A note from Dean Joseph

Submitted by Jann Joseph | Published November 2, 2011

Greetings from the College of Education!

I am now in my fifth month as the Dean of the college and I am proud to be a part of the Ypsilanti community. Eastern's staff and students have been welcoming and I remain intrigued by the rich history of this great institution and this college that started it all. I am proud to contribute to this noble calling to train education professionals in our three distinguished departments — Teacher Education, Special Education, and Leadership and Counseling.

Higher education and teacher preparation in particular have been asked to respond to the nation's challenges by producing college students who are responsive to a rapidly changing global marketplace. EMU's College of Education is at the crux of this debate in that we are positioned not just to prepare college graduates, but teachers, who can inspire their students to pursue 21st century careers. It is against this backdrop that the college is developing its strategic plan for 2012-2016. This plan will ensure that we allocate our resources to meet the needs of our students and maintain our position as the premier college of education in Michigan.

This year, the college has been the beneficiary of time and resources from many generous donors and we pledge to use them wisely. Recently we established the Dolores Soderquist Brehm Center for Special Education Research and Scholarship and the Morris Chair. Both gifts will significantly impact the programming we can provide for our current and past students.

I am establishing a COE Alumni Advisory Board, COE Emeritus Faculty Board, COE Staff Advisory Board, and COE Student Advisory Council to provide advice and guidance to the college. I am very interested in hearing from you. If you would like to serve in an advisory capacity please let me know.

I am anticipating a long and fruitful career as your new dean. I am TRUEMU.

Jann Joseph, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Education