There are over 50,000 College of Education alumni. Over 60% live in Illinois. One in four superintendents in Illinois are graduates of our programs.
The college has 43 endowed scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students.
Northern Illinois University began as a normal school with a mission to prepare teachers. The first 'graduates' (16 students) left campus in 1900 to begin their careers as teachers. The College of Education was established in 1960. The master of science in education was first approved in 1951 followed by the certificate of advanced study in 1958 and the doctorate in education in 1961. The first doctorate in education was conferred in 1965 to Keith R. Getchman. Judy A. Fox was the first woman to receive a doctorate in education in 1965.
2,209 undergraduate students
1,974 graduate students
1,153 degrees were granted during the Summer 2005-Spring 2006 academic year:
|
Number of Degrees |
Degree |
|---|---|
|
372 |
B.S. and B.S.Ed. |
|
1 |
Undergraduate Contract Majors |
|
635 |
Master of Science/ Master of Science in Education |
|
41 |
Educational Specialist |
|
104 |
Doctor of Education |
There are 114 tenured and tenure-track faculty in the college. The College of Education faculty have been repeatedly recognized by NIU community for their excellence in teaching and research:
Presidential/Distinguished Research Professors
- Donald J. Richgels, Presidential Research Professor (2005)
- Susan A. Vogel, Distinguished Research Professor (2000-retired)
- Alan C. Repp, Distinguished Research Professor (1990-retired)
Presidential/Distinguished Teaching Professors
- Richard Orem, Presidential Teaching Professor (2006)
- Carole W. Minor, Distinguished Teaching Professor (2002)
- Rhonda Robinson, Distinguished Teaching Professor (2002)
- Diann Musial, Distinguished Teaching Professor (2001)
- Gene Roth, Distinguished Teaching Professor (2001)
- Elliott Lessen, Distinguished Teaching Professor (1996)
- James Lockard, Distinguished Teaching Professor (1996)
- Pamela J. Farris, Distinguished Teaching Professor (1995-retired))
- Phyllis Cunningham, Distinguished Teaching Professor (1994-retired)
- Frank Bazeli, Distinguished Teaching Professor (1993-retired)
- Sherman Stanage, Distinguished Teaching Professor (1993-retired)
- Jerry L. Johns, Distinguished Teaching Professor (1992-retired)
- John Niemi, Distinguished Teaching Professor (1992-deceased)
For more information regarding:
Presidential Research Professors
Presidential Teaching Professors
The College of Education and Northern Illinois University have received continuous NCATE accreditation since 1954. The programs in counseling have received CACREP accreditation since 1989.
The college has one endowed chair in teacher education, the Morgridge Chair. The Morgridge Chair is the only endowed chair in teacher preparation in the United States, and the first endowed professorship at NIU. This endowed chair enables NIU to recognize and support an individual of the highest professional structure and abilities. During the past few years, the focus of this chair has been on establishing, building, and enhancing the partnerships in the college.
The college has 9 partnerships with local school districts and supports additional partnerships with non-school organizations such as the Oakcrest etirement Center and the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. A teacher-in-residence program and school-based liaisons support efforts that focus on co-creation of curriculum, improving practice, and building collaboration between the university and partner organizations.
The college is committed to infusing technology into the preparation of future educators. This commitment is evident in the remodeling of classrooms into technology-enriched teaching environments, the development of state-of-the-art laboratories, and investment in adaptive technologies for serving students with special needs. In addition, the college has supported professional development
for faculty in learning to use technologies, including a required semester-long course for all new faculty, and projects that connect faculty with PK-12 practitioners to incorporate technology into both college and school curricula.
The Learning Center offers hands-on materials, workshops, and other support for students. The Office of Learning Enhancement Services offers tutoring support and workshops to teacher certification students. The Office of Recruitment Services and Project Prime enhances our efforts to recruit and retain minority students. The Office of International Initiatives assists in building the student, staff, and faculty awareness of global issues. Several programs in the college provide students with experience in urban settings and actively support the preparation of urban teachers.