Message from the Department Head

The Department of Special Instructional Programs (SIP) prepares students to serve as reflective decision makers in instructional settings for diverse learners. The professional education unit is a community of learners committed to life-long learning in their own lives, as well as fostering a spirit of inquiry in the lives of others. Professional education faculty provide a dynamic, intellectually stimulating environment that reflects current knowledge of how individuals learn and the best instructional practices to facilitate learning and development. The mission of professional education at Western Kentucky University is to provide high quality undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs that prepare teachers and other education personnel to facilitate the learning of all P-12 students at high levels and to implement best practices in schooling through collaboration with colleagues, families, community members, and support agencies. The SIP faculty believe that a teacher preparation program should emphasize roles and responsibilities that integrate the strengths of learners, parents, general education teachers, special education teachers, related service professionals, and the community. A combination of learning opportunities that include a coordinated knowledge base, diverse school-based practicums, and internship experiences are designed to facilitate the development of logical, critical, and reflective thinking skills.

Sherry Powers
Department Head