College of Education commemorates 10-year anniversary

Written by Shambhu Sharan, Contributor to The Shorthorn   

Tuesday, 28 April 2009 08:45 PM

Sharon Robinson, President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, congratulates the College of Education for celebrating the 10th anniversary of the department Tuesday in Nedderman Hall. (The Shorthorn: Jacob Adkisson)

Ties with other schools and colleges in north Texas help create a stronger university capable of attaining national recognition, President James Spaniolo said during welcoming statements at the College of Education’s 10-year anniversary Tuesday morning.

Spaniolo said the one thing that distinguishes the university is its capacity to build partnerships, like with Tarrant County College, across the Metroplex and Texas.

“UT Arlington has the capacity, will and commitment to take the next step, over the decade or so, to become truly a nationally recognized university, and everybody’s contributing to it,” he said.

Spaniolo stressed the importance of education as the university strives to become a Tier One institution. He said the focus is typically on science and engineering, but the university is committed to both its instructional mission and its research mission.

“There’s nothing more positive than to encourage, I think, the support of our educational institutions. Because that’s where it makes a difference — in people’s lives.”

The College of Education was awarded the school status in 1999. In 2003 it became a college.

College of Education Dean Jeanne Gerlach said the college is the only one in the UT System that holds national accreditation.

Gerlach praised her colleagues as smart, experienced and having a passion for what they do.

Guest speaker Sharon Robinson, President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education in Washington, D.C., said she was glad to be part of the celebration.

She said the college doesn’t need to just teach students the tools they need to survive in the professional world — they can get that information anywhere. The college needs to teach students how to use those tools, she said.

“Our job now is not just to teach them those things,” she said. “… our job is to teach them to become competent users of that information.”

The future of the country, she said, rests on the shoulders of teachers.