VSU team of educators to visit Waycross for workshop promotingbachelor, masters degree opportunities

A team of educators from Valdosta State University will be in Waycross on Tuesday, November 7, to promote VSU’s local offering of the Bachelor of Science and Masters of Education Interrelated Special Education/Early Childhood Education cohort program at Waycross College. Drs. Karla Hull, Julia Reffel, and Ada Burnette, all from VSU’s James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education, will present an orientation workshop for persons interested in pursuing these degrees or others who want to learn about them. The location will be Building C at Waycross College beginning at 5 p.m.

Dr. Karla Hull heads the VSU Special Education and Communication Disorders Department; Dr Julia Reffel heads the Early Childhood and Reading Department; and Dr. Ada Burnette serves as coordinator of all Off-Campus Programs in the Dewar College of Education.

The program offered by VSU is a full-time day program near where students live. It includes classes, on-line classes, practical experiences in schools through practicums and student teaching experiences throughout the program. In a few instances, students come to the main VSU campus in Valdosta to get training in such areas as LiveText, registration, and classroom discipline. Potential students and students are informed of these few occasions far in advance of the events to enable them to make arrangements to get to these meetings and training sessions which cover a day or a few days.

Upon completion of the B.S. and M.E. degrees, graduates will be able to teach in pre-kindergarten through grade 5 classrooms. Students who earn the degrees before starting employment usually earn an average of $5000 more upon entering their teaching careers.

The VSU workshop at Waycross College will include information on the Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE) since passage of GACE I is a requirement to enter a teacher education program in any public institution of higher learning in Georgia. Other requirements for entry in the program will also be included, such as Grade Point Average, passage of the Georgia Regents’ examination, and completion of at least 30 hours of acceptable course work in a two-year college or other college.

Workshop participants will acquire information on how to apply to VSU, financial aid and scholarship opportunities, and names and data on individuals to call, write or email to get additional information.

For additional information on the VSU workshop in Waycross please contact Dr. Ada Burnette at 229-333-5622 or via email at amburnette@valdosta.edu , or contact Mattie Roberts at the VSU Information Center located at Waycross College at 912-284-2564 or via email at msroberts@waycross.edu .