JESSICA VAUGHN
Staff Writer
Education has changed. State secondary education requirements have been altered, and beginning in fall 2006, credentials from Pepperdine’s Humanities and Teacher Education department will change to reflect these new requirements.
English/Journalism, English/Speech and English/
Theater secondary education credential programs will be eliminated, leaving students with only one option, the straight English credential.
“We have to conform Pepperdine programs to meet state requirements so that our graduates can be credentialed,” said Dr. Mairie Mullins chair of the humanities and teacher education department.
The law assumes that a student credentialed in English is prepared to teach all areas related to English, including journalism, speech and theater.
“At the public school level, these subjects are all under English,” Mullins said. “English is driving the bus and the other programs are the passengers.”
Some disagree with the law’s assumptions, however.
Dr. Michael Jordan, professor of journalism, wonders how an English student will be prepared to teach related subjects without having taken undergraduate classes in those areas.
“When someone has an English credential, they should be trained to teach journalism,” Jordan said. “When the student does not take one journalism class, how can they be prepared?”
Jordan said he laments the change, not only for Pepperdine students but for the high school students who they in turn will teach someday.
“Students are the ones who lose in this, and not only students, but all of us do,” Jordan said.
Jordan said it is sad to see specializations like journalism pushed to the wayside.
“There is a lot of value in co-curricular programs. The quality of these programs is directly related to the expertise, enthusiasm and vision of teachers,” Jordan said.
“It is good to see graduates with experience in these areas, and it is sad to see specialization turn to just a general approach to these subjects.”
The response to the curriculum change varies.
Junior Sheena Shuck said the changes are necessary and unavoidable and not specifically good or bad.
“As an English major, you have the skills to teach yourself how to teach any of these subjects,” Shuck said.
Shuck added that even if a student did take a journalism class, it would not guarantee that he or she could teach the subject of journalism.
“Taking one class in something does not automatically prepare you to teach,” Shuck said.
Mullins agreed that the English credential is enough.
“The English credential program will prepare the students to teach,” Mullins said. “Students may be in a different position without additional classes but they are not less able to teach.”
Dr. Victoria Myers, English professor at Pepperdine foresees possible problems with the new setup.
“The credential qualifies a student to teach all the areas of English, but without additional classes, the student is less competitive in the job market,” Myers said.
Mullins added to Myers point by mentioning that Secondary Schools want well-rounded candidates as teachers.
To amend this problem, Myers said Pepperdine is trying to include at least an introduction class to subsets in the English credential requirements. There is already a general education speech class and an introduction to theater general education fine art requirement, for example.
There is not enough space in the credential requirements or in Pepperdine’s general education program to include all subset classes, according to Myers, however.
While theater and speech are covered, there is still not a required journalism course in the credential program.
Another solution, according to Myers, is for a student to take extra classes by either extending enrollment at Pepperdine or taking summer school. A student could also minor in another subject.
“Even if a student does not get a full major in another program, the high schools will look at their transcripts and see the additional classes they took,” Shuck said.
Whether or not these solutions may not ideal, facult said that the school has no choice but to comply with the state’s decisions.
“Pepperdine’s hands are tied by the state,” Jordan said. “There is not that much that we can do (about the changes).”
Mullins agreed.
“Pepperdine is following state laws and California is the best educational system in the world,” Mullins said. “We do our best to prepare the students.”
09-29-2005