The three new education programs at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford aim to attract students to the teaching profession and provide professional development options for current teachers.

Submitted

The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) recently announced three new education programs beginning this fall in response to the substantial teacher shortage in Connecticut. The new offerings aim to attract students to the teaching profession and to provide professional development options for teachers already in the classroom.

With collaboration between education faculty, Department of Education advisory groups, students and alumni, and analysis of the needs of current teachers and the demand for educators, USJ will now offer the programs listed below:

• Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
• Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities
• Graduate Concentration-Master of Arts in Education with a Concentration in Personalized Professional Pathways (MAPPP).

The Department of Education and USJ’s faculty worked together to review the curriculum, accreditation standards, and the needs of Connecticut schools. The curriculum for each of the programs was created through the integration of “existing robust courses in new pathways,” said Chair and Associate Professor for the USJ Department of Education, Ashley Oldham, Ph.D.

“As the need for support and continuous professional development increases in the face of serious teacher shortages in Connecticut, programs to sustain and energize educators already in the classroom have become a priority,” said Oldham. “As described, this program fulfills University goals, and holds the promise of enhanced enrollment in graduate programs that serve Connecticut communities.”