Welcome to the Division of Education at Queens College. Let me take a few minutes to introduce you to the Division. The Division’s mission is to prepare dedicated educational professionals for diverse urban communities. The underlying ethic that pervades the Division of Education is the commitment to providing equitable educational opportunities, striving for excellence and focusing on social justice. On this strong foundation, we are poised to tackle the high stakes issues of Urban Education. Urban Education is a central issue facing all Americans today. It is a priority discussion topic among politicians, academics, and others who have an interest in educating our children. Queens College’s Division of Education is well positioned in terms of geographic location, cultural diversity, and reputation as a strong liberal arts college to become a national leader in Urban Education.
The Division is poised to increase our capacity and position to take an active role in the changes taking place in the New York City School District and in schools and school districts across the country. We are re-designing our programs that prepare school professionals to better meet the needs of our surrounding urban, as well as suburban, schools. We are focusing our research agenda to assess the quality and character of the reforms taking place so as to develop recommendations for research based best practices of what works to improve student achievement and what doesn't.
One of the fundamental issues facing education is equitable access for all. The Division has established the Equity Studies Research Center. The Center’s aim is to promote equitable avenues of formal and informal educational opportunities for diverse populations. The Center’s mission is to take into account the educational, political, social, aesthetic, economic and historical context of what it means to succeed in an academically challenging environment. Thus, the Center provides the structure for an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the entire framework of educational success.
In closing, research is about the discovery of new information and the practical application of this knowledge. At the Queens College Division of Education we have a thriving research enterprise that is tied to our practice. The research that faculty are conducting will have an impact on many levels including their teaching in the classroom. The Division of Education has made great strides to secure a brilliant future for all educators that come through our doors.
Sincerely,
Francine Peterman, Dean of Education
