A Niche for Educators

May 13, 2019 The President's Report

New Ph.D. partnership enables Lowcountry educators to take their scholarship to the next level

As seen in The President’s Report 2018

The Citadel has joined forces with Clemson, Coastal Carolina and Winthrop Universities to bring a doctoral program to the Lowcountry for education professionals who want to take their scholarship to the next level. The new Doctor of Education in Education Systems Improvement Science degree offered by Clemson University, in partnership with the Consortium for Innovative Educational Practice, is geared toward students who have completed an education specialist degree from one of the four consortium institutions.

“This program is an excellent pathway for our students who have completed or are currently enrolled in our education specialist degree in educational leadership,” said Col. Larry Daniel, dean of the Zucker Family School of Education. “We have seen an increase in the number of students enrolling in our education specialist program who eventually want to continue on to doctoral study, so the program is a winning proposition for all involved.”

As students complete their coursework, they are required to form a faculty committee made up of instructors from the consortium institutions to guide them in their dissertations. The improvement science degree encourages students to focus on problems faced in their school districts or larger educational communities. Daniel expects that in their research, students will address significant problems facing South Carolina schools and offer solutions to help initiate positive outcomes.

“Prior to this degree program, there was no local face-to-face doctoral program opportunity for professionals in education,” said Daniel. “The program has really filled a niche in the Lowcountry.”
Fourteen of the 16 students in the first class have received one or more of their degrees from The Citadel.

Both the principal and assistant principal at Morningside Middle School in North Charleston are enrolled in the program.

“For me as principal, it’s opened a window into improvements in science education and helped me think about how I can help my scholars,” said Stephanie Flock. “But this is not just about changing just what goes on at Morningside, it’s about making changes that can advance education in the state of South Carolina.”