College of Education Vision 

The University of North Texas College of Education will be regionally and nationally recognized for excellence in preparing leaders in the human service and educational spheres of public, private, and corporate institutions. We will achieve this through promoting faculty and student research, designing learner-centered instruction, developing collaborative partnerships, and disseminating the results of these efforts. Faculty, staff, and students will be committed to inquiry and shared discovery, best professional practices, active participation in professional and scholarly organizations, effective use of technology, and the value of intellectual and human diversity.   

Mission of the College of Education

The UNT College of Education mission is to develop the human capacity—cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically—in our students and, ultimately, in the society they serve. College faculty contribute to achieving the mission by expanding knowledge through research, publication, and service.

The College’s state and nationally accredited programs combine outstanding students with nationally and internationally recognized faculty in a stimulating learning environment to prepare leaders in their professions. It is a leading Texas college of education in acquiring external contracts and grants and preparing educators for schools, higher education, human service agencies, business, and industry. The College is an international leader in a variety of program areas, and its faculty are leaders in state, national, and international professional organizations.

To achieve this mission, faculty, staff, and students model engaged learning in a supportive and caring environment, focused on worthwhile and appropriate knowledge and skills in their teaching, research, and service. The College is flexible as it responds to a dynamic evolving world. Specifically, the College:

• collaborates within the University, as well as with other institutions of higher education and public and private organizations in the region to conduct research, provide practicum settings, and design and deliver high-quality programs to meet society’s changing needs;
   
  
  • collaborates with the region’s public schools and community colleges to develop career pathways and provide seamless educational transitions;
     
  • supports nationally- and internationally-recognized programs in Counseling, Teacher Education, and Educational Technology and works to identify and strengthen areas of emerging excellence such as Recreation and Leisure Studies and distance education; emphasizes experiential and service learning to create a well-prepared workforce for the 21st Century;
     
• integrates research experiences in undergraduate and graduate programs;
   
• nurtures and promotes health and well-being for individuals and society;
   
• supports a diverse student population through multiple instructional strategies, distance learning, and financial assistance;
     
• promotes the ethical standards of the professions;
     
• assesses student learning and program outcomes as a basis for continuing improvement;
     
• supports faculty governance by requiring a record of responsible service of all faculty;
     
• integrates current technology and applications across the curricula; and
     
• provides opportunities for ongoing professional development and lifelong learning

College of Education History

The College of Education can be traced to 1890, when Joshua Crittenden Chilton arrived in Denton, Texas searching for a location to establish a private normal college. His efforts resulted in the Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute, which was formally designated as an institution of education in 1891. Normal colleges were comprised of teachers and prospective teachers. In 1893, the Texas State Legislature authorized the normal college to issue state teaching certificates under the name of North Texas Normal College.

Denton community leaders had a vested interest in a state-supported college in Denton. In 1901, the North Texas State Normal School was created with the mission of "special training of teachers." In 1913, North Texas State Normal was authorized to develop a training (demonstration) school, which would allow students the opportunity to experience and practice teaching under expert guidance and direction. 

In 1916, the Normal School Board of Regents passed a resolution to convert state normal schools to bachelor degree-granting institutions resulting in an eventual name change in 1923 to North Texas State Teachers College at Denton often referred to as the Denton Teachers College. In 1935, North Texas State Teachers College began offering graduate degrees and, in 1937, broadened its scope of instruction to disciplines other than teaching, which led to another name change to North Texas State College in 1949.

In order to respond to diversity in students, expansion of programs, and the introduction of research to its mission, the college has partnered with government, business, community, agencies, and great city schools and benefits from membership in The Holmes Partnership, American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, and great city schools. Today, the University of North Texas and its College of Education are striving to develop the human capacity based on this rich history. The College of Education is proud of its past and excited about its future.

Rogers, J. L. (1965). The Story of North Texas. Denton, TX: North Texas State University.
   

Goals of the College of Education

The College of Education, accredited by the Texas Education Agency and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, plays a key role in the University of North Texas' metropolitan mission to serve the Dallas/Fort Worth area and to prepare professionals for a variety of roles to develop the human capacity. The goals of the College are as follows:

• Provide relevant, high-quality, accessible academic programs that address regional and national needs, meet national and state accreditation standards, and lead to national recognition.
     
• Increase the College of Education’s generation of semester credit hours through effective recruitment and retention.
     
• Determine the academic programs that have the potential to obtain external research grants and provide support for seeking and managing grants.
     
• Determine the role and scope of teacher preparation programs at the University of North Texas.
     
• Continue to integrate technology throughout the college so that graduates can use the latest technologies in their fields and faculty can use technology effectively in teaching and research.
     
• Revise the College of Education merit process to reward faculty efforts toward achieving the vision and mission and implementing the initiatives.

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