By Isabelle Kindle

Earlier this semester a new major was added to the list from which students could choose. During the first week of October, the education department was approved by the academic board to add an additional major, Education Studies, alongside the department’s present majors Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Art Education.

“Education studies is for those less interested in working in public schools but still want to stay involved in an educational context,” said Jonathan Silverman, chair of the education department. Included in the new major are six new courses of concentration including, Special Education, Early Childhood, Multilingual Education, Environmental Education, Museum/History Studies, and Educational Policy.

Last fall students brought it to the department’s attention that many students were fascinated with education, but didn’t feel like they wanted to spend the rest of their lives in a public school. “Some students have gone through the first three years thinking they wanted to teach then realizing, ‘I love education, I love working with people, but I don’t want to be in a school,’” Silverman said.

“There were students who were interested in education but not interested in working as teacher, and they wanted to work in museum education, or they wanted to work at Shelburne Farms, or ECHO in environmental education, and we didn’t see the reason necessarily they should have to go through the same restrictions set by the Vermont Agency of Education if they were going in a different path,” Silverman said.

The Education Studies major focuses on fostering skills, such as critical and creative thinking, problem solving, working collaboratively, and empathy, that students can employ in multiple professions. The department is able to offer the new program with the resources it already has, Silverman added. They plan to rework courses currently offered in a creative way.

“I think SMC having Early Education concentration would be awesome! I’ve been working in the field for over 35 years and have seen it come a long way in the area of professionalism,” said Sue Treadwell, director of the Early Learning Center at St. Michael’s College. For those interested in working with young children, an Early Education concentration could result in better job performance. “The value that society puts on young children and their well-being is both reflected and enhanced by institutions of higher education teaching it,” Treadwell said.

Silverman said he hopes the addition of Education Studies will attract students to the college. “I think Special Education and Early Education are of interest to students coming in,” he said.

Although Early Childhood and Special Education licensure can not be obtained at the undergraduate level, it can be obtained at the graduate level with one additional year of studying. “If deciding later to pursue a teaching license, students could then more easily join a fifth year MAT program which the SMC Education Department is currently developing,” said Matt Seklecki, senior associate director of admissions.

Currently, the education department is made up of 200 students. 11 percent of those students major in education and 14% minor in education ranking it the 3rd highest major at St. Michael’s.

“Education is really a calling and a way of life, it’s not necessarily a path where you make a tremendous amount of money but it allows you to make a difference in society and in the world and I think that it is very connected to the mission of St. Michael’s College,” Silverman said.