Dr. Norma Harper named Dean of School of Education at Shorter University

June 6, 2012 - Dr. Norma Harper has been named Dean of the School of Education at Shorter University. Dr. Harper comes to Shorter from Charleston Southern University, where she serves as Professor and Dean of the School of Education. Dr. Harper has served as dean at Charleston Southern since 2009; she served as Director of Undergraduate Studies in Education at Charleston Southern from 2007 to 2009. In addition, she has taught at Brewton-Parker College, the University of Montevallo, Judson College, Alabama State University, and the University of Alabama. She also has six years of experience as a high school teacher. After attending Enterprise State Junior College, Dr. Harper went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Curriculum and Teaching (Secondary Chemistry and Math) and a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Teaching (Secondary Mathematics), both from Auburn University, and the Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction (Secondary Mathematics) from the University of Alabama. In addition, she holds the Alabama AA Teaching Certificate in Secondary Mathematics, Renewed B Certificate in Chemistry, and Georgia Level 7 Teaching Certificate in Secondary Mathematics and Chemistry.

Dr. Harper co-authored “Causes and Reduction of Mathematics Anxiety in Preservice Elementary Teachers,” which was published in Action in Teacher Education, and “Cooperative Group Learning in the Secondary Mathematics Classroom, which appears in Cooperating Learning in Secondary Schools: Theories, Models, and Strategies by Peterson, Jon and Digby. She has made numerous academic presentations at regional and national meetings of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

She is a member of the South Carolina Education Deans Alliance in which she is currently serving as vice chair and chair elect. She is the author and coauthor of National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and Specialized Professional Associations (SPA) accreditation reports as well as NCATE and State annual updates. She is a member of the Governing Board and the Curriculum Action Council for the South Carolina Connections Academy. She holds membership in the Christian Educators Association International, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, University Contact for South Carolina-International Reading Association, Institutional Representative for American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and South Carolina Teachers of Mathematics.

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christian university committed to excellence in education. Since 2003, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Shorter among the South’s best baccalaureate colleges, and the Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its lists of best value and best Southeastern colleges. The university offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 48 major areas as well as undergraduate degree programs for working adults, the Master of Business Administration, the Master of Education and the Master of Arts in Leadership. General education and calculus courses are offered in an online format, and Shorter recently launched online programs that lead toward the Associate of Science, the Bachelor of Business Administration, and the Master of Accountancy degrees. For more information, visit www.shorter.edu.

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