CCU Education College Divided into 2 Schools

By Claudia Lauer, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Jul. 9–Coastal Carolina University announced Tuesday that the Spadoni College of Education is being split into two schools for the upcoming school year.

The college will be reorganized as the School of Teacher Education and the School of Health, Kinesiology and Sport Studies.

Both will stay in the same building for the time being. University officials said the new school of health most likely will move to be part of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences sometime after the school year is over.

Edgar Dyer, CCU vice president for university relations, said the motivation behind the split is streamlining.

“They peeled off everything that didn’t have to do with actual teacher education so that the new dean who gets hired can focus entirely on teacher education,” Dyer said.

The College of Education’s dean stepped down earlier this year, and the university plans to launch a nationwide search for a new dean in the next few months.

“I think it will help in terms of the search for a new dean, but I also think it’s going to help the health programs have more of a voice because they do get a little overshadowed by the education programs being lumped in with them,” said Barbara Buckner, assistant provost of assessment and accreditation.

Buckner said the college also is on track to add three new graduate programs to the education curriculum.

“I think there have been a lot of great programs in answer to local demands from Horry and Georgetown county schools,” Buckner said.

University officials said the split also is a reflection of present and future enrollment trends.

Gibb Darden, who is currently serving as the interim dean for Spadoni College, will also serve as the director of the new School of Health, which will focus on the study and promotion of health, physical activity and sport. Jeanne Cobb, a literacy professor at CCU, will take over as director of the School of Teacher Education, which focuses on school-based teacher education and licensure.Contact CLAUDIA LAUER at 626-0301.

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