About the College of Education and Human Development

Founded: 1905 as the Department of Pedagogy

Transformed: In 2006, the original College of Education and Human Development became part of a newly organized college by the same name, which now includes the former CEHD, the former General College, and two units of the former College of Human Ecology: the School of Social Work and the Department of Family Social Science.

Enrollment: 5,374 full-year equivalent students (fall 2007) [student demographics]

Faculty: 184 tenured and tenure-track faculty

Degrees granted:  1,427 degrees granted during academic year 2006–2007 (493 B.S., 550 M.Ed., 384 masters and advanced graduate degrees). In addition, 650 students completed postbaccalaureate teacher licensure (375 initial licensure and 275 additional licensure).

National academic rank: U.S. News & World Report ranked the College 17th among all professional schools of education (March 2008), and 11th among all public professional schools. Nationally ranked programs include: developmental psychology (3, last ranked 2005), technical teacher education (4), counseling and student personnel psychology (7), special education (7), educational psychology/educational technology (8), higher education education administration (18), elementary education (18), education administration and supervision (25), social work (28).

College mission: The new College of Education and Human Development is a world leader in discovering, creating, sharing, and applying principles and practices of multiculturalism and multidisciplinary scholarship to advance teaching and learning and to enhance the psychological, physical, and social development of children, youth, and adults across the lifespan in families, organizations, and communities.

Endowed professorships and chairs: One way of measuring the quality of the College’s work is its ability to attract private support. Endowments and other gifts give the College the ability to attract world-class faculty. Currently the College has 16 endowed chairs and professorships, totaling more than $8 million.

Alumni:  Over 65,000 living alumni.
Thirty-four percent of all school superintendents and principals in the Twin Cities metro area are College of Education and Human Development alumni. Forty percent of the Minnesota Teachers of the Year have studied and received degrees from the College.

Multiculturalism: Key initiatives include the Common Ground Consortium, a collaborative effort between the College and several Historically Black Colleges and Universities; the Multicultural Teacher Development Project, a program to recruit and prepare students of culturally diverse backgrounds for teacher development programs; and Homegrown Teacher Partnership Project, a program to recruit and prepare students of culturally diverse backgrounds as teachers.

Additionally, current research at the University of Minnesota provides much experience with students and parents from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. More than 57 countries are represented in our graduate student population.

International programs: The College is globally diverse with over 200 students from 60 different countries. As part of the University of Minnesota, the College offers its students and visiting international scholars all of the resources of a world-class research institution with ties to colleagues and sister institutions throughout the world.

The College boasts an international education program providing ongoing monthly seminar discussions, a graduate minor in international education, and a growing number of study abroad and research opportunities in countries such as Costa Rica, Kenya, Australia, Denmark, and Thailand.

Research: Influential, groundbreaking, and life-enriching research is a hallmark of the College. Examples include curriculum-based measurement (CBM), the Parent-Child Project, the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport, Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse, the Minnesota/Texas Adoption Research Project, and the promotion of later school start times.

Outreach takes a variety of forms in our College. Projects include the Family Caregiving Center, a program that promotes family-centered care for people with dementia; the Urban Leadership Academy, which offers professional development to principles and other school administrators; the African American Read-In, a literacy initiative that addresses the attainment of reading and writing skills in African American students; and numerous collaborations with local K-12 schools. For further information see PartnersWorks, the source for news on College outreach efforts.

August 2007