As the dean of DePaul’s College of Education, I thought I would take the opportunity to tell you what is special about our school. We prepare students —undergraduate and graduate—to become urban, multicultural, professional educators and counselors. We have been, and will continue to be, an activist college of education: We believe that education is one of the key solutions to the problems we face in society. At DePaul, students receive the foundation for making a meaningful contribution to society. Our mission is to prepare our students, both undergraduate and graduate, to make a difference in the lives of others.
DePaul graduates—teachers, counselors and administrators—want to make a difference. We provide many experiences in an effort to nurture this desire in our students: every kind of classroom, the best instruction, meaningful fieldwork and opportunities for service learning. We work to bridge our instruction to “real world” experiences by linking theory and best practices.
In my professional life, I have been motivated to help solve problems in society. I taught in a reform school and in an inner city school with adjudicated youth. As a faculty member, I dedicated my professional life to work with teachers and help them understand and teach students who have emotional and behavioral problems. I was attracted to DePaul’s mission of social justice, of helping the poor and disenfranchised. And that’s why I joined the university as the dean of the College of Education. My hope and dream is that those who join us at our school will share my belief that helping others is a special calling. As Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”
Paul Zionts, PhD