Program Information

Liberal Studies/Elementary Education Vision Statement

Humboldt State University (HSU) has offered teacher education programs since 1913 when it was founded as a college to prepare teachers.  Today HSU is still dedicated to producing quality teachers through an all-university commitment to teacher education.

An African proverb states 'It takes a village to raise a child.' Likewise the Liberal Studies/Elementary Education (LSEE) program at HSU knows that it takes a whole university to prepare an elementary school teacher.  The all-university program is committed to preparing the strongest possible candidates for a teaching career.  Faculty members who teach in the program make teacher education a top priority and provide extensive opportunities for future teachers to participate in service learning and field experiences early in their studies.

In conveying the concepts and methods of the teaching profession and in meeting the standards of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the Liberal Studies Elementary Education (LSEE) major makes clear that what transpires in the classroom is not experienced in a vacuum, but is rather a reflection of human experience and the world at large.  The LSEE program teaches that education is not just acquisition of facts and information, but also a time for exploration and inquiry.  Today's teacher is not merely the conveyor of knowledge, but also the facilitator of learning.

Future elementary teachers gain not only subject matter knowledge as a foundation for their teaching practices, but also the ability to convert the knowledge into pedagogy that prepares children with the skills necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

The LSEE degree program is designed to meet the standards established by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing for Elementary Subject Matter Programs.  Content areas include: literature and language studies, history and social studies, human development, physical education, mathematics, science and visual and performing arts.  With this backdrop the LSEE major consists of courses both designed to fulfill the goals of general education and to meet the needs of elementary school teachers who are expected to hold a strong desire to develop an understanding, appreciation and ability to celebrate diversity within the classroom.