One Question Leads to Strengthened Education Department
by Lauren Takores
It started with a simple comment from an education studies major: why don’t we have a program for physical education teachers? That conversation in the fall of 2024 sparked an idea…and Hartwick didn’t just listen — it made it happen.
“It was a great suggestion and a logical add-on to our department,” said Mandy Skinner, assistant professor of education. “And I thought, ‘we can do it for him, right?’ We always try to serve our students and get them into careers that they’re passionate about.”
Skinner shared her idea with Hartwick Education Department Chair Ross Bussell, and together they created the new physical education teacher education program.
“The intent, just like any of our education programs, is that we’re training them to be teachers,” Bussell said, “and they’re getting their coaching and personal fitness certifications as well.”
The major was designed as a four-year bachelor’s program. The 12 juniors currently enrolled in the program, who were already education majors, carried all the classes they had already completed with them, enabling them to finish the program in two years.
The current curriculum combines education classes and coaching classes, with a focus on teaching methods, integrating mindfulness and social-emotional learning.
Students also emerge prepared for various leadership roles, including athletic directors and personal trainers.
“So many of our students already have leadership aspirations,” Bussell noted. “We’re finding that they’re bringing a much more holistic approach. We want kids to be more active and healthy.”
About half of Hartwick’s enrollment are also student-athletes. All of those currently enrolled in the program are either student-athletes or were at some point, but there is room for non-student athletes who are passionate about fitness as well.
Skinner designed a structured plan based on comparisons with other institutions offering PE teacher training programs.
The program also fits well with Hartwick’s Life Balance vision and wellness emphasis.
“For our students, being able to major in something they want to pursue as a career and a lifestyle is part of a balanced life. It fits the mission,” Bussell added.
