Graduate Studies in Education is Added to the Curriculum

Corban received approval in June from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities to offer a Master of Science in Education degree program starting in the fall of 2004. This is the first Masters program ever offered by the college.

Dr. Linda Samek, WB's Education Department chair and the program's director, is now assembling class schedules and personnel to begin classes this fall. Under her leadership, Corban's education program has become the college's largest major.

"We're grateful to be able to fulfill of another part of the college's 2010 Master Plan-establishing our first graduate degree," said Dr. Bryce Bernard, WB's Vice President for Academics.

The plan, developed by the college in 1994, included the addition of the Masters program as one of its development goals. Since that time significant progress has been made in achieving other goals including a Chapel/Fine Arts Center (under construction), recently completed residence hall, a science lab, and a SportsPlex facility encompassing baseball, softball, and soccer fields.

Currently, over 200 Corban alumni have been enthusiastically hired into teaching positions throughout the Willamette Valley and elsewhere. Under state regulations, all students must have at least a Bachelor of Science degree in education to begin teaching. Within six years they must complete a Masters program.

Additionally, Dr. D. Matthew Lucas has been selected to join the teacher education faculty. Lucas will be working closely with Samek in building the new Masters program.

After serving 16 years at Corban, Samek left to oversee the undergraduate and graduate programs at George Fox University, from 1996-2000. She supervised development and implementation of the Doctor of Education program, and later worked for the Oregon University System as the Senior Program Associate for Teacher Quality Enhancement she moved on to become the Deputy Director for Oregon's Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, returning to Corban in 2002 as the Director of Teacher Education.

A 1994 Corban graduate, Lucas has been teaching advanced placement courses at Cascade High School and coaching the varsity boy's soccer team for the past six years. Prior to that, the former NAIA Soccer Academic All-American was an adjunct professor at Idaho State University for two years where he also earned a Master of Arts in English (1996) and completed a Doctor of Arts in English (2003). He has also been serving on WB's Teacher Education Consortium since 2001.

"We're also very excited to have Matt join our faculty," Bernard said. "His love for the Lord and his love of teaching will have a tremendous and positive impact on our students."

Lucas and his wife, Tammy, have four children and are actively involved at Foothills Community Church, Stayton.

Corban is a four-year, private college offering 45 majors and program options in the arts and sciences, professional studies, and ministry. As a college of 740 students, it is emerging in its mission to educate Christian students for a variety of careers, and has received diverse national recognition for its achievements:

• Ranked by U.S. News and World Report, 2003, 2004, and 2005 as a Top Ten Comprehensive College/Bachelors, Western Region
• Listed in the Princeton Review as one of 129 "Best Colleges in the U.S. Western Region" (one of 10 Oregon colleges mentioned in the survey's 2004 guidebook)
• Awarded second place/colleges, based on employee satisfaction, by the Christian Management Association, Colorado Springs, CO, in the national "Best Places to Work", survey,
• Earned second place in the Northwest competition of the national Students in Free Enterprise organization.

Dr. Linda Samek