University News
House Named Chair of WIU Educational Leadership Department
July 7, 2008
MACOMB, IL - - Jess House was named the chairperson of Western Illinois University's educational leadership department, effective July 1, according to College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) Dean Bonnie Smith-Skripps. He succeeds Robert Hall, who retired June 30 after 22 years of service to Western.
House leads Western's comprehensive graduate academic program which offers a Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) and an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree, as well as a Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.). The University's first doctoral program, which began in Spring 2006, trains school administrators with the leadership skills necessary to address the rapidly changing educational landscape and distinctive characteristics of Pre-K-12 public education in the University's service region. The first cohort will graduate in Spring 2009.
"We are pleased to have Dr. House join the college's administrative team. He brings a strong record of scholarly accomplishments and a wealth of professional experiences that will continue to advance the educational leadership department's reputation for delivery of high quality school leadership programs," Smith-Skripps said.
House comes to Western from Northern Arizona University, where he had served as an associate professor and chair of the department of educational leadership since July 2007. From Aug. 2000-2007 he was an associate professor and coordinator of the educational leadership and curriculum and instructional doctoral programs at the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he led the development of Leadership 2010, an innovative doctoral cohort program and coordinated educational leadership doctoral programs in K-12 and higher education (2006-2007). House also coordinated the combined UCF educational leadership/
curriculum and instruction doctoral degree program at Florida Gulf Coast University from 2000-2006. He served as a professor in educational leadership and research at the University of West Florida during 1999-2000.
From 1995-1999, House was senior lecturer and head of the educational management and professional support department at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, from which he received several grants for special projects and research. He has also worked at the University of Toledo, the University of Iowa and was a teacher and administrator in Iowa and Missouri schools.
House has had numerous scholarly articles, many on his work in Hong Kong, published in refereed journals; he has written nearly a dozen book reviews; and he has presented papers at more than 30 regional, national and international conferences. He has also prepared and presented more than 25 reports and papers to community and state groups, and has served as a consultant to universities, schools and other organizations.
Included in his service to his profession is a two-year (2005-2007) term as president of the Florida Association of Professors of Educational Leadership, editorial board member of the American Association of School Administrators Total Quality Network newsletter (1991-1995) and service on and chair of the North Central Association Review Team for high schools (1980s).
House, who received an Army Commendation Medal for his service in the U. S. Army (1971-1973), earned his Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Iowa. He earned his Educational Specialist (ED.S.) degree in Educational Administration and his Master of Arts degree in Arts Education and his Bachelor's of Science degree in Art Education from Truman State University.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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