College of Education and Human Services

Dean: Dr. Bonnie J. Smith-Skripps
Associate Dean for Administration: Dr. B. Nicholas DiGrino
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Dr. P. Lance Ternasky
Assistant Dean for Teacher Education: Dr. Rori Carson
Office: Horrabin Hall 117
Telephone: 309/298-1690
Fax: 309/298-2222
E-mail: COEHS@wiu.edu
Website: www.wiu.edu/coehs

The College of Education and Human Services houses a number of diverse programs that are designed to provide a challenging and supportive learning environment that is widely recognized as meeting the humanistic and technological demands of a global society. These programs lead to careers in education (teaching, administration, counseling); health sciences; physical fitness and physical education; athletic training; law enforcement and justice administration; leisure, recreation, and tourism; social work; and apparel design and merchandising, dietetics and hospitality. The graduates of these programs enter careers in business, education, and government.

Long recognized for its outstanding teacher education programs, the College of Education and Human Services has maintained its excellence in the traditional aspects of teacher preparation while undergoing expansion and development to meet the changing needs of society. Education majors enter a field experience program in which partnerships exist with cooperating private and public schools. Field programs provide extensive pre-student teaching field experiences in addition to senior student teaching in regular classroom settings in small and large schools, minority group settings, rural and urban schools, with migrant populations, in daycare centers, and other arranged sites. Student teaching assignments are available in designated centers in Illinois.

The academic programs in the Departments of Health Sciences; Kinesiology; and Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration are enhanced by many special facilities such as aquatic areas, court facilities, indoor track, outdoor campus, weight rooms, dance studios, a fitness room, a biomechanics laboratory, and a human performance laboratory. A special emergency medical training laboratory is available for students in health sciences. Internships are offered for academic credit during the junior and senior years.

The Department of Social Work prepares graduates to provide services within the social welfare institutions of the United States.

The programs in the Departments of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration; Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration; and Dietetics, Fashion Merchandising and Hospitality emphasize a close relationship with business and government in a wide array of experiences, the most comprehensive being a faculty supervised junior or senior year internship. This provides the graduates of these programs with preparation that eases the transition into the career path and enables the students to assess which direction may be best to follow within the program options.

The Military Science program enables the student enrolled to seek a commission in the U.S. Army Reserve and major in any recognized discipline within the University. The Military Science program provides instruction and practical experience in leadership and management that will help students succeed in any desired career, civilian or military.

Departments and Programs

Students in the College of Education and Human Services may pursue studies in the following departments:

Department of Counselor Education

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Department of Dietetics, Fashion Merchandising and Hospitality

Department of Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies

Department of Educational Leadership

Department of Health Sciences

Department of Instructional Design and Technology

Department of Kinesiology

School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration

Department of Military Science

Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration

Department of Social Work

Department of Special Education

The College of Education and Human Services offers minor programs in the same fields as the major programs listed above (except Bilingual/Bicultural Education, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Instructional Design and Technology, Social Work, and Special Education). In addition, the College offers the following minor programs that have no corresponding majors: American Humanics, Coaching, Community Health, Electronic Media, Fire Administration, Homeland Security, Hospitality Management, Military Science, Nutrition, Occupational Safety, Photographic Media, Scuba Diving, and Security Administration.

College Graduation Requirements

In addition to meeting University graduation requirements, students in the College of Education and Human Services must:

  1. Achieve and maintain the minimum scholastic standards in the comprehensive major or a major and minor program.
  2. Complete a comprehensive major or a major and minor appropriate to the department and curriculum in which the student is enrolled.

Academic Advisers

Students enrolled in the College of Education and Human Services will be provided with academic advising in the College of Education and Human Services Advising Center or through advisers in their respective major departments. Advising is an integral part of any academic program. Advising assists students with registration, academic planning, and meeting graduation requirements. Students must meet with their academic adviser each semester prior to pre-registration.

Certification to Teach

Students enrolled in the College of Education and Human Services who wish to obtain a teaching certificate must meet all criteria for admission to the Teacher Education Program, complete the teacher education curriculum, and complete the major requirements for teacher education students as described under the various department offerings in the College. See Teacher Certification Programs for additional information and specific requirements.

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