LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s education program successfully completed rigorous reviews this year to maintain dual accreditation from state and national organizations.
The university undergoes evaluations every seven years to maintain its status with the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board.
“Achieving this accreditation is a major accomplishment, as the process is quite stringent,” said Tiffany Wheeler, associate professor of education and program director. “To achieve this status, education programs have to successfully demonstrate they are meeting challenging standards related to education candidates’ content knowledge, skills and dispositions. Other standards include field experiences, faculty qualifications and performance, diversity and program governance and resources.”
To keep its national accreditation—which the state bases its decision on—Transylvania’s education program underwent both on-site and off-site reviews. The university submitted a lengthy report and many supporting documents that showed how it meets the standards of CAEP, which used to be called the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. The name of the accreditation retains the organization’s former acronym: NCATE.
“This reaffirmation of accreditation demonstrates the faculty’s commitment to provide our students with exceptional learning experiences that prepare them for successful careers in education,” said Laura Bryan, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the university.
Students in Transylvania’s education program can prepare to be a teacher in primary through secondary grades or opt for a non-teaching, educational studies major. Most of the courses include fieldwork, labs and professional development.
Transylvania offers 12 programs that lead to teacher certification, and all of them are heavily scrutinized by national and state accrediting agencies. The education program’s main theme is “Public Intellectuals Who Care,” and the accreditation process validates Transylvania’s ongoing efforts to provide a high quality program that enables the school’s graduates to become reflective and caring educators.