CLARKSVILLE, TN – The timing is what made everyone a little nervous. Last year, the Austin Peay State University Eriksson College of Education was scheduled to renew its national accreditation. That process is stressful enough without also having to deal with a global COVID-19 pandemic.
To ease his colleague’s worries, Dr. Prentice Chandler, dean of the college, offered a few simple words of encouragement.
“Let’s do the work with calm and without chaos,” he said. “We can do this and do a great job.”
How did the college’s reaccreditation team do? Earlier this month, APSU President Mike Licari received a congratulatory letter from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), announcing that the Eriksson College of Education was now accredited for another seven years. But for Chandler, the best part was a single sentence in the CAEP Action Report, which traditionally outlines the areas in a college that need improvement.
“No areas for improvement or stipulations were identified in this report,” the document stated. The CAEP accreditation, along with the glowing report, ensures that APSU’s teacher candidates will continue to be fully prepared to enter classrooms around the world.
“This accreditation belongs not just to our college, but to the entire university community,” Chandler said. “It’s a signal that high-quality teacher education is a part of all we do at APSU. Our work with other colleges on campus, with our school partners, with the Tennessee Department of Education, and with former and current faculty and staff — today is possible because of our collaboration, partnership, and commitment to a high-quality education for all children.
“Excellence in teacher education lives at Austin Peay,” he said.
For information on the Eriksson College of Education, visit www.apsu.edu/education.