Rural educators honor CSC professor
A Chadron State College education professor, Dr. Clark Gardener, has been recognized by the National Rural Education Association Conference for outstanding leadership and service in rural education.
During the association’s recent convention in Kansas City, Gardener was presented a plaque. He has been a member of the association’s Executive Committee three years, but has decided not to seek the position again. He was urged by several members of the committee to run for president of the association, but also declined the invitation.
The NREA is the oldest national organization of its kind in the United States, dating back to 1907. Its primary interest is to maintain the vitality of rural school systems across the country.
In 2004, Chadron State received the NREA’s Exemplary Practices/Programs Award for its collaboration with Mid-Plains Community College based at North Platte to begin a program in that allows students with associate degrees to earn bachelor of science in education degrees.
While he was on the executive committee, Gardener along with Dr. Regi Wieland of Fort Hays State University in Kansas and Joe Bard, executive director of the Pennsylvania Rural Schools Association, wrote a research paper concerning rural school consolidation. The paper was used to develop a position paper representing the association’s viewpoints. The position may be found on the NREA website at www.nrea.net.
Gardener has been active in the rural education association since coming to CSC in 1990. He said he appreciates the support he has received from the college’s administration and his colleagues in the School of Education, Human Performance, Counseling, Psychology and Social Work at CSC.
Eight members of the school attended this year’s national convention. Several of them made presentations at the various sessions.
Category: Campus News