OSU-Tulsa Announces Expanded Program to Help Teachers
Thursday, October 5, 2006
TULSA - Oklahoma State University-Tulsa President Gary Trennepohl and Tulsa Public
Schools Superintendent Michael Zolkoski announced today that the university is introducing
a new degree and scholarship program for area education students and teachers.
With the support of the OSU-Tulsa Board of Trustees, Trennepohl and Zolkoski announced
the Educating Educators program. This initiative includes the addition of an undergraduate
degree in elementary education, with a strong emphasis in math, science and teaching
diverse learning.
“Our goal is to produce more teachers and principals for the Tulsa area,” Trennepohl
said. “OSU-Tulsa will accomplish this by offering expanded education degrees, increasing
scholarships available to education students and developing a post-baccalaureate program
for individuals who want to enter the teaching profession but don’t have an education
degree.”
Trennepohl said the new Educating Educators scholarships will be available to undergraduate
education students, as well as individuals who wish to pursue graduate degrees in
education at OSU-Tulsa.
“OSU-Tulsa recognizes the commitment educators make to the students in our schools
every day,” Trennepohl said. “With the Educating Educators scholarship program, we
want to honor that dedication by providing resources to those in the education discipline.”
Zolkoski applauded OSU-Tulsa’s commitment to the teachers and principals in Tulsa
and the surrounding areas.
“Better-prepared teachers and principals translate to better students,” Zolkoski
said. “Through these scholarships, OSU-Tulsa is investing in our teachers and school
administrators, whose passion for learning and teaching should not be limited by funding
concerns.”
OSU-Tulsa will offer scholarships to full-time students pursuing bachelor’s degrees
in early childhood education and elementary education. Trennepohl said OSU-Tulsa will
waive the tuition for undergraduate students in these majors for hours above 12 credit
hours per semester.
“Educating Educators is a one-of-a-kind scholarship that provides an incentive for
students to complete their degrees in a more timely manner by taking more hours each
semester,” Trennepohl said. “In essence, our education students will have the opportunity
to receive five or six courses for the price of four.”
The Educating Educators scholarships are also available to graduate students working
towards master’s and doctoral degrees in counseling, early childhood education, education,
educational psychology, higher education, school administration, and teaching, learning
and leadership. Tuition will be waived for graduate students in these majors on courses
above six credit hours per semester.
OSU-Tulsa currently offers more than 80 degree choices and Pamela Fry, Dean of the
OSU College of Education, is excited about adding more degree programs in Education.
“OSU is making it a priority to help meet the needs of educators in the Tulsa community
by offering a comprehensive university degree in education,” Fry said. “The OSU elementary
education program combines strong content knowledge, high quality teaching skills
and practical experiences to develop a highly competent education professional.”
For more information on education degree programs, the Educating Educators scholarship
or certification, call 918-594-8000.