Siena is now positioned to be the regional leader in birth - grade 12 teacher preparation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Approval has been granted by the New York State Education Department for Siena to acquire the early childhood/childhood education (birth - grade 6) bachelor of science (B.S.) and master of science in education (M.S.Ed.) programs from The College of St. Rose. Siena received NYSED approval last month to offer these degrees as teach-out programs for St. Rose students; now, Siena is approved to offer the degrees in its own right.
Combined with Siena’s own esteemed education program and the transfer this June of Clarkson University’s master of arts in teaching degree and other graduate-level teacher education offerings, Siena will now be the area leader in preparing teachers for birth through grade 12 programs.
“A significant number of teachers in New York state are approaching retirement, which is increasing the always vital need for dedicated educators,” said President Chuck Seifert, Ph.D. “Siena is not only prepared to meet this market demand but, true to our mission, we will graduate leaders who are intent on making the world a better place by shining their light in classrooms across New York.”
Siena’s Education Department was enthusiastically involved throughout the process and fully supportive of this endeavor, Seifert said.
NewsChannel 13 ran coverage of the announcement on May 20.
Siena has also hired three full-time, tenure-track faculty members from St. Rose to join the College’s education department, in addition to the six faculty and two administrators hired from Clarkson.
Provost Margaret Madden, Ph.D. acknowledged St. Rose’s long local history in preparing teachers for their careers.
“The College of St. Rose was a pillar of childhood education in our region, and its closure could have created a void in the market,” said Madden. “I’m proud that we can honor their fine legacy while building on our own strong reputation in educating teachers.”
Christine Dawson, Ph.D., director of the teacher preparation program at Siena, said the addition of the birth - grade 6 program “really rounds out our Education Department at Siena.”
“Bringing new colleagues from St. Rose and Clarkson into our current Education Department provides us such breadth and depth of experience,” she said. “We are able to support Siena students who aspire to be teachers across content areas and grade levels.”
