School of Education

Lance Kilpatrick, Ed.D., Dean

The major aim of the School of Education is the preparation of students for effective teaching in preschool, elementary, and secondary schools and to provide in-service opportunities for practitioners to enhance their pedagogical skills. The School of Education is responsible for the coordination of all teacher education programs at the University, both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Teacher Education at Olivet Nazarene University makes use of the total educational resources of the University, is the concern of the entire faculty, and is under the direction of the faculty. Accordingly, Teacher Education is coordinated through designated officers, the Teacher Education Executive Committee, Teacher Education faculty and other policy-making bodies of the University. The Teacher Education Unit at Olivet Nazarene University prepares candidates to enter or to continue in the richly diverse teaching profession through offering well-conceived and sound academic programs in a distinctive Christian environment. Preservice licensure programs integrate a solid liberal arts core with specialized theoretical/pedagogical/clinical offerings, while graduate degree programs focus on in-service teachers’ professional growth and development. All Unit programming is designed to produce graduates who become “Professionals Influencing Lives.” Because of the continual effort to coordinate the activities of the School of Education and the academic departments that offer Teacher Education programs, the prospective teacher is encouraged to confer with advisers from both the School of Education and the department of his/her chosen major field.