Westmont Magazine High Marks for Education

Westmont’s Multiple and Single Subject programs have received full accreditation from the Committee on Accreditation (COA) of California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Following site visits, extensive review, and interviews with faculty, students, graduates, administrators and public school personnel, experts in the field of teacher preparation endorsed Westmont’s program. This process ensures that credential programs provide complete and effective training for future teachers.

“The Committee on Accreditation’s final decision represents a significant achievement for the college,” says Professor Andrew Mullen, who chairs the education department.

Westmont was the only one of the five programs under review in May 2009 to receive full accreditation. The report praised the faculty, noting, “The department chair demonstrates strong, visionary leadership,” and “Information received through interviews from stake-holders revealed that the Department of Education is held in high regard within the college community as well as the Santa Barbara community.

“The vision of teacher education includes the importance of seeing teaching as a personal human experience, the moral aspect of teaching, and learning to teach by active participation. The Department of Education also seeks to prepare candidates who have strong content and pedagogical knowledge that is aligned with real world experiences as evidenced by interviews with master teachers and employers.”

For more information, see: www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/coa-agendas/2009-05/2009-05-item-12.pdf