From its beginnings as the State Normal School in 1889 to its current status as a doctoral high activity research institution with programs in an array of fields, the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences (EBS) is proud to present some updates for this upcoming semester that will enhance academic excellence and align with the evolving demands of the education and behavioral sciences fields. 

Nancy Sileo, Ed.D., interim dean of the college at the University of Northern Colorado, shared how excited she is to not only receive new students and to welcome current ones and faculty and staff, but also to share this news that demonstrates how EBS is a college in constant pursuit of excellence. 

Stackable Pathways Program

The School of Teaching Education (STE), through a new program called Stackable Pathways to Support Teacher Training for English Language Learner’s in CO K-12 Schools, partnered with school districts to expand the number of licensed teachers who are endorsed in Culturally-Linguistically Diverse (CLD) – or Culturally-Linguistically Diverse Bilingual Education (CLDBE) Specialist (K-12).   

The Stackable Pathways program recognizes specific classroom experiences as academic credit. In other words, UNC will evaluate prior teaching and learning experience and count it as credit hours toward the endorsement for students teaching CLD and multilingual students in partnering school districts. This initiative is supported by the Colorado Department of Higher Education.  

“Because of the creation of this program, our new enrollment in the CLD endorsement has increased last summer from seven students to 27 this summer,” said Jingzi Huang, associate dean of EBS. 

EBS is introducing enhancements to its programs to help working teachers earn their graduate degrees or licensure more quickly. Recognizing that many students are pursuing licensure or a graduate degree while teaching and finishing their undergraduate studies, STE has developed the 4+1 program. This program allows students to take graduate courses online while completing their undergraduate degrees, enabling them to earn credit toward both degrees a year earlier, all while continuing to teach in the field. 

Accelerated Masters: Two degrees and four credentials

Starting in fall 2024, EBS is offering three new accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) graduate programs. The 4+1 programs allow students to complete their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years, compared to the six years a traditional pathway would take, saving students time and money. The new accelerated M.A.T. 4+1 programs are:  

Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies and Master of Arts in Multilingual Education: Licensure in World Languages 
Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies and Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) 
Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with initial licensure and added CLD endorsement, and Master of Arts in Teaching in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. 
According to Huang, these changes represent the college's commitment to excellence, quality, and the holistic development of students, ensuring they are well-prepared to become leaders and change-makers while helping them to achieve the M.A.T. as quickly as possible.  

“If students from Asian Studies would be interested in teaching Chinese or Japanese, having the M.A. in Multilingual Education with Licensure would allow them to teach because most of the educational institutions ask for licensure and a master’s degree to hire them,” said Huang.  

“In the same way, students from TESOL can look forward to teach English abroad, because most of the institutions in China, Japan and Taiwan will ask for those credentials.” 

After graduating from any of the M.A.T. 4+1 programs, students will have earned their bachelor’s, master’s, the CLD or CLDBE endorsement and their teaching licensure. These four credentials, in addition to the in-classroom experience, provide UNC graduates with highly competitive credentials to be more marketable in their careers.  

Welcoming New Faculty 

Also, this fall the School of Psychological Sciences will welcome two highly prepared new faculty members whose expertise and innovative research will significantly enrich the academic community.  

Stephanie Linley, Ph.D. obtained her doctorate in Behavioral Neuroscience from Florida Atlantic University and will be joining UNC as a tenure track professor. Her research focuses on understanding how several brain structures, including the thalamus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala, support cognitive and affective processes in rat behavior. Linley’s laboratory work with animals informs research with humans in important areas such as learning, memory and emotions. 

Elise Allen, Ph.D., who received her doctorate in Educational Psychology from The Ohio State University, has been researching in the field of academic motivation and joins the department as an assistant professor. Allen’s research ranges from studies of how teacher relationships impact student motivation to investigations of the impact of student motivational beliefs on self-regulated learning strategies. In other words, she explores how students' motivation works, especially its negative components, impact persistence, engagement and other important student outcomes.  

The perfect balance 

To kick off this semester, Sileo shared how important it is for faculty to harmonize self-improvement with career growth, making it the main goal for this upcoming semester.  

"Balancing personal growth with professional advancement is key to success,” said Sileo. As we introduce new programs like the STE 4+1 tracks and stackable credential licensure options, welcome new psychological sciences faculty into our community, reinvigorate the Future Teachers Club, and implement innovative educator preparation programs through El Oso, we’re committed to fostering both individual and collective excellence in EBS.”