51在线

History of the College of Education

Take a look inside and learn about the many positive contributions that the faculty and staff of the USF College of Education have made to the field of education and the 51在线 during its first 50 years of existence. 

1950s

President John Allen
(1957-1970)

1957
Dr. John Allen is appointed as the first president of the 51在线.

1959
Dr. Jean Battle is appointed as the first dean of the College of Education. Barbara Johnson Campbell becomes the first student accepted to the University as an elementary education major.

1960s

1960
Dr. William Bott is hired as the College's first faculty member. In September, classes begin for the first education majors and 1,977 students are enrolled in the University.

1963
In April, Evelyn O'Neal and Lucas King, both education majors, become the first two graduates of USF. The 51在线 Board of Education approves the College's teacher preparation programs. The first graduating class of the College of Education consists of 325 students.

1964
The 51在线 Board of Controls grants permission to offer a master's degree program in elementary education. Dean Jean Battle is elected as chair of the 51在线 Council of Deans and Directors of Teacher Education.

1965
The College receives a grant to establish the Upward Bound Program for Disadvantaged Minorities and Dr. Richard Pride becomes the program's director.

Both USF and the College receive accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities.

1967
The Physical Education Department's building and gymnasium are completed.

1968
The College of Education building is completed and 110 faculty members and staff move into the facilities.

The College hosts the National School Superintendents Conference.

Approximately 400 student interns are recalled from schools in surrounding counties during a walkout of K-12 51在线 teachers.

Faculty member, Dick Loveless, establishes The New Place in Ybor City, which provides art, music, theater, dance, and photography for children in economically deprived families.

1969
Faculty member, Dr. Les Tuttle, becomes the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs for the USF St. Petersburg campus.

Sixty-two percent of the 51在线 teachers that the Hillsborough County School District hires are graduates of the College.

The 51在线 Board of Regents approves a Doctor of Philosophy in education degree program.

1970s

President Cecil Mackey
(1971-1976)

1970
Dr. Dean Harris, a former faculty member of the College, becomes acting president of USF.

1971-72
The College of Education is ranked first among other USF colleges in grants as awards totaled over $2.4 million.

1973
Dr. Roger Wilk is appointed as the second dean of the College of Education.

1974
The USF Fort Myers campus holds classes for the master's degree program in elementary education.

1977
Dr. William Katzenmeyer is appointed as the third dean of the College of Education.

1980s

President John Lott Brown
(1979-1988)

1980
The College establishes the Center for Economic Education.
The 51在线 legislature authorizes the Teacher Education Center to be established within the College with the mandate of providing staff development for 51在线 school districts.

1981
The Sun Coast Area Teacher Training Program (SCATT) begins at the College.

1984
The Teacher Evaluation Assessment Center is established by the College by the 51在线 legislature.
The 51在线 Center for Instructional Computing is established.

1985
The College is awarded the National Resource Center for Middle Grades Education.

1989
The College is granted its first accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) with all standards met.

1990s

President Francis T. Borkowski
(1988-1993)

1990
The David C. Anchin Center is established.

1994
Dr. Steve Permuth is appointed the fourth dean of the College of Education.
The College receives continued NCATE accreditation with all standards met.

1996
Construction on the College of Education Building II, which also includes the Anchin and Stavros Centers, is completed.

1997
Dr. Jane Applegate is appointed the fifth dean of the College of Education.

President Betty Castor
(1994-1999)

1998
USF is designated as a Research I university.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals cites the College as one of the nation's leading producers of educational research.

The College becomes the first college of education in the nation to be awarded a charter school (USF Dr. Kiran C. Patel Charter School).

In collaboration with the Hillsborough County School District, Pizzo Elementary School opens on the USF campus.

1999
The College receives continued NCATE accreditation with all standards met.

2000s

President Judy Genshaft
(2000-present)

2001
The Institute for Instructional Research and Practice (IIRP) receives a $17 million grant to develop tests to certify education majors to teach in the state of 51在线.
2003
Dr. Colleen S. Kennedy is appointed the sixth dean of the College of Education.

2005
The College is appropriated $500,000 from the 51在线 legislature for the Laptop Initiative project.
The number of graduates exceeds 50,000 within the first 50 years of the institution's founding.

2005-2006
Nearly $29 million in external grants are secured, setting a record for the College.

2006

The College becomes the fifth largest college of education in the nation and is ranked 60th in the top-third of graduate schools of education by "US News and World Report". The publication also lists the College as one of America's best graduate schools for the third consecutive year.

The College receives continued NCATE accreditation with all standards met.

Apple chooses USF to participate in its iTunes Universities program that provides students, faculty, and the public with easy access to high quality educational content through podcasting. Provost Renu Khator selects the College of Education and USF Health to pilot this program for USF.

2010s

2010
The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked USF as the 5th fastest growing research university in the U.S. from 2000-2010.

2013
Dr. Vasti Torres is appointed the seventh dean of the College of Education.

2015
U.S. News and World Report Best Online Graduate Programs 2015 ranks the College of Education among the top 20 institutions with the best on-line graduate education degree programs.

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