Panola College Partners with Stephen F. Austin State University

Panola College and Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) have come together in a collaborative partnership to provide educational opportunities for individuals seeking careers in the field of education. This three-year endeavor will provide online courses and instruction for students beginning their first year through graduation.

The Elementary Education Department at SFASU was recently awarded a FIPSE (Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education) grant for the “Articulated Internet Teacher Education Program for Multilingual Classrooms.”  The grant calls for Stephen F. Austin State University to join with 21 community colleges in Texas to recruit, mentor, and support paraprofessional/teacher aides with associate of arts in teaching degrees which can lead into an online baccalaureate Early Childhood-4 (EC-4) completion program.

The EC-4 program will provide the skills to effectively manage and instruct children in multicultural and multilingual classrooms. Webcams and other interactive media devices will be used to facilitate instruction and to assess student teacher performance.

Panola College’s reputation for providing comprehensive online instruction combined with the fact that the College already offers an online Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree made Panola College a natural choice with which to partner. The AAT degree is a recommended course of study for learners who plan to pursue a baccalaureate degree at any Texas public university offering baccalaureate programs leading to initial teacher certification.

In addition to EC-4 Early Childhood Specialization, Panola College offers two other AAT degrees. Courses required for the completion of these degrees may be taken online or in a traditional, face-to-face setting.

Stephen F. Austin State University considers students earning an AAT degree as “core complete” and ready to apply for admission to their College of Education. Information about Panola College’s AAT degree can be accessed at www.panola.edu/instprog-aat.htm or by contacting Dr. Denise Wilkins at teacherprep@panola.edu or 903-693-2058.