By DAX BENWAY, Student Reporter
A new partnership between Northwestern Oklahoma State University and Northern Oklahoma College aims to combat a shortage of teachers in Oklahoma.
A fast-track course of study offered by the two institutions will allow students to obtain an associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in three and a half years rather than the four years most programs take. The program will be offered at Northwestern and Northern’s campuses in Enid.
“We are trying to shorten the time needed to get the required education to get teachers through the program and into the classroom,” said Dr. Christee Jenlink, associate dean of education and professor of education at Northwestern.
The news of the program comes as teachers in Oklahoma are retiring at increasing rates, and as younger educators are leaving the field for other careers.
“We are looking forward to getting this started and being able to open doors in Enid for teacher candidates to participate in a new program while also meeting all the education needs for northwest Oklahoma and the state,” said Dr. Bo Hannaford, Northwestern’s executive vice president.
The program will fulfill current guidelines for instructor readiness, officials said.
Enrollment in the program is not limited to a certain number of students.
“The more students we can introduced into the program, the better, as the need for teachers in the surrounding areas continues to rise,” Tiffany Meacham, an academic advisor for elementary education at Northern Oklahoma College.
Enid Public Schools officials have been giving feedback on the program, as the district will likely benefit from it, officials said. The school district will hire graduates from the program.
Northwestern and Northern officials will conduct advisement sessions for the program at Northern’s Enid campus in Montgomery Hall and in the lobby of the Zollars Building from 8 a.m. to noon on April 18 and 19. The campus is located at 100 S. University Ave.