25-12-Annual Report 2025_FINAL no bleed pages-1 - Flipbook - Page 2
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
From the dean
Purpose fuels our progress and it’s a defining quality of our College of Education. Every milestone we
achieve begins with a shared sense of purpose: to advance education, elevate opportunity and strengthen
communities. This past year, that purpose has powered remarkable progress. Across the College, we see
measurable growth in programs, research and partnerships that directly serve the people and communities of
South Carolina and beyond.
Our teacher preparation programs continue to defy national trends. While special education programs across
the country have seen declining enrollment, our bachelor’s degree in special education grew by 22% this fall.
Overall enrollment in our baccalaureate education programs has risen 80% since 2015, defying state and
national trends. This growth reflects more than enrollment gains; it signals a resurgence of purpose among
future educators who are ready to lead, serve and inspire.
We also continue to strengthen pathways for transfer students through programs like our bachelor’s degree in
human capital education and development. Nearly five times as many transfer students as first-time freshmen
have joined the program in the past two years. This success demonstrates how flexible, responsive degree
programs can meet learners where they are and help them reach their goals.
Our faculty continue to expand Clemson’s reputation as a research engine. They are advancing understanding
and innovation across disciplines—from early literacy interventions and teacher residency models to
behavioral supports in schools. Whether through the Behavior Alliance of South Carolina, the Tigers Read!
initiative or the new national Center for Innovative Rural Collaborative Leadership Education (CIRCLE), Clemson
researchers are translating research into action and shaping policy and practice across the state and nation.
This annual report also highlights our collaborative work in Charleston County Schools, where we are
expanding the co-teaching residency model to 60 new novice educators. These partnerships connect the
preparation of future teachers with the needs of local communities, ensuring the next generation of educators
enter classrooms ready to make an immediate impact.
Programs that have become synonymous with our College—ClemsonLIFE™ and Call Me MiSTER®—celebrated
milestones this year, each serving as a national model of what higher education can achieve when purpose
meets opportunity. Our multilingual literacy initiatives, outdoor learning programs and research on rural
education further demonstrate that our College is leading where
e it matters
most—where education transforms lives and communities.
This is an extraordinary moment for Clemson University’s College
e of Education.
Our people, programs and partnerships are redefining whatt it means to be
a college of education in the 21st century—innovative in spirit,, grounded in
purpose and driven by impact. Our work is expanding opportuniti
unities, elevating
communities and shaping a future where people and ideas flourish.
rish. Thank you
for your partnership and belief in what’s possible!
Kristin M. Gehsmann
Dean and Professor
Clemson University College of Education
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