Mission
The mission of the College of Education is to equip and sustain reflective, lifelong learners who are competent, confident, compassionate and courageous professionals, who, in turn, will inspire and enable those they serve.
The Cannon-Clary College of Education strives to develop principled professionals who possess the knowledge, skills, and disposition to:
- Integrate their faith, learning and living to serve their communities as models and mentors for moral and ethical leadership.
- Respect and recognize variance in those they serve and have knowledge and skills to accommodate those variances.
- Develop critical thinking skills within those they serve so they can make responsible choices about their learning and behavior.
- Challenge themselves to grow professionally through rigorous study, reading, reflection, and research.
- Possess superior knowledge of the discipline(s) they teach or practice as well as a general knowledge of all disciplines.
- Seek to establish collegial relationships for meaningful collaboration.
- Effectively use and apply emerging technologies in changing environments.
- Possess skills to enable them to effectively serve in a variety of settings.
Accreditation
Harding University has state approval from the Arkansas Department of Education - Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to offer professional education program for educator licensure or licensure endorsement.
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the following programs in the Department of Mental Health and Wellness within the College of Education at Harding University: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.S.) and Marriage & Family Counseling (M.S.).
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) has granted accreditation to the Harding University Graduate Certificate in Executive and Workplace Coaching Program in the College of Education.
Educator Licensing Disclosure Statement
Requirements for educator licensure vary by state and may involve more than successful degree completion. Graduates who apply for licensure may need to satisfy other requirements, such as completing an application, paying a fee, and passing a background check and associated state licensure exams. Completion of an education licensure program offered through an Arkansas institution will not in itself qualify a graduate to obtain a teaching license in any other state.
All of Harding’s teacher preparation programs are approved by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Students who successfully complete the programs and pass all associated state licensure exams and other requirements are eligible to be recommended for Arkansas Educator Licensure. The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) recommends completing licensure requirements and obtaining teaching credentials in the state in which you complete your program requirements.
Students interested in obtaining a teaching license in another state should check with the applicable licensing authority in that state to ensure that Harding’s program meets the state’s education requirements for eligibility for licensure. First obtaining a license in Arkansas will increase likelihood of meeting eligibility requirements in another state. Contact information for state departments of education can be found on the U.S. Department of Education website.
Please note, students enrolled in Harding’s educator preparation programs are only approved to participate in field experiences and/or student teaching within the state of Arkansas.
Questions about licensure and reciprocity may be directed to the Assistant to the Dean for Licensure by emailing education@harding.edu.
Mental Health & Wellness Licensing Disclosure Statement
Harding University’s Cannon-Clary College of Education provides programs of study that, along with other qualifying criteria, allow candidates to apply for respective licenses as issued by the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling. It will be the responsibility of the candidate to determine what requirements may be in place in the state they choose to apply for a license. The programs of study may not, however, necessarily meet other states’ requirements for licensing in those states. It will be the responsibility of the candidate to ascertain what program and state requirements will be necessary in the state they choose to apply for a license. Each jurisdiction has its own criteria and procedures for licensure and requirements vary.
The Cannon-Clary College of Education comprises four academic departments:
Faculty
Dean: Raymond “Donny” Lee, Ed.D.
Associate Dean: Todd Patten, Ed.D., NCC, LPC-S
Professors:
Usenime Akpanudo, Ed.D.
Director of Research Initiatives
Jenene Alexander, Ed.D., NCSP, LPC
Director of Professional Counseling: Clinical and School
Clay Beason, Ed.D.
Chair of Graduate Studies in Education
Carol Douglass, Ed.D.
Director of Special Education
Wendy Ellis, Ed.D.
Director of Reading
Kimberly Flowers, Ed.D.
Director of Doctoral and Educational Leadership Programs
Raymond “Donny” Lee, Ed.D.
Justin Moore, Ph.D.
Director of Marriage and Family Counseling Program
Lewis L. Moore, Ph.D.
Todd Patten, Ed.D., NCC, LPC-S
Chair of Mental Health and Wellness
Cheri Smith, Ed.D.
Director of Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Steve Warren, Ed.D.
Director of Secondary Education
Karl Wendt, Ph.D., PPC, AACC, AAMFT
Academic Director of Professional Counseling at Harding University Northwest Arkansas Campus
Ervin E. “Gene” Wright, II, Ph.D., NCC, LPC-S
Director of Clinical Experiences, Professional Counseling
Associate Professors:
Amy Adair, Ed.D.
Coordinator of Gifted and Talented Program
Marc Fager, Ph.D., LPC-S, LMFT-S
Director of Field Placement, Professional Counseling
Leeann Howard, Ed.D.
Darren Mathews, Ed.D.
Director of the Non-Traditional Teacher Preparation Program
Kevin Shelby, Ph.D.
Assistant Professors:
Adam Baker, M.Ed.
Andrea Stark Bishop, Ph.D.
Director of Center for Leadership and Development
Allen Henderson, Ed.D.
Director of the Lewis “Tony” Finley STEM Center and Middle Level Education
Matthew Perring, M.S.E.
Pam Voss, Ed.D.
Chair of Teacher Preparation Program, Director of Degree Completion, Director of the Northwest Arkansas Professional Center
Jerrod Williams, M.Ed.
Instructors:
Allison Parker, M.Ed.
Director of Watson Center and Lead Site Coordinator for Residents and School Partnership
