Dean's Message

Catherine Emihovich, Ph.D., Professor and Dean
cemihovich@coe.ufl.edu

The College of Education at the University of Florida has a long and honorable history. It will celebrate its centennial in 2006. Its faculty have been pioneers in the community college movement and the middle school movement, in science education and counselor education, in teaching children with special needs and in perfecting methods of research, both qualitative and quantitative. Its five-year programs for teacher education, called PROTEACH/Proteach, were among the first of their kind and are still among the best. Our 84 full-time faculty are responsible for preparing more than 350 teachers, counselors, and school psychologists each year; they teach more than 1200 full-time undergraduate and graduate students each year; in a typical year they produce some 250 publications; and their outreach extends to schools and classrooms throughout Florida and provide professional leadership to organizations and agencies with national and international missions. Prospects for future achievements look bright A host of promising young assistant professors have joined us in the past few years. Our involvement in doctoral studies and funded research continues to expand. PROTEACH/Proteach programs are constantly being revised to meet the needs of 21st century classrooms. We are cooperating with other units in the University and other state agencies to address the critical needs for teachers, principals, and other educators. Our outreach efforts have increased dramatically, and we are asserting our commitment to struggling schools and struggling teachers intensively. The success of our graduates, the national recognition of our programs, the significance of our history, and the promise of future achievements all are sources of our pride.