OXFORD, Miss. — On Saturday, Aug. 24, the UM Department of Higher Education admitted students for its fifth class of the Doctor of Education with an emphasis in Higher Education (EdD) program.

The EdD with an emphasis in Higher Education is designed for current college and university administrators who desire to emphasize a practitioner focus in their doctoral studies. The cohort model allows students to meet and study alongside professional peers and engage in meaningful and engaging discussion and intellectual exploration.

“I am looking forward to learning how to develop meaningful research that positively impacts the field of education,” said Cohort 5, EdD student, Geanell Adams. “I’m looking forward to learning to apply research and foundational knowledge to real world organizational, leadership, and education issues. Finally, I’m looking forward to utilizing existing research to inform decisions around specific issues that lead to improved practices within different areas of study in higher education.”

SOE Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor Whitney Webb teaches in the EdD program where students in EDHE 700 Models of Inquiry & Literature Review are primarily “focusing on writing and research; looking at studying problems of practice within their own area of interest;  looking at approaching problems through the lens of the first CPED principle (with emphasis on social justice, ethics and equity)” Webb said.

This cohort of 16 are a mix of educators and professionals from various institutions across Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee.

With regard to teaching, Webb notes “[she] likes to work on giving students feedback on their writing and APA —helping them further hone their skills.  Additionally, I enjoy giving them prompts for discussion that allow them to share ideas and engage in conversation (online)–the students challenge each other to learn and do more.”

By Veronica Crawford