Page 8 | DBU Report Fall 2024

DBU REPORT 6 NEWS & NOTES DR. CICELY JEFFERSON NAMED DEAN, DBU COLLEGE OF BUSINESS Dr. Cicely S. Jefferson was named dean of the College of Business in May of 2024. Dr. Jefferson brings extensive experience and vision to her new position as dean, and she will enhance DBU’s longstanding commitment to upholding the highest regard for academic scholarship while challenging students to apply faith and Biblical values in the marketplace. “We could look the world over for a dean of the College of Business and not find a better candidate to follow the extraordinary leadership of Dr. Stephen Mansfield than the exceptionally qualified individual God brought to the DBU Family years ago,” explained Dr. Adam C. Wright. “Dr. Jefferson is a sterling example of a business professional who has earned recognition for her many achievements in the legal field while at the same time demonstrating humble and bold leadership as a godly servant of Christ.” Prior to serving at DBU as assistant dean of the College of Business and assistant professor in business law, Dr. Jefferson excelled as an attorney for the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration for over fifteen years. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Public Affairs and Administration from the University of Oklahoma, Dr. Jefferson earned a Master of Business Administration and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech University. She completed her Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at DBU. “The business and legal sector is in desperate need of Christian professionals who represent high moral and ethical standards while also possessing the skills, knowledge, and abilities to meet the demands of these industries,” Dr. Jefferson noted of her priorities. “I believe it is critical to our mission at DBU that we teach students how to achieve success without compromising their ethics and moral values.” COLLEGE OF EDUCATION RECEIVES NEW ACCREDITATION The Association for Advancing Quality Educator Preparation (AAQEP) recently awarded national accreditation to all certification programs in the Dorothy M. Bush College of Education’s Educator Preparation Program (EPP). This expanded accreditation includes all undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, including teachers, school counselors, reading specialists, educational diagnosticians, principals, and superintendents. The College of Education’s EPP was first awarded national accreditation in 2017 through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). At that time, CAEP only had the capacity to approve initial teacher certification programs. This second national accreditation through AAQEP is the result of a lengthy and complex collaboration between DBU’s Educator Preparation Program Advisory Board, other DBU faculty, local school districts, current students and alumni, as well as the local community and many businesses. “This honor will assist in bringing and preparing those candidates God has called who desire to serve in the pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade education settings for His purpose and glory,” said the dean of the College of Education, Dr. DeAnna Jenkins. COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS INTRODUCES ONLINE MASTER OF MUSIC EDUCATION This fall marks the introduction of the online Master of Music Education (MME) degree at DBU. The MME is an innovative online graduate program structured for those working full-time in music education in both public and private schools who wish to advance their careers while securing the credentials needed to pursue doctoral work in music education. The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) granted accreditation in July, and Dr. Becky Morrison serves as the inaugural director of the program. “We feel confident that the lives of our students and those they touch through their work in music education will significantly benefit the profession, society, and the Kingdom,” said Dr. Wes Moore, the dean of the College of Fine Arts.

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