School of Education programs planned to merge
Fadel Allassan
Print News Editor
The School of Education is gearing up for a major shakeup as two of its programs are preparing to merge in July, according to VCU News.
The Special Education and Disability Policy and the Department of Counselor Education are slated to join forces and become the new Department of Counseling and Special Education. This change will bring an array of new research-based accredited graduate programs with Colleen Thoma of the School of Education stepping in as the chair of the new department.
According VCU News, the two top-tier programs will merge to “to create an interdisciplinary academic environment focused on real-world learning and impact.”
“This merger provides an opportunity to enhance the interdisciplinary nature of our projects and research in counseling and special education,” Thoma said to VCU News.
Thoma stressed that the two programs will complement each other and will give students new opportunities for collaboration.
The merger was approved by the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia and will go into effect on July 1.
“These programs complement each other, using a holistic approach to understanding and working with children, youth and adults, their educational needs, and their support systems,” Thoma said. “These two fields recognize the need to understand the context for a student’s education, including family life, health, emotional well-being and community resources.”
Print News Editor, Fadel Allassan
Fadel is a sophomore print journalism major. He is fluent in English, French and Sarcasm, and he probably doesn’t like you. Fadel enjoys writing about politics and making people drive him to Cook-Out. // Facebook | LinkedIn
allassanfg@commonwealthtimes.org
