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Marietta College Education Department Receives National Recognition for Educator Preparation

Marietta, OH (09/24/2025) — Marietta College is proud to announce that the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) has recognized its Education Department with the prestigious 2025 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement. This national award honors excellence in educator preparation, and Marietta College is one of just 22 institutions nationwide to receive the 2025 honor.

The recognition, announced Sept. 18 during the Fall 2025 CAEP Conference in Arlington, Virginia, was awarded to institutions that achieved CAEP accreditation without stipulations or areas for improvement. Recipients demonstrate a commitment to equity and excellence in educator preparation through self-study procedures, evidence-based reporting, and continuous improvement practices that strengthen P-12 learning.

"This award highlights the ongoing effort and dedication of the Education Department. Each year we continue to raise the bar for ourselves and our students with the hope that we will continue to inspire the next generation of teachers," said Amanda Rider, McCoy Associate Professor of Education, Director of Education Post-Baccalaureate Program, and Education Department Chair.

The Marietta College Education Department's successful accreditation report was the result of a collaborative effort by a team of faculty and staff, including:

  • Dottie Erb, Professor & Dean/Director Emerita, former faculty member
  • Sarah Jacobs, Assistant Professor of Education
  • Tanya Judd, McCoy Professor of Education and Leadership Studies, Director of Leadership Development
  • Andrew Smith, former Assistant Dean of Graduate Outcomes and Accreditation

Their collaboration helped position Marietta as a national model for educator preparation.

"Our faculty are always looking for ways to improve their own teaching, the experiences of our students, and the experiences of our partner schools," said Sarah Jacobs, Assistant Professor of Education. "We know that great instruction at Marietta College leads to great instruction for the children of our region, and we take that responsibility very seriously."

CAEP accreditation serves the dual purposes of accountability and continuous improvement. As of 2025, more than 545 educator preparation providers in forty-three states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have earned CAEP accreditation. Approximately 600 providers are currently engaged in the accreditation system.

The Education Department's achievement reflects Marietta College's broader mission of providing students with a strong foundation for a lifetime of leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving, preparing them for meaningful careers and lives of purpose. To learn more about the Marietta College Education Department, visit marietta.edu/education-department.

About Marietta College

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Chartered in 1835, today Marietta College serves a body of 1,100 full-time graduate and undergraduate students, offering more than 90 majors, minors and concentrations. The College is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, Forbes.com, Wall Street Journal/College Pulse and other rankings. marietta.edu/rankings-success

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