SBU Announces
Accreditation for Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
Southwest Baptist
University News Release
Contact:
Sharina Smith, Office of Marketing & Communications
BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Southwest
Baptist University College of Education
and Social Sciences announced its accreditation for a new doctoral
program, and applications are being accepted for the fall 2012 cohort of the
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership degree.
The
new doctoral degree specifically prepares leaders and administrators for
service in school administration and other leadership roles in various
non-profit or church-affiliated organizations. The program has been developed
and approved under the guidelines required by the Higher Learning Commission.
Dr. Pam Hedgpeth, director of the new degree program, said, “The SBU Ed.D. program has been designed from a practitioner’s perspective, supported by current literature and with input from local, state and national educational leaders. This unique program provides coursework and authentic experiences that stretch students to re-think the role of leadership in creating and facilitating a true learning organization that is highly responsive to current educational challenges and opportunities.”
“The addition of the Doctorate of Education in
Educational Leadership in the College of Education and Social Sciences at
Southwest Baptist University will strengthen the mission and vision of the
department,” said Dean Linda Wooderson. “It is our desire to produce
administrators who are caring, effective practitioners in today's schools.”
Dr. Wooderson continued, “The program seeks to
engage faculty and students with the intention of working collaboratively
toward effective schools, vital communities, and a re-invigorated state. It is
a specialized program in advanced educational leadership practice and is
tailored to the needs and interests of targeted students.
The
program involves learners in a variety of educational experiences including discussions
of current research and leadership practice, self-reflection, innovative
technological applications, simulations, field-based learning, professional
seminars and other experiences deemed current and appropriate.
The
program employs a cohort model to provide a number of benefits to students
including support, group feedback, peer mentoring, networking, and
collaborative insights. Advisors are assigned to students the first semester of
their coursework with the purpose of providing ongoing guidance and
facilitation for the individual directed research project.
The
expectation for those completing the Doctor of education (Ed.D.) in Educational
Leadership program will be to expand their skills as servant leaders who can
demonstrate essential knowledge and processes capable of creating a positive
culture, increasing organizational/student performance, and facilitating the
development of a highly successful learning organization.
Department
Chair Dr. Jim Truelove said, “SBU has a strong tradition of preparing students
to be servant leaders. To further this
mission, SBU has implemented this new doctoral degree program. An integral part
of the degree is the opportunity it affords students to develop expertise in
providing transformative leadership for our schools. We are excited about this new frontier for
SBU and the possibilities it will create for our students.”
For
more information, please call toll-free 1-800-792-4191 or visit www.SBUniv.edu/EdD
###
Southwest
Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating
Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at
an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic
community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For
more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.
SBU’s
Office of Marketing and Communications is available to news media 24 hours a
day at (417) 399-7918.
