Students who want to become teachers now have a home in the newly created Department of Education and Wellness in the School of Arts and Sciences at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Dr. Jerry Baker, ABAC Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, said the new department fits perfectly with the plan to have more students majoring in education at ABAC.

“Our goal was to create a unit to give this group a home,” Baker said.  “We have moved them around a lot but now they have their own department and a lot more visibility.”

Dr. Matthew Anderson, Dean of the ABAC School of Arts and Sciences, welcomes the new department which also includes the faculty members in the physical education area.

“The dual focus of the Department of Education and Wellness on both the intellectual and physical growth of our students is a natural fit within the School of Arts and Sciences, as it is the School’s mission to provide a comprehensive education to all ABAC students," Anderson said.  “I very much look forward to working closely with the faculty of this new department to grow and strengthen these programs."

Baker estimates that 130 to 150 students are enrolled at ABAC in the Early Childhood or Teacher Preparation programs.  These students complete their freshman and sophomore level courses on either the main campus in Tifton or the ABAC Bainbridge instructional site. 

Junior and senior level classes in the major are offered at ABAC in Tifton from Georgia Southwestern State University.  Dr. Rachel Abbott, Dean of the College of Education at Georgia Southwestern, embraces the idea of the new department.

“This new department at ABAC will create a better pathway for the education students to join the GSW at ABAC program and continue their studies there in Tifton,” Abbott said.  “The Georgia Southwestern College of Education is pleased to hear this news, and we look forward to working closely with the new Department of Education and Wellness at ABAC.”