Rosie Conner, MA

Chair, K-12 Licensure Programs School of Education


Dear JIU Licensure Students,

With the warmest of congratulatory feelings, I extend my best wishes to graduates of the JIU Master of Education licensure programs. Behind you are the years of coursework spent in preparation of reaching your goal. No doubt, many sacrifices of your time and energy in completing your program have been difficult. Perhaps it is this experience of perseverance and dedication that contrasts so pleasantly to the rapture of holding your diploma. Remembering that the challenges and rewards leading to your degree have a place in your character, I offer to each of you my sincere desire for your continued success. I believe education will be better for our kids because of people like you, and I thank you for your important service to youth.

Check-Up Time

Are you longing for the day when your degree is done? No matter what point you are in your program, won’t you please make sure all is in order?

If your goal is to become licensed as a teacher, principal or administrator, you must be enrolled in the correct licensure program. Upon completion of your program, your status is verified on an Institutional Recommendation, an official document completed by JIU. The Institutional Recommendation is submitted to your state’s Department of Education, along with your application for licensure, and signed ONLY for students who have completed the licensure program of preparation.

JIU offers several Master of Education degrees. Study your degree program carefully. For example, the MEd in Education Leadership and Administration is NOT a licensure program. One major difference is that the licensure program requires student teaching or an administrative internship. The MEd licensure degrees are:

Kindly work with your Academic Services counselor (Brad Ingram or Joslyn Radden) to resolve any questions about your degree plan. Have you applied to the correct program for reaching your graduation goal?

Colorado-approved Fingerprint Process

JIU students in the School of Education licensure degree programs must comply with a criminal history record check. Each student will receive a packet in the mail that contains the fingerprint card, Colorado Department of Education (CDE) detailed instructions, and a prepaid return envelope for mailing back to JIU. The deadline for submitting this fingerprint card is Wednesday, June 14, 2006. Cards are then submitted to the CDE for processing by the Colorado and Federal Bureaus of Investigation.

Once again, congratulations to all our graduates, and to our current students, keep up the great work! That MEd will soon be yours.

Sincerest best wishes,

Rosemary Conner, MS
Chair, K-12 Licensure Programs
School of Education
rconner@international.edu