City of
Colleges neighbors collaborate to benefit future educators
ABOVE: Hendrix College President Karen Petersen, left, and University of Central Arkansas President Houston Davis, right, sign a Memorandum of Understanding creating a partnership that will enable qualifying Hendrix graduates to streamline the process of earning a Master of Arts in Teaching at UCA. / Photo courtesy UCA (Seth Foley)
CONWAY, Ark. (June 20, 2024) — Hendrix
College students now have a seamless pathway to becoming transformational
teachers and leaders in education, thanks to a new academic degree partnership with
the University of Central Arkansas.
The new opportunity for Hendrix seniors
preparing for careers in classroom teaching was announced today by Hendrix
President Karen Petersen and UCA President Houston Davis, who signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at a ceremony in the Dawkins Welcome Center
on the Hendrix campus.
Under the agreement, qualified Hendrix
students are empowered to begin the initial hours of the Master of Arts in
Teaching (MAT) degree online at UCA while still enrolled in their undergraduate
degree studies at Hendrix. After graduating from Hendrix, students can complete
the remaining hours of the MAT program, including a six-credit hour internship.
Hendrix graduates who are enrolled in the MAT program, have passed the required
Arkansas licensure exams, and have a job offer for a teaching position may
qualify for a provisional license in Arkansas (or apply for reciprocity for
licensure in another state), allowing them to start teaching while completing
the MAT program.
“Our institutions exist to change the
lives of our students and inspire them to make a difference,” said Petersen. “This
partnership exemplifies our shared mission and the positive impact of our institutions
in this community and in Arkansas.
“I am grateful to President Davis and the
UCA College of Education leadership for their commitment to making this program
possible,” said Petersen. “I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate the spirit
of the City of Colleges than this new collaboration.”
“Students aspiring to be classroom
teachers can earn a bachelor’s while also working to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching.
School districts will be able to hire even more highly skilled teachers, and
K-12 students will learn from these teachers. This is a big win for the City of
Colleges and our entire state,” Davis said. “We all benefit from this
collaboration.”
The partnership builds upon both
institutions’ commitment to preparing future educators. UCA, formerly Arkansas
State Normal School, was created in 1907 as Arkansas’s first teachers’ college.
The original purpose of the institution was to properly train teachers and
transform Arkansas classrooms. Now, as a regional, public university, the College
of Education at has helped to carry on the legacy of educating teachers for
more than 100 years. In addition to decades of Hendrix alumni who have gone on
to successful education careers as classroom teachers and administrators, Hendrix
has produced numerous successful student applicants to competitive teaching
fellowships, such as the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program, Japan
Exchange and Teaching Program (JET), and Teach for
America.
Both institutions are confident that the
new partnership will bring more qualified teachers into the profession and help
address teacher shortages in Arkansas.
About
Hendrix College
Founded
in 1876, Hendrix College is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools
That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among the
country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning
opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The
Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has
been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at www.hendrix.edu.
“…
Through engagement that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to
diversity, inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community
inspires students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and
joy.”
—Hendrix College Statement of Purpose
About
UCA
Founded
in 1907, the University of Central Arkansas is a premier student-focused public
university located in Conway, Arkansas. UCA has nearly 150 academic programs
and certificates within the Colleges of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences;
Business; Education; Health and Behavioral Sciences; and Natural Sciences and
Mathematics; and the Graduate School. To learn more about UCA, visit uca.edu, or through
social media at Facebook, X, YouTube or Instagram.