College of Education celebrates anniversary

By Elliot Njus

Published March 4, 2008

MU’s College of Education is celebrating its 140th anniversary in conjunction with Education Week, the school’s annual celebration.

The college has celebrated Education Week since the early 1970s, according to an MU news release.

College of Education spokeswoman Megan Ryder said the week is designed to bring students, faculty, graduates and the community together to discuss topics in education.

She said the first Education Week focused primarily on teachers.

“Today, its really expanded to include all the areas of education,” Ryder said.

She said the college would also take on issues that face school administrators, counselors and other educators.

She said the week is a collaborative effort between the College of Education Student Council, research centers and services and student honor societies. She said students also promote the events to faculty members, and that many of the school’s faculty is involved through student organizations or research centers and services.

“I think that it’s a priority for our faculty members to see students getting involved in this,” she said.

The theme for Education Week is “Celebrate 140” to reflect the schools anniversary. Ryder said the school would use the opportunity to discuss changes in the education field since the school was founded.

“It gives us a moment to pause and discuss how a lot of the issues we’re talking about today didn’t even exist 140 years ago,” Ryder said.

In conjunction with the week, Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, who is a graduate of the College of Education, will present a resolution recognizing the college’s work in the field.

The resolution’s text commends the college for its work with Missouri community school districts and congratulates the college on its anniversary.

Baker will present the resolution during University of Missouri Day at the Capitol, an event where university stakeholders are invited to meet members of the state legislature in Jefferson City. Mizzou Legislative Network sponsors the event.

Education Week events started Monday with a lecture on “Campus Computing and the Law,” featuring academic freedom expert C. L. Lindsay, according to the College of Education Web site.

Other lecture topics during the week will include sex education and religion, teaching math, and Web site usability.

The college will also sponsor a self-defense workshop, a book fair, a kickball competition, a student organization fair and a study abroad fair.