CSC Department of Education Professional Semester

Application for Professional Year

The student, with the cooperation of his/her advisor, must make application for the Professional Year by March 1 for the Fall semester and November 1 for the Spring semester of the junior year. The student and the advisor must be sure that all prerequisites for entrance into the professional Year are properly met before making application. These prerequisites include admission to candidacy with dates of acceptance included, appropriate grade averages stated, and satisfactory references indicated. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the application being returned to the student's advisor until such time as they are met. The application will be presented to the chairperson of the department who endorses the application and then forwards the application to the Director of Field Experiences. Each application submitted to the Director of Field Experiences must be approved by the department or departments in which the applicant is pursuing an area or areas of specialization. Academic department approval or disapproval must be indicated on each application. If the department does not approve the application, the student is not eligible for admission to the Professional Year. The Director of Field Experiences will present all applications to the Screening Committee for final consideration.

The applicant must meet the following requirements:

1. a planned program which will enable the student to earn at least 90 semester hours by the time he/she enrolls in the Professional Year. At least 12 semester hours must have been earned from Chadron State College. Students transferring three or more years of work to Chadron State College may find it necessary to spend more than the two semesters required for residence in order to complete endorsements;
2. achievement of a 2.50 G.P.A. in all college work (G.P.A. will be calculated using grades from all previous college/university course work, as well as all course work from CSC) in areas of specialization and in professional education for endorsement and certification purposes.
   • A secondary student pursuing multiple endorsements must have completed 75% of the total course work required for each endorsement and completed the special methods course(s) for each endorsement area either before or during his/her first semester of the Professional Year.
   • A student seeking an elementary endorsement must have completed 100% of the required professional education and elementary education endorsement course work. Additionally, an elementary student must have completed 75% of the coursework required for the minor or an additional endorsement area, and completed all required coursework with a G.P.A. of 2.50. Those preparing to enter teaching must have no grade less than a "C" in the prerequisite professional education courses.
   • Also, a student pursuing tow endorsements must take one of his/her special methods classes prior to teaching internship, but not before his/her junior year. The student must attain at least a 2.50 G.P.A. in his/her endorsement methods course(s);
3. completion of a Visionary Leader portfolio verified by the student's advisor or methods instructors' assessment which is sent to the Director of Field Experience;
4. demonstration of social, emotional, and personal maturity as well as the physical capabilities essential to handle the vast responsibilities required in the teaching profession. If at any time a student's emotional, mental, or physical capabilities are determined to be impaired seriously so that as a result of professional judgment the student is unable to demonstrate the qualities required for the teaching profession, the college reserves the right to remove him/her from the program;
5. an affirmation under oath that the student has no felony conviction or misdemeanor conviction involving abuse, neglect, or sexual misconduct (affirmation required to be eligible to student teach); and
6. an affirmation under oath that the student does not have an order or determination currently in effect by a court or any other government body which finds the student to be any of the following: mentally incompetent to stand trial, acquitted of criminal charges because of insanity, an incapacitated person in need of a guardian, or unable to manage his/her property due to mental illness, mental deficiency, chronic use of drugs or chronic intoxication; or is currently an inpatient or resident in a mental health facility due to a determination by a qualified mental health professional (affirmation required to be eligible to student teach).

If a student in the program for teacher education is suspended from the college, he/she is automatically removed from the program. If the student should later be accepted for re-admission to the college, it will be necessary for him/her to reapply for admission to teacher education should he/she desire to re-enter the program.

A student who is denied admission to teacher education or who is administratively withdrawn from student teaching may appeal the denial or administrative withdrawal by contacting the Director of Field Experiences for due process procedures.

(Also see Elementary and Secondary Requirements pages.)