About COE

About Us

About the College of Education at UCCS

A Message from the Dean

Dr. Henrietta Williams Pichon
Dean of the College of Education

I am truly excited to be joining a wonderful team of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners as we in the College of Education fuel success. As we move forward with UCCS Success 2030, we are well positioned to embrace strategies that focus on:

  • learning, engagement, and belonging;
  • retention and graduation;
  • research and creative excellence;
  • financial strength;
  • deliberate investment;
  • distinctive programs; and
  • partnerships and outreach.

Education is transformative! In the College of Education, we offer several programs that prepare future leaders among teachers, administrators, counselors, researchers, and policy influencers and makers through teaching and learning, research, and service and outreach that centers around equity, inquiry, and innovation. I encourage you to explore the different department websites and visit with us as you contemplate your career, seek guidance and expertise, or want collaborators or partners to assist with critical real-world questions.

Departments include Counseling and Human Services; Leadership, Research, and Foundations; and Teaching and Learning, which includes the Office of Inclusive Services and UCCS Teach. We offer four bachelor’s degrees (BA Human Services, BA Inclusive Elementary Education, BA Inclusive Early Childhood Education, and BI Inclusive Early Childhood Leadership), seven master’s degrees (MA Counseling, MA Curriculum and Instruction, MA Leadership: Advanced License Programs, MA Leadership: Student Affairs in Higher Education, MA Special Education, MA Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and MSc Science Teaching), a doctoral degree (PhD Educational Leadership, Research, and Policy), two undergraduate minors (Human Services and Student Affairs), and a number of undergraduate and graduate certificates and endorsements, including Secondary (7-12) licensure. In addition, the College of Education offers a number of support services to students through our Student Resource Office and Office of Inclusive Services (OIS). Through all of these program offerings, we seek to transform minds, destinies, and the world. 

This is an exciting time for all of us as we continue to learn, grow, and adjust as we seek to meet the changing needs of our communities. As we move forward with our plans this academic year, we want to connect with our varying constituencies, colleagues, collaborators, and/or partners to understand better:

  • Who we are?
  • Who we aspire to be?  
  • How do we leverage our strengths and opportunities to best address your needs?
  • And specifically, what steps/strategies we will take to achieve those goals?

In moving through these steps, we will be able to better meet your needs as you prepare for your next phase of leadership as teachers, administrators, counselors, researchers, and policy influencers and makers.

I am glad to be here with all of you as we transform minds, destinies, and the world.

Let’s go Mountain Lions!

Dean, Henrietta Williams Pichon, Ph.D.

Professor, Leadership, Research, and Foundations

Academic Focus

The College of Education at UCCS offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, licensures, and more across three departments: 

  • Teaching and Learning
  • Counseling and Human Services
  • Leadership, Research, and Foundations

Accreditation

The UCCS College of Education is authorized by the state of Colorado to offer educator preparation and school counseling programs. The Counseling MA degree program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP), and our Human Services BA degree program is accredited by the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE).

College Faculty & Research

The UCCS College of Education faculty and staff have hands-on teaching and counseling experience, which ensures that our students receive the best education possible. We ready students for current and future challenges in the education field.

Mission Statement

The UCCS College of Education prepares teachers, leaders, and counselors who embrace equity, inquiry, and innovation.

Vision Statement

The College of Education is the preparation provider of choice for all educators, counselors, and leaders of school districts, higher education institutions, clinical mental health agencies, and other non-profit agencies in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, and southern Colorado. We are known for our knowledge and understanding of contextual differences in these settings in Colorado Springs and rural/southern Colorado.

We engage in research that addresses real problems faced by our region, and we proactively seek opportunities that will bring additional resources to areas of need to support transformational educational experiences and the well-being of all students.

Our Goals

  • Ensure high-quality preparation of education and counseling professionals
  • Engage in research-based inquiry and practice
  • Provide continual professional growth opportunities
  • Infuse and enhance the use of technology
  • Embrace equity, diversity, and social justice
  • Collaborate with campus and community partners to effect change
  • Work across the college and university to optimize efficiency and effectiveness