The Graduate School of Education changes its name

As of Monday, September 20, the Graduate School of Education will officially become the School of Education, or SOE. The new name will reflect the scope of the school’s research, community engagement and academic programs, particularly the undergraduate program, which was approved in 2017 and now represents 60% of the school’s membership.

The simple name change was approved at the University of California system level in August.

“For more than 50 years, our school has advanced education research and policy through our partnerships and graduate programs, and has trained expert teachers,” said Acting Dean Louie F Rodriguez. “Now, with our undergraduate programs booming, this name change will be more inclusive for our students and better reflect the impact we have in education and within our communities. We look forward to this next chapter in our school’s history.

In 1958, the teacher training program was established at the College of Letters and Sciences, today the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, and in 1967 the Master of Arts in Education degree was approved. In 1968, the School of Education was officially founded as a separate entity, and two years later, the doctorate. in education has been approved. The school was renamed the Graduate School of Education in 2000, and over the next two decades a number of centers and programs flourished, most notably the Doctorate in School Psychology. program, which is the only doctoral program accredited by the American Psychological Association in Southern California.

In 2017, the undergraduate major was launched and now includes two minors in education, including UC’s only minor in sports leadership program.

“UCR is a world-class university that prioritizes research experience and public service at all levels of education. In keeping with this mission, the School of Education’s degree programs amplify student achievement through research-driven learning and community engagement. The school’s name is now fully inclusive of all the high-level programming they have to offer, ”said Provost and Executive Vice-Chancellor Elizabeth Watkins.

The School of Education is ranked # 55 in the most recent US News & World Report’s Best Graduate School Rankings, up 24 spots from # 79 the previous year.

Over the past five years, SOE professors have received $ 21.1 million in funded research projects, including external funding last year from the Institute of Education Sciences, the McCormick Foundation, the National Science Foundation and the Spencer Foundation.

According to a report from the Office of the President of the University of California 2020, SOE has the most diverse faculty of any education school in the UC system and includes six recent recipients of the prestigious American Educational Research Association award, or AERA.

SOE is home to several centers and initiatives including UC’s premier Autism Research Center, SEARCH Family Autism Center, UCR Civic Engagement Research Group, Project Moving Forward, UCR AP Readiness, and Center for Transformative Education.

Julie Porter is Director of Marketing and Communications at the School of Education.