MISSION

The mission of the School of Education is to promote, model and support exemplary teaching, influential leadership, responsible research, and social and educational service that fosters lifelong learning and enhances quality of life in our community and our world.

VISION  

In the book Education, Ellen G. White, one of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, perhaps said it best, “It is the work of true education . . . to train youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought” (p. 17). La Sierra University is invested in helping student candidates develop their critical thinking skills and learn how to ask questions that matter. The school wants to train counselors, school psychologists and educators who will be able to make a difference in the lives of their clients, their students, their diverse communities, and the world around them. As members of the diverse La Sierra University community, the school is committed to inquiry, learning, and service. The community is rooted in the Christian gospel and Seventh-day Adventist values and ideals. It is therefore essential that academic investigation, Christian faith, and service unite together to guide student candidates in their work for others.

Life is full of important questions—questions that can sometimes be very difficult to answer. In addition, the reality is, that many times, numerous answers can exist to even just one question. That is, researchers understand there are many ways to attempt to answer a question and what may be a reasonable and justifiable answer may produce a cascade of other responses that have merit of their own standing. Researchers also understand that mixed expert opinion is not only possible but likely, and what is soundly embraced as true today may be quite easily dismantled tomorrow by more insightful research methodologies. However, it is no surprise that meaningful research often begins with insightful and thought-provoking questions.

The overriding goals of research in the School of Education are to: (1) instill in student candidates’ an overriding passion to critically examine their world, (2) generate a desire to ask meaningful questions, (3) inform and broaden one’s knowledgebase by exposing student candidates to credible evidence-based research, (4) develop the skills to engage in sound methodological research practices, and (5) understand how to apply evidence-based research findings in practical and effective ways. In addition, researchers should challenge their conscious and unconscious biases when they become visible, strive to utilize the most credible research methodologies that exist, follow the data faithfully even if the destination is not the one expected, and strive to communicate the insights they have produced from the research they have conducted in organized ways as well as develop, as noted earlier, practical applications related to those insights generated from the research.

 GOAL

Our goal is to prepare individuals for exemplary service in the various fields of education so that their students may realize their fullest potential in service to God and humanity. To that end, we take seriously the goals we have set for the school in serving our students. We are committed to:

• Assisting pre-service and in-service educational personnel in building a sound philosophy of education that reflects Christian values and ethical principles.
• Enabling students to implement basic principles of education that reflect sound theories and practices.
• Motivating investigative curiosity and a desire to participate in the advancement of knowledge.
• Helping develop skill in educational research.

It’s not only our history that makes us unique. We believe that educators can change the world by teaching minds while building character in students. A focus on the moral and ethical dimensions of teaching sets us apart.

Apart from our values-based curriculum you will benefit from:

• One-on-one meetings with faculty
• Professors with real-life experience
• Personal program advisor
• Small Classes
• Class schedules designed for working professionals
• Summer fast-track programs