Making the Grade: LMU School of Education Celebrates 25 Years of Preparing Educators

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Nov 06, 2017, 15:17 ET

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Loyola Marymount University's School of Education, which got its start in the basement of the Sacred Heart Chapel with fewer than a dozen full-time professors, celebrates its silver anniversary this year on the Westchester campus.

Today, the school that opened with 300 students boasts an enrollment of more than 1,400 and a network of more than 10,000 alumni. The number of full-time faculty members has more than quadrupled to 45. And with more than 40 degree and certificate programs and 20 centers, initiatives and partnerships, LMU SOE is ranked among U.S. News and World Report's top 65 graduate education programs – the third highest-ranking Jesuit institution on the list.

"In these past 25 years, we have expanded exponentially, built meaningful relationships in the community, and made significant strides in our global impact," said Dean Shane P. Martin, Ph.D., who has been with LMU SOE for 22 years – starting in 1995 as an assistant professor – and took over for former Dean Albert Koppes, O. Carm., in 2005.

"We continue to make a difference, and we know there is more work to be done," Martin said. "We will always strive to meet the needs of our ever-changing and diverse communities."

LMU has had education programs in place for almost 70 years, but the school's establishment in 1992 created a professional learning community and a path for growth.

In his Monday, Nov. 6 convocation, Martin marked the milestone anniversary with reflections about SOE's accomplishments and the many programs it offers to prepare graduate students for successful careers as public and private school teachers, administrators, counselors, school psychologists and other education specialists.

"The generous guidance that the School of Education faculty provides our students is the lifeblood of the school's success," said LMU President Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D. "Because of the School of Education's team-based effort and expertise, LMU, and the communities – and youngsters – whom we serve, flourish."

Among LMU SOE's celebrated programs and initiatives are the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for Social Justice, which has formed a community of leaders working across the full spectrum of educational settings since its establishment in 2004; the Center for Equity for English Learners, which seeks to expand the pipeline of highly qualified bilingual teachers; Partners in Los Angeles Catholic Education (PLACE) Corps, which prepares students for careers as educators in Catholic Schools; and Upward Bound, which helps low-income high school students graduate and pursue a college education.

LMU SOE's Family of Schools – a collaborative promoting student success and educational equity for Los Angeles Unified and Catholic school students in Westchester, Playa del Rey and Playa Vista – earned recognition recently from the L.A. Unified Board of Education.

For more information, visit http://soe.lmu.edu/.

Contact
Kristin Agostoni
310.338.2389
[email protected]

About Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University, the University of Silicon Beach®, is ranked in the top 12 percent of higher education institutions nationally by The Wall Street Journal. Founded in 1911, LMU is a Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount university with more than 6,100 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate and law students. LMU offers 58 undergraduate majors and 53 minor programs, along with 46 master's degree programs, one education doctorate, one juris doctorate, one doctorate of juridical science and 13 credential/authorization programs. LMU's intercollegiate athletics teams compete in the West Coast Conference with 22 Division I and varsity sports.

LMU news and events are found at: www.lmu.edu/news.

SOURCE Loyola Marymount University