From left: Dr. Mohamad Mustafa, interim provost and chief academic officer; Dr. Cora Thompson, College of Education interim dean, SSU Interim President Cynthia Robinson Alexander; and Dr. Kisha Cunningham Aites, College of Education interim department chair.
The University System of Georgia Board of Regents today voted to enlarge Savannah State University’s (SSU) College of Education.
“We are overjoyed that the Board of Regents approved our proposal to expand the College of Education,” said SSU Interim President Cynthia Alexander. “It was the right decision for the education students at Savannah State, it was the right decision for the state’s elementary schools, and it was the right decision to make sure our youngest, most eager minds receive the education they deserve.”
Today’s decision allows SSU to expand its certified degree offerings to include elementary education. The expansion aligns with Gov. Brian Kemp and Ga. Sen. Billy Hickman’s recent initiatives to improve elementary education in the state. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher Education, Hickman has proposed and supported numerous recent bills including Ga. HB 538, the “Georgia Early Literacy Act.”
“Teacher shortages persist in many of our school districts -- both here in Savannah and across the state,” said College of Education Interim Dean Dr. Cora Thompson. “There simply aren’t enough teachers to meet our school’s growing needs.”
Expanding SSU’s Teacher Education program will help alleviate the state’s teacher shortage. A recent study using U.S. Department of Labor statistics found that Georgia’s need for elementary teachers is growing faster than every other state in the union except for Utah and Washington. Georgia is expected to employ 61,500 elementary teachers by 2028, a 15.8 percent increase since 2018 and more than double the national average increase of 7 percent.
College of Education Interim Department Chair Dr. Kisha Cunningham Aites said SSU is planning to launch the new program in Fall 2025. The department is strengthening its current programs to make sure the new elementary program can roll out smoothly from day one. The Department of Teacher Education, a key department within the College of Education, currently provides a broad array of programs including a Bachelor of Science in Education (BSED) with specializations in Middle Grades English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science (grades 4-8), as well as secondary education programs in Biology Education and Mathematics Education (grades 6-12). Additionally, SSU offers a BSED in Engineering, Technology Education (grades P-12). In collaboration with the Department of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Wellness, the institution provides a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Visual and Performing Arts, with a concentration in music education. For those who already hold a bachelor’s degree and seek initial teacher licensure, the department offers a Post-Baccalaureate Program.
Thompson and Aites said SSU regularly receives inquiries about elementary education and, sadly, has had to refer potential students to other institutions.
“We anticipate that our new program will make a significant dent in the shortage – especially in our region – over the next five years,” Aites said.
As Georgia’s oldest public historically black college or university (HBCU), SSU has a long history of educating teachers, especially African American teachers, who are underrepresented in the field of education.
“A growing body of research suggests that students benefit from teachers who share their diverse cultural backgrounds,” Thompson said. “We’re committed to recruiting students from diverse backgrounds and instructing them to be culturally competent to meet the needs of all students.”
SSU established the city’s first master’s degree program in elementary education in 1968 and became the first institution in Savannah to receive accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) from 1971-81. The teacher education program was transferred from SSU in 1979 as part of a federally mandated USG desegregation plan.
In 2013, the SSU School of Teacher Education was reestablished at SSU with an emphasis on preparation of high school teachers in STEM disciplines. The School of Teacher Education continued to develop and expand adding middle grades in 2017 and becoming the College of Education in 2018. Adding the elementary element is the next step in the program’s evolution.
“We’re looking forward to adding elementary education to our program,” Thompson said. “As the oldest HBCU in the area, we have deep ties in the community and a history of producing graduates who give back, uplift and strengthen their communities. This expansion will give us one more way to fulfill that mission.”
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