On Wednesday, the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Council of Trustees approved recommendations from the Academic Affairs Committee, including a new Career and Technical Teacher Education post-baccalaureate certification.
Trustees also approved moving a proposed new major in forensic sciences forward for consideration by the Office of the Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
The recommendations include actions approved by the IUP-APSCUF (Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties) Representative Council and the endorsement of IUP President Michael Driscoll and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Lara Luetkehans.
The Certification program, which will begin in fall 2025, does not require State System of Higher Education approval.
If approved, the forensic sciences program will be housed in IUP’s John J. and Char Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, using existing courses and faculty, and will be a collaboration with PennWest University. The proposed new major from the Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences will include three specializations: Applied Crime Scene Investigation, Laboratory Forensics, and Digital Forensics.
The new certification program is a collaboration with the College of Education and Human Services and the Department of Career and Wellness Education.
Students with a bachelor’s degree with an overall 3.0 grade point average and who meet all Pennsylvania Department of Education requirements for teacher certification are eligible for the new certification program, which is designed to shorten the pathway for certification for career and technical education teachers by leveraging courses already taken with specially identified existing IUP coursework.
Council members also approved a number of program revisions as approved by the IUP-APSCUF Representative Council at its May 29 meeting and two program moratoriums: the Mathematics-Actuarial Sciences and Statistics bachelor’s degree program and the Pan-African Studies certificate.