The Indiana State University Board of Trustees approved the development of a new Early Childhood Education (ECE) program for children Pre-K to Grade 3 on Friday in the State Room in Tirey Hall.
The program is designed to prepare educators to nurture the growth and development of children from birth through age 8. Pending final approval by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, the degree program is scheduled to launch in fall 2026.
The 60-credit-hour degree will provide future educators with a foundation in child development, curriculum design, classroom management and family engagement.
“This new program reflects our university’s continued commitment to meeting the needs of Indiana’s communities and workforce,” said Chris Olsen, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “By preparing teachers who understand both the science of learning and the art of teaching, we are helping ensure that every child enters school ready to succeed.”
The program addresses several key challenges in early education:
¦ Quality Early Learning Gaps: Expanding access to educators who provide developmentally appropriate instruction for young children.
¦ Literacy Development: Incorporating the science of reading to close literacy gaps before students reach upper elementary grades.
¦ Diverse Learning Needs: Preparing teachers to create welcoming classrooms that recognize and support the unique abilities and backgrounds of all students.
¦ Holistic Development: Promoting the integration of social, emotional, physical, and cognitive learning.
¦ Workforce Preparedness: Providing training and practical field experience to meet the state’s growing demand for skilled early childhood educators.
Other business
Trustees also approved modifying retirement benefits for employees with working spouses who were incentivized to participate in their own employer’s health plans.
ISU Vice President Seth Hinshaw explained, “The university has had a post-retirement benefit for employees for many, many years, and we as part of normal maintenance of those policies tied into the health plan have the expectation that the employee and the spouse maintain coverage through the employees’ health plan for at least 20 years.
“Because we are incentivizing working spouses of university employees to participate in their own employer’s health plans, we’re giving a carve-out so that if you have 15 years of service where you have been on the university health plan for 15 years and you start employment with another employer and join their health plan, this gives you an opportunity when our employee, when they retire, to bring their spouse back to the university health plan,” he added.
“We’re making sure that we’re not interrupting retirement coverage plans for employees who in the next several years may be planning on that retirement,” he concluded. “It’s continuity, is what it is.”
Trustees also renewed the conflict-of-interest disclosure statements policy that was in place but must be renewed on a yearly basis.
In his opening remarks, ISU President Mike Godard the fact that this year’s incoming freshman class was 1,602, a 13% increase and the largest collection of frosh in five years. He added that alumni are proud of the school, and that the perception of ISU is that it is “a university on the rise with momentum and a shared sense of purpose.”
© 2025 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.