New Mexico State University
College of Education

About the College

New Mexico State University (NMSU) was founded in 1888 as Las Cruces College. The Territorial Legislature of 1889 established the land-grant Agricultural College and Experiment Station, which officially opened on January 21, 1890. During its first full academic year, the college became known as the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, the first degree-granting institution in the Territory. Under the provisions of the Morrill Act of 1862 and subsequent federal legislation, the special mission of land-grant institutions has been to provide a liberal and practical education for candidates and sustain programs of research, extension education, and public service.

In 1960, New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts became New Mexico State University. Since that time, while sustaining excellence in those programs traditionally associated with land-grant institutions, New Mexico State University has become a comprehensive doctoral degree-granting university offering a wide variety of programs through the Graduate School and six colleges: Agriculture and Home Economics, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration and Economics, Education, Engineering, and Health and Social Services. The Department of Education first appeared as a "Department of Instruction" in 1929 and became the "College of Education" in 1969.

MISSION STATEMENT

New Mexico State University is the state's land-grant university, serving the educational needs of New Mexico's diverse population through comprehensive programs of education, research, extension education, and public service.

In keeping with the land grant mission of NMSU and the unit's Conceptual Framework, the Teacher Education Unit strives to meet the educational needs of the children and educators in our state. A special emphasis on diversity, effectiveness, collaboration and the development of educators guides the unit's theme and mission. (Unit mission is stated in the Conceptual Framework section.)

THE STATE AND LOCAL SCHOOLS

New Mexico is a minority majority state with a school population that is approximately 48% Hispanic, 39% Anglo, 10% Native American, 2% African American, and 1% Asian. Most of the state's urban population is centered in three cities: Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe. However, New Mexico is predominately a rural and sparsely populated state. Sadly, teachers and students in rural areas do not have access to the same educational and professional development as those in the major urban centers.

One in every four children in New Mexico lives in poverty, and one in every three students in public school receives daily free lunch. Some area public school demographics to consider follow.

Gadsden Public Schools is only miles away from the NMSU campus. This district provides candidates with field experience and student teaching opportunities.

TEACHER EDUCATION UNIT

The Teacher Education Unit is made up of several departments with numerous programs. Within the College of Education there are five departments: Counseling Education and Psychology, Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Management and Development, Physical Education Recreation and Dance, and Special Education and Communication Disorders. There are also three programs outside the College. Two of these, Agriculture Education and Family and Consumer Sciences, are housed in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. The other is Music, which is part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Each of the departments identified are involved in the governance structure of the Teacher Education Unit and recognize that the Dean of the College of Education is the designated leader of the unit. Additionally, each of the departments listed have a representative on the Education Council.

TEACHER EDUCATION UNIT DEPARTMENTS

Department of Counseling and Education Psychology, College of Education

The Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology provides graduate degrees designed to prepare professionals in the fields of professional counseling, school counseling, and counseling psychology. The department intends for candidates to emerge with the professional competencies and skills that will enable them to work effectively with diverse populations in a variety of community and educational settings. This is accomplished by advancing an understanding of human behavior and experience through teaching, research, and service. The doctoral program is nationally accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the master's program by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology (CEP) offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology. The educational experiences for this degree encompass the foundations of scientific psychology (history and systems of psychology, biological, cognitive/affective, individual and social bases of behavior) as applied within the discipline of counseling psychology.

In collaboration with the Department of Special Education/Communication Disorders (SPED/CD) CEP also offers an Educational Specialist Degree in School Psychology. The purpose of this program is to train professionals to promote the highest quality educational and mental health services for children and families.

In addition, the Department offers a Professional Counselor Program that grants a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and Guidance, with a specialization in mental health counseling. The program educates professional counselors about the unique aspects of mental health agencies and school settings and how to adjust their approach to fit those settings.

CEP also offers an undergraduate minor in Counseling. The Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology follows a multicultural perspective throughout program requirements and believes in an integrated approach to serving a multicultural population.

Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education

The primary function of the undergraduate programs in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) is the preparation of licensed teachers for pre-schools, elementary and secondary schools. Teaching fields available to secondary teachers are business, foreign language, language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics. Endorsements available to candidates include bilingual education, Teaching English To Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), reading, and technology education. All licensure and endorsement programs available to candidates have received program approval from the New Mexico Public Education Department(NMPED). Additionally, appropriate academic departments and faculty from the academic discipline have reviewed each teaching field to insure curricular and program quality.

Graduate programs in the department prepare candidates to serve as directors of instruction and curriculum, subject matter specialists, supervisors of student teaching and college professors of curriculum and instruction. The Department of Curriculum and Instruction is dedicated to the preparation of educators for public and private schools, colleges and universities. The five degree programs are the Master of Arts, the Master of Arts in Teaching, the Specialist in Education, the Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction. Areas of concentration include curriculum and instruction, TESOL, bilingual education, early childhood education, learning technologies, reading, critical pedagogies, and language and literacy.

Department of Educational Management and Development, College of Education

The Department of Educational Management and Development (EMD) offers a variety of graduate programs to candidates interested in public school and higher education administration, as well as federal or private sector agencies having educational interests, college or university administration, teaching or educational research.

The mission of the Department of Educational Management and Development at New Mexico State University is to provide formal educational and practical experience preparing EMD graduates for professional administrative/leadership careers in educational systems in a multifaceted, multicultural, changing society.

In addition, the department provides courses in the social, historical, and philosophical foundations of education at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Department of Human Performance, Dance and Recreation, College of Education

The Department of Physical Education Recreation and Dance (PERD) offers a variety of programs to candidates who are interested in teaching/coaching in schools, private clubs and other settings, sports medicine, dance, fitness and exercise technology, recreation, aquatics, sports administration, sports information, physical education, and other sport related careers.

The physical education teacher program leads to a Bachelor of Science in Education - Teaching Physical Education degree. This degree leads to licensure, which is necessary for teaching physical education in the public schools of New Mexico.

The program in Kinesiology leads to a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. This program, in combination with academic minors that can be taken in other departments, prepares candidates for sport related careers such as sport management, sport journalism, and others.

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, College of Education

The Department of Special Education/Communication Disorders (SPED/CD) offers degree programs to candidates interested in working with individuals with disabilities in schools, communities, hospitals, and residential settings.

The Department of Special Education/Communication Disorders offers graduate programs for candidates wishing to become master special education teachers, special education administrators, educational diagnosticians, school psychologists, and speech-language pathologists. The Master of Arts in Education can be earned in general special education with emphasis in mild or moderate disabilities (behavior disorders, learning disabilities, and mental retardation), communication disorders, early childhood special education, bilingual special education, special education administration, deaf/hard of hearing education, and educational diagnostics. The educational diagnostics program leads to New Mexico certification as an educational diagnostician.

The Master's program in Communication Disorders is accredited by the council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology (CAA of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Graduates of the Master's program in CD complete the requirements necessary for both national certification and state licensure.

The School Psychology Program (Ed.S.), mentioned previously, follows the standards of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and leads to New Mexico licensure as a school psychologist.

The Department of Special Education/Communication disorders offers two undergraduate programs that train professionals to work with exceptional populations in schools, communities, hospitals, and residential settings. The Special Education program prepares candidates to provide appropriate educational services to individuals with disabilities. The Communication Disorders program provides training for candidates interested in pursuing advanced degrees in speech language pathology, audiology, or speech and hearing sciences.

The undergraduate program in Special Education is designed to prepare candidates for licensure in special education. Candidates receive training in a broad-based curriculum appropriate for teaching and other career options related to special education and developmental disabilities. In addition to special education course work, candidates complete an academic teaching field and may elect to pursue course work in a variety of focal areas including early childhood special education, developmental disabilities, or counseling and educational psychology. Dual licensure in special and regular education (elementary or secondary) may also be obtained.

Department of Music, College of Arts & Sciences

The Department of Music has been an established, independent department since 1962. The goals of the department are to provide quality education to candidates, and prepare them for successful careers as educators, primarily in public schools or in private studios, and/or to prepare them to successfully pursue graduate studies in music at recognized and established institutions and conservatories nationwide.

The music department offers undergraduate degrees in music performance, music education, theory/composition, and piano or vocal pedagogy and master of music degrees in performance, theory/composition, music history and literature, music education, and conducting.

The music department is housed in one building that consists of two rehearsal halls, one auditorium that seats 504, two dressing rooms, three classrooms that seat 30-35, four area offices, and 21 faculty offices. There are 17 full-time faculty, four part-time faculty, and three adjunct positions. Within its ranks are many outstanding performers and educators, representing a broad diversification of background range and talent. Faculty members present many solo and ensemble performances, as well as clinics and workshops each year.

Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture & Home Economics

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at New Mexico State University is committed to the broad mission of land-grant universities in general, NMSU in particular, and the mission of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. The philosophical base from which the Departmental mission statement includes: issues impacting the human condition are interconnected in nature; quality of life is affected by reciprocal relationships between people and their environments; and human beings and families as the fundamental units of society.

Therefore, the faculty in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences serve the culturally diverse clientele of New Mexico through quality teaching, research, extension education, and public service programs. They endeavor to produce and disseminate scholarly information to advance the understanding of the citizens of New Mexico in the areas of human development, clothing, consumer science, family relations, fashion merchandising, food science and technology, family and consumer science education, human nutrition, and textiles.

Family and Consumer Sciences is the largest department in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics with over 300 undergraduates and over 40 graduate candidates. Nationally recognized resident faculty and numerous experts that serve as part-time faculty support candidates.

The department offers four undergraduate majors and several options. The four undergraduate majors are Clothing/Textiles and Fashion Merchandising, Family and Child Science, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, and Human Nutrition and Food Science.

The department also offers a Masters of Science degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with an emphasis in Clothing/Textiles and Fashion Merchandising, Family and Child Science, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, and Human Nutrition and Food Science.

Agriculture Education, College of Agriculture & Home Economics

The Department of Agricultural and Extension Education (AXED) at New Mexico State University has a competency-based teacher licensure program that leads to a secondary teaching license with an endorsement in Agriculture. At the undergraduate level, AXED's four-year Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree program combines 49 credit hours in general education that meet both State Department of Education licensure and New Mexico State University graduation requirements; 48 credit hours in technical agriculture, many of which can also count toward business education or science endorsements; 27 to 28 credit hours in professional education; and electives to develop a well-educated middle or high school agricultural education teacher who meets New Mexico's entry-level teacher competencies. Graduate candidates with a Bachelor's of Science in Agriculture degree from a technical agriculture department in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics (e.g., Animal and Range Sciences) can make up any technical agriculture coursework deficiencies and take professional education courses in AXED and the College of Education to meet the entry-level teacher competencies and obtain a license to teach.

The department uses a variety of sources of knowledge in assisting candidates to develop a sound theoretical base for teaching. The experiences and observations of professors and teachers in the field, educational research, and practical experiences of the candidates combine to provide graduates with a solid base upon which to make decisions and solve problems related to teaching, students, and educational programs. Candidates receive many opportunities to tie theory to practice starting in AXED 100 "Introduction to Agricultural and Extension Education" and culminating in student teaching.

Technical agricultural coursework is spread between agricultural economics and business, agricultural mechanics, plant and soil sciences, and animal and wildlife sciences to meet state entry-level teacher competencies. Outside of the classroom, candidates undertake experiences that enhance their effectiveness as teachers by participating in candidate organization activities, serving on judging and exhibition teams, exhibiting livestock, and assisting with state Future Farmers of America (FFA) career development events held at the university.

TEACHER EDUCATION SUPPORT CENTERS

Educational Research Center

The Educational Research Center (ERC) was organized in 1969. The Center identifies funding sources for research and training projects in education, provides support services to faculty in the preparation of proposals for external funding, coordinates the use of facilities and equipment for externally-funded projects, coordinates the College of Education's off-campus program, and provides fiscal monitoring services for all externally-funded projects in the College.

Learning Resource Center

The Learning Resource Center (LRC) provides resources and services to candidates, faculty/staff, and the community for instructional and other purposes. The LRC houses one of nine New Mexico State Department of Education regional evaluation centers for curriculum materials. The curriculum materials center includes several thousand items and is updated according to the New Mexico State adoption cycle through contributions from publishing companies. In addition, the LRC houses a significant amount of NASA resource material.

The LRC has audiovisual and other equipment with the capability to duplicate both audio and videotapes, translate videotapes into international video standards, laminate materials for instructional use, and to assist in the development of interactive multi-media presentations.

In addition to the production of instructional aids, the LRC also assists faculty, staff, and candidates with computer-related issues. The LRC has a substantial library of educational software. The LRC currently has two teaching computer labs, an open computer lab available to all candidates, and a fully functional technology classroom. All LRC computer labs have been significantly upgraded in the past three years.

Education Advising Center

The Education Advising Center is responsible for all undergraduate academic advising in the College of Education with the exceptions of physical education and athletic training (these programs advise their own majors with the Advisement Center acting as a resource). The Center also assists candidates seeking teacher licensure at the graduate level. The Center maintains academic records and files for over 1500 active undergraduate candidates along with files for thousands of other candidates who have completed programs, are in graduate licensure programs, or who are not currently in school. The files include degree plans, graduation audits, admission to the Teacher Education program (TEP) forms, and athletic eligibility information.

STATE VISIT/REVIEW

New Mexico's Professional Standards Commission visited NMSU during the Spring of 2002 and reviewed programs in the Teacher Education Unit that lead to a teaching license or endorsement. The unit also received visits from the American Psychological Association (APA), the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) within the last three years. Reports from each of the visits will be available to the Board of Examiners during the visit. The visiting teams found that all programs met or exceeded the requirements outlined by the state or the national accreditation.

The team reviewed all of the NMSU licensure and endorsement programs using the state competencies that outline the expectations for graduates from the approved programs. The state competencies have all been revised within the last three years. The state instituted a plan to review and modify competencies every five to six years. New competencies were developed in collaboration with state department staff, public school personnel, university faculty, and the public. Participants used national standards from specialty organizations, previous state competencies, New Mexico K-12 benchmark and standards, Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards, and NCATE guidelines. The State Department of Education held meetings throughout the state to solicit input from teachers, parents, and others interested in the process. If substantive changes were suggested, then the committee responsible for the competencies reviewed those recommendations. Each subcommittee responsible for developing the licensure or endorsement competencies consisted of public school personnel and New Mexico State University faculty from the Colleges of Education and Arts and Sciences. Faculty from academic disciplines from the various universities within the state were also involved in developing the competencies.

Fore more information on Accreditation, please see the following sections of our website:

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Acreditation

• NMSU College of Education NCATE website

Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology (CEP)

• The Counseling Psychology program at NMSU was first accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1995, and was reaccredited in 1998 for a period of seven years with the next site visit occurring in 2005.(read more..)
• School Psychology Program at New Mexico State University is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). (read more..)
• The MA Counseling Program is accredited in Mental Health Counselng by the Council for Accrediting of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). (read more..)