Dean's Message

Dean's Message

The academic year 2023/2024 has emerged as yet another outstanding year in the life of James R. Watson and Judy Rodriguez Watson College of Education. The college has seen many areas of accomplishment and success that demonstrate the commitment and outstanding work of our faculty, staff, and students.

About three years ago, our university was raised to the category of a Doctoral University, recognized as a High Research Activity (R2) University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This recognition resulted from the excellent work being done by our doctoral faculty, staff, and students, along with the overall faculty research activities across the CSUSB campus.

This spring, as required by the CSU Chancellor's Office, we completed a five-year Study of our Doctoral Studies Program. At the end of this study, external evaluators commended us as an exemplary Doctor of Education program. The Carnegie Project for Education Doctorate (CPED) has since published our doctoral program on its website as a model for other national education doctoral programs.

In April 2024, our college achieved a significant milestone as the U.S. News & World Report ranked us among the top 20% of Schools of Education in the United States in preparing education doctorates.  This recognition marks the first time this college has been considered for ranking.  We were ranked among the top 100 colleges in the country for education doctorate and recognized as second only to San Diego State University among the 23 campuses of the CSU system. 

In addition to our Doctoral Studies Program achievements, we continue to serve as the leading producer of teachers, counselors, and school site administrators for the Inland Empire through our initial and advanced credential programs. Project Impact's minority male teacher pipeline program is in its fourth year. It is recognized throughout California as a leading initiative to significantly increase teacher diversity by intentionally recruiting minority males into the teaching profession. This spring, Project Impact is graduating 32 African American and Hispanic men who have earned their teaching credentials and are prepared to enter the classrooms of the Inland Empire public schools, eager to make a difference.  This is a remarkable accomplishment for this program as we continue this good work of preparing and placing more African American and Hispanic men in the K-12 classrooms across the region. 

Our college continues to lead the charge in developing more dual immersion teachers for the Inland Empire. Drs. Nena Torrez and Jordi Solsona-Puig, Co-Coordinators of Bilingual Authorization Credential, organized the 2nd Dual Immersion Symposium, convening approximately 150 pre-service and in-service teachers, school site administrators, and educational agents from the Inland Empire on March 8-9th, 2024. The dual immersion program is poised to admit at least 30 Spanish bilingual education teacher candidates this fall.

This is just a glimpse of the many exciting advancements happening in our college this academic year. Our commitment as a college of education is to be the premier provider of educators for the Inland Empire region of Southern California.  We are committed to helping shape this region's educational and professional future, and we owe a debt of gratitude to our community partners who are engaged in this good work along with us.