Welch College has initiated a leadership transition in the Department of Teacher Education, according to Provost Dr. Matthew McAffee. Stephen Beck has been named Associate Undergraduate Dean and will assume more responsibility overseeing students in teacher education, effective immediately.
In this role Mr. Beck will work alongside Undergraduate Dean Dr. Etta Patterson. He will be responsible for mentoring secondary and middle school teacher candidates, managing student teacher placements, and overseeing student admissions into the program. Dr. Patterson will continue to work with education faculty and staff and provide overall leadership for the department during a year-long transition period, after which Mr. Beck will become Undergraduate Dean.
“We are excited to have Mr. Beck take on a more prominent role in leading teacher education at Welch College,” said Matthew McAffee. “His experience as principal in a cross-cultural setting uniquely qualifies him for the task. Our intent when we hired him was for him to assume the position of Undergraduate Dean when he completed his Ed.D. Now that he is nearing the completion of that degree, the time is right for Mr. Beck to assume greater responsibility in departmental leadership.”
Mr. Beck recently earned an Ed.S. from Union University and is set to complete the Ed.D. there in the spring of 2020. Mr. Beck came to Welch in 2016 after serving nine years as Principal of Free Will Christian School in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Since coming to Welch, Mr. Beck has been teaching both education and math courses and has led the department in gaining state approval for a new bachelor’s degree in mathematics education.
“As enrollment in the Teacher Education Department increases, we must adapt to the needs of teacher candidates and respond to Tennessee Department of Education mandates,” says Dr. Patterson. “I welcome Mr. Stephen Beck to this role. He has continued to grow as an educational leader and will assume additional departmental responsibilities such as Math Program Coordinator, edTPA Coordinator, as well as other administrative duties.”
For more information about teacher education at Welch, please contact Etta Patterson at 615-675-5310 or epatterson@welch.edu.