Section 1. Overview

1.1 Mission Statement

1.2 Vision

1.3 Accreditation


Section 1. Overview

The COEHS proudly maintains a commitment to providing an education for current and future professionals in South Georgia. This commitment began with the inception of Valdosta State as an institution of higher education in 1906. The COEHS draws its student population from the surrounding forty-one county services region and the entire state.  Acting as a learning community, the COEHS strives to meet the needs and aspirations of the population it serves by offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs, continuing education programs, and performing research and community service activities.

1.1 Mission Statement

The mission of the College of Education & Human Services is to prepare professionals for a variety of roles in educational settings and community agencies; foster a culture of reflective practice and inquiry within a diverse community of students, faculty and staff; provide leadership in the improvement of the education, health, and well-being of citizens in this region, the nation and the world; and develop effective, responsive scholars and practitioners who use theory and research to enhance their work in a global, diverse, and technological society.

1.2 Vision

An agreed upon vision provides focus and direction for the members of an organization. The COEHS dedicates its resources and expertise to:

“Positively Impacting Learning Through Evidence-Based Practices”

1.3 Accreditation

The Dewar College of Education and Human Services maintains accreditation with the National Council for Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE), and all of its individual initial teacher preparation programs, including programs in Art Education from the College of the Arts and Spanish Education and French Education from the College of Arts and Sciences, are approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. The master’s program in communication disorders is nationally accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Speech–Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech–Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and the master’s program in school counseling is nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. The master’s program in marriage and family therapy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Training and Education of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the master’s program in social work s accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The master’s program in library and information studies is accredited by the American Library Association Committee on Accreditation (ALA COA).

The College of Education and Human Services also houses graduate programs that are nationally recognized by specialized professional associations:

  • Early Childhood Education (Association for Childhood Education International)
  • Instructional Technology-Library (Media American Library Association/American Association of School Librarians)
  • Middle Grades Education (Association on Middle Level Education)
  • Reading Education (International Reading Association)
  • Spanish Education from the College of Arts and Sciences (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)

Special Education-Deaf Education (Council for Exceptional Children)