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- Dean Jane Applegate
Deans of College of Education
Dean Jane Applegate, 1997–2001
Dr. Jane Applegate was appointed to serve as fifth dean the College of Education in 1997. Prior to her appointment at USF, she had served as the Dean of the College of Human Resources and Education at the West Virginia University and was Associate Dean at the College of Education at Kent State University in Ohio.
Dean Applegate was instrumental in establishing the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in the College of Education. The program was designed for people with undergraduate degrees and careers in fields other than teaching so that they could obtain an advanced degree and become certified to teach.
She was also involved in supporting and nurturing the College of Education Constitution and the Faculty Council, with the Graduate Program, Undergraduate Program, Administrative, Personnel, and Technology Committees as part of the council structure.
Dean Applegate’s Administrative Team
Dean Applegate’s central administrative team in 1997 was made up of Dr. Constance Hines, Associate Dean for Programs; Dr. Dick Puglisi, Assistant Dean for Education and Business Partnerships; and Dr. Jane Young, Assistant Dean for Student Academic Services.
Accomplishments and Milestones
- 1997 – The College of Education Building II, the Anchin Center, and the Stavros Center buildings are dedicated.
- 1998 – The College’s faculty is cited by the National Association of Secondary School Principals to be one of the nation’s leading producers of educational research.
- 1998 – The Tony Pizzo Elementary School of the Hillsborough County School District opens on the USF Tampa Campus and is affiliated with the USF College of Education.
- 1998 – USF is designated as a Research I university which increases opportunities for College of Education faculty members to conduct research.
- 1999 – The constitution of the College of Education is developed by the faculty.
- 2000 – A cooperative agreement is formed with Belize to provide assistance in the use of technology for their country’s educational programs.
- 2000 – Faculty members assist Jamaican educators in the preparation of K-12 teachers.
- 2000 – All standards are met as USF College of Education is reaccredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
- 2001- The Institute for Instructional Research and Practice (IIRP), directed by Dr. Carolyn Lavely, receives a $17 million grant to develop tests that are used to certify education majors to become teachers in the state of Florida.
Professional Contributions to the College of Education after the Deanship
After resigning as Dean in 2001, Dr. Applegate joined the Department of Secondary Education as a faculty member. From 2004-2005, she served the College as Interim Chairperson of the Department of Secondary Education. She also continues to pursue her research interests related to such topics as administration, teacher education, field experiences, alternative teacher certification, and language arts education. Dr. Applegate is also currently involved in preparing teachers in the area of English education. In particular, she is focused on preparing individuals who are entering their second or third careers as English teachers by teaching in the MAT program.
Dr. Applegate’s Thoughts on Supporting the Mission of the Teaching Profession
In her oral history interview Dr. Applegate stated, “There’s nothing more profound or more rewarding than taking something that you know and love and translating it to a young person so that they can learn to think, communicate, develop that curiosity and that love of learning that you have because you’re a teacher. Because you’re a teacher, your mind is never still, and you want your students to feel that enthusiasm and that commitment for the life of the mind that they can then create and bring innovation and joy to others. Teaching is really human capacity building when it comes right down to it. I would encourage both our beginning students of teaching and our beginning teachers never to forget that.”