Submitted by Saint Martin’s University
A new joint partnership between Saint Martin’s University and Tacoma Community College that enables prospective teachers to attend classes in Pierce County is now underway at TCC.
Through the new venture, called the 2+2 Education Program, students who have earned their associate of arts degree at TCC, or at other nearby community colleges or universities, can apply for admission to the Saint Martin’s bachelor of arts degree programs in elementary education or special education. Candidates accepted into the program can then take Saint Martin’s courses for two years to complete their degree, but take the coursework with Saint Martin’s faculty on the TCC campus.
Joyce Westgard, Ed.D., dean of the University’s College of Education and Counseling Psychology, says students move through the new 2+2 program as a cohort, or unit, a model that helps build professional ties and mutual support among its participants. The program is especially advantageous for working students, since courses are scheduled in the late afternoons and evenings, with some on Saturdays. As with other Saint Martin’s programs in education, this one places teacher education students into school classrooms frequently to observe and do fieldwork experiences. Seminars, preparation for Washington’s state assessment for teacher certification (edTPA) and a semester-long teaching internship cap the coursework, she says.
Although only the elementary education and special education endorsements are currently offered, the University is working with TCC to develop and offer an endorsement (an area of teaching expertise) in early childhood education and may add others, based on the needs of students who want to enter the program, she says. Education students must have at least two endorsements to earn a teacher certification from Saint Martin’s.
Westgard says the joint program is unique at Saint Martin’s in that it brings a new opportunity to students interested in teaching in an urban school setting: “Most students at Saint Martin’s main campus in Lacey take teaching internships in suburban or rural settings, but since this program is offered in Tacoma, the students can choose to intern in an urban environment. That opportunity provides an alternative set of knowledge and skills for individuals who want to become ‘urban educators’.”
Westgard says the next 2+2 cohort will begin in June 2015, although potential students may be accepted into the cohort that just began at the end of June, depending on previous preparation and individual situations. Students interested in learning more or applying can contact Sarah McKinney, Saint Martin’s at TCC program manager, (253) 566-5083; SMUTCCEducation@stmartin.edu.
