After serving seventeen years as the Dean of the School of Education here at Saint Xavier University, making her the longest serving dean of education her in Illinois, Dr. Beverly Gulley will be stepping down for what she says is a year long sabatical.
Dean Gulley attended Wesleyan College in Georgia where she was a Religion major. She then came here to Illinois to further her education at Northwestern University, and eventually obtained a masters degree in education from Indiana University. It was at Southern Illinois University where she acquired her doctorate.
Upon completion of her doctorate Dean Gulley decided to stay and work at Southern Illinois in Carbondale where she was for twenty years before coming her to Saint Xavier University.
Her decision to apply here for the position of Dean of Education came when inquiring about an alternative job for one of her students. It was during this time that a faculty member of Saint Xavier’s School of Education mentioned the position and that Gulley should consider applying.
When asked what factored into her decision to apply to Saint Xavier University’s School of Education Dean Gulley explained that at the time her husband was living up here while she was still down south, resulting in a five and a half hour trip back up here every weekend. However, she didn’t actually decide to apply for the position and put in her application until the very last day that they were being accepted.
Since gaining her position seventeen years ago Dean Gulley, along with the rest of the faculty of the School of Education, has worked tirelessly to progress the development of the program. This is clearly seen by the School being accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
This national accredidation ensures that the School of Education is providing high quality education to prepare oour future teachers, specialists, and adminstrators.
Through this system of accreditation the education system ensures the advancement of the development of both competent classroom teachers as well as other educators, all of whom strive to better the education offered to students P-12.
There is a lot required for national accreditation to occur, and beyond a strong leader to introduce the idea there is also the need for a faculty who are not only willing to work but want to do whatever they can to help in the strenuous application process. In fact, Dean Gulley exclaimed that she has several cabinets full of application papers in her office.
The results of all that hard work was worth it since Saint Xavier University’s School of Education is one of twenty-three universities out of fifty-nine in the state of Illinois to gain nationl accreditation.
The School of Education has been accredited for multiple programs, i.e. early childhood education and foreign language education, at both national and state levels which includes the preperation of students to work in the K-12 academic world.
According to Dr. Gulley one of the accomplishments that she is most proud of bein a part of in the last seventeen years is the creation of the Barbara Vick Early Childhood and Family Center. This center was created to help children between the ages of three and five years old who have been diagnosed with special needs and are also at risk.
When they went to speak with the CPS about the center Dean Gulley explained that they were skeptical and said that it couldn’t be done. This didn’t stop them from moving forward because as Dean Gulley stated, “You don’t give up on these things. You keep going.”
The last seventeen years has seen the School of Education flourish under the leadership of Dr. Beverly Gulley. This can be seen in the students who have enter the School of Education.
Senior Jennifer Szalko, an art secondary education major, explained that the reason she chose Saint Xavier University was, “I heard that the school of education had a good reputation, and I liked that we would get to experience both CPS and suburban schools.”
The reputation that Dean Gulley has been a part of proceeds itself, and is a staple for why students majoring in education choose Saint Xavier University over other schools.
Historically the School of Education has been known for successfully providing its students with opportunities to work as eucators and administrators in both private and public schools.
After such a successful time here at Saint Xavier a person is left to wonder why Dean Gulley has decided to step down. Following a career that began as a third grade teacher followed by her twenty years at Southern Illinois University and eventually seventeen years here at Saint Xavier Dean Gulley explained that she thinks it is time.
Catlyn Hicks
Senior News Editor
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