History Project File, 1927-1963 | University of Illinois Archives

The School of Education was organized April 27, 1905 "to provide for the professional training of teachers."¹ It was a department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences² until June, 1918, when the College of Education was established.³ It offered education programs in teaching and school administration; athletic coaching; industrial education; and agriculture and home economics education.⁴ Today the College of Education offers undergraduate degree programs in four departments within the college. These programs are Vocational and Technical Education; Secondary Education; Special Education; and Elementary and Early Childhood Education.⁵ Graduate progams of the College include such fields as Administration; Higher and Continuing Education; and Education Policy Studies.⁶ In addition, the College, through the Council on Teacher Education, works with the other colleges at the Urbana-Champaign campus to offer courses in professional education to students planning teaching careers in their respective fields.⁷ In 1963, the College moved from Gregory Hall to its present offices in 140 Education Building.⁸

The Dean of the College of Education is the chief executive officer of the College.⁹ He is appointed biennially by the Board of Trustees on the recommendation of the Chancellor and President of the University.¹⁰ The Dean's Office functions as the administrative center of the College, coordinating and facilitating the work of the department chairmen within the College.¹¹ As the need arises, the Dean's Office administers special programs, particularly federally funded ones (e.g., Project Upward Bound), when the programs do not readily fit into any already existing unit of the College.¹² One associate dean and two assistant deans assist the Dean.¹³

1. Register, 1910-11, p. 61.

2. Register, 1917-18, p. 189.

3. Board of Trustees Transactions, 29th Report, June 1, 1918, p. 758.

4. Register, 1919-20, p. 66.

5. Undergraduate Programs, 1977-79, p. 223.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid.

9. University of Illinois Statutes, May 17, 1972, p. 12.

10. Ibid.

11. Interview with Ms. Betty Richards, Assistant to the Dean of the College of Education, September 15, 1977.

12. Ibid.

13. Ibid.