School of Counseling and Special Education

The mission of the School of Counseling and Special Education is to advocate for and participate in effecting access for all exceptional individuals and their families to appropriate education and related services that will increase their options for lives as independent, productive and contributing citizens.

To this end, the School is dedicated to preparing highly skilled professionals to work in school, community and mental health settings and to serve as leaders in schools, agencies and communities. To accomplish its mission, members of the School are committed to an unfaltering support for a high-quality liberal educational program that promotes the development of lifelong personal development. We are dedicated to developing and implementing instructional programs that provide students with knowledge and skills for delivering efficient and effective educational programs for persons with exceptional education and mental health needs.

Our school maintains a commitment to excellence. We seek to generate and integrate new knowledge through research, scholarship and creative endeavors. Grants and other activities enable us to enhance the experiences and opportunities of our pre-service and in-service teachers, as well as mental health and school counselors.

Trinka Messenheimer, Ed.D.
Director, School of Counseling and Special Education; Associate Dean, Undergraduate Affairs & Experiential 
School of Counseling and Special Education
444 Education Building