve as an advocate for groups that have been traditionally discriminated against;
- Collaboration.
All professional preparation programs should recognize the need for evolving partnerships with educational and human service institutions within the region and state for the purpose of working together toward improvement and change and for enhancing our own teaching and scholarship;
- Expanding Opportunities.
All professional preparation programs in education should be developed so that graduates are committed to providing first-rate and expanded educational opportunities to all learners in society.
- Effective Teaching.
All Faculty should be committed to serving students and providing for them the highest quality of teaching supported by appropriate intellectual and scholarly agendas;
- Student Development.
The School should be committed to student development through specific activities aimed at developing reflective practitioners and life-long learners;
- Faculty Development.
The School should be committed to faculty development through specific programs and by encouraging faculty to engage in scholarly inquiry within their professional fields.