City of Colleges neighbors collaborate to benefit future educators
Hendrix College President Karen Petersen and UCA President Houston Davis sign new academic agreement.
Hendrix College students can now have a seamless pathway to becoming transformational teachers and leaders in education, thanks to a new academic degree partnership with the University of Central Arkansas.
The new opportunity for Hendrix seniors preparing for careers in classroom teaching was announced today by Hendrix President Karen Petersen and UCA President Houston Davis, who signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at a ceremony in the Dawkins Welcome Center on the Hendrix campus.
Under the agreement, qualified Hendrix students are empowered to begin the initial hours of the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree online at UCA while still enrolled in their undergraduate degree studies at Hendrix. After graduating from Hendrix, students can complete the remaining hours of the MAT program, including a six-credit hour internship. Hendrix graduates who are enrolled in the MAT program, have passed the required Arkansas licensure exams, and have a job offer for a teaching position may qualify for a provisional license in Arkansas (or apply for reciprocity for licensure in another state), allowing them to start teaching while completing the MAT program.
“Our institutions exist to change the lives of our students and inspire them to make a difference,” said Petersen. “This partnership exemplifies our shared mission and the positive impact of our institutions in this community and in Arkansas.
“I am grateful to President Davis and the UCA College of Education leadership for their commitment to making this program possible,” said Petersen. “I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate the spirit of the City of Colleges than this new collaboration.”
“Students aspiring to be classroom teachers can earn a bachelor’s while also working to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching. School districts will be able to hire even more highly skilled teachers, and K-12 students will learn from these teachers. This is a big win for the City of Colleges and our entire state,” Davis said. “We all benefit from this collaboration.”
The partnership builds upon both institutions’ commitment to preparing future educators. UCA, formerly Arkansas State Normal School, was created in 1907 as Arkansas’s first teachers’ college. The original purpose of the institution was to properly train teachers and transform Arkansas classrooms. Now, as a regional, public university, the College of Education at has helped to carry on the legacy of educating teachers for more than 100 years. In addition to decades of Hendrix alumni who have gone on to successful education careers as classroom teachers and administrators, Hendrix has produced numerous successful student applicants to competitive teaching fellowships, such as the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program, Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET), and Teach for America.
Both institutions are confident that the new partnership will bring more qualified teachers into the profession and help address teacher shortages in Arkansas.
About Hendrix College
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among the country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at www.hendrix.edu.
“… Through engagement that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community inspires students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and joy.” —Hendrix College Statement of Purpose
About UCA
Founded in 1907, the University of Central Arkansas is a premier student-focused public university located in Conway, Arkansas. UCA has nearly 150 academic programs and certificates within the Colleges of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Behavioral Sciences; and Natural Sciences and Mathematics; and the Graduate School. To learn more about UCA, visit uca.edu, or through social media at Facebook, X, YouTube or Instagram.
