Pre-Professional Programs

Home » Pre-Professional Programs
placeholder

Why Pre-Professional Programs at UNC Asheville?

Pre-Professional Programs at UNC Asheville are specifically designed to prepare you towards your goals in professional specialties. Whether it be earning your teacher licensure, preparing for graduate school, studying for law school, or choosing a unique path of your own, our programs and designed to propel you into success.

Pre-Professional Programs

placeholder

Pre-Health

Preparation for doctoral level and other professional programs in health care is available at UNC Asheville. Students can major in the natural sciences, social sciences, and traditional humanities disciplines; or they may transcend traditional disciplines and create their own individual degree program. At UNC Asheville we believe that an undergraduate liberal arts education, coupled with a strong research component, is the best foundation for advanced studies in the health professions. Students need breadth, depth of knowledge, and experience in order to better understand their patients and relate to their peers in the chosen health profession.

placeholder

Pre-Law

UNC Asheville’s Pre-Law Professions Program prepares students in any major for the rigorous demands of law school and careers in the legal field. UNC Asheville’s core curriculum combined with this personalized, flexible program will ensure you have the skills necessary for thriving in law school and beyond—research, analytic ability, critical thinking, writing, and careful reading.

placeholder

Teacher Licensure (Education)

Attain a Bachelor’s Degree with North Carolina Teacher Licensure At UNC Asheville, you can earn your license to teach in the state of North Carolina while pursuing a major in one of our many liberal arts-centered programs, allowing you to study what you’re passionate about as you prepare for a teaching career. From language arts to the sciences to art, you glean all the value from being fully immersed in your discipline while developing your expertise as an effective educator.

Career Outcomes

placeholder

Career Outcomes

With a degree from UNC Asheville, you can pursue a variety of careers that require skills in financial literacy, management, communication, and problem-solving. Our breadth of courses, combined with experiential learning opportunities, equips students with the competency to become effective leaders in their chosen fields.

Education Faculty

Our faculty members are experts in their disciplines and support students through their journey toward teaching licensure. They enable their students to actively engage in issues facing today’s educators and facilitate their growth in hands-on learning opportunities and field placements.


Tiece Ruffin, Ph.D.

Chair of Education, Director of Africana Studies, Professor of Africana Studies & Education, and Coordinator of K-12 Special Education: General Curriculum Licensure

109 Zageir Hall
Phone: 250-2361
Email: truffin@unca.edu

Tiece Ruffin received her Ph.D. from Ohio University in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Special Education and cognate in Reading Education. Also, she received a B.S.Ed. and M.Ed. from Ohio University in Special Education, with an emphasis in learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities; and Secondary education, with an emphasis in reading education, respectively. Tiece Ruffin has past teaching experiences as a licensed special educator (K-12) and reading educator (K-12) teaching youth with and without disabilities from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds in both rural and urban contexts. Additionally, her teaching experience spans various educational settings such as the public school, correctional institution, and home/hospital. Lastly, her school administration experience was as a local education agency representative for a large urban public school district monitoring placement and educational services for students with disabilities who attended private schools.

Her research interests include learners with special needs, diverse learners, pedagogical approaches for the diverse and inclusive classroom, service learning, and the internationalization of teacher education. She has authored and co-authored several publications and presented at both National and International Conferences. Her book, Somalis and disability: Cultural context and implications for practice, is considered one of the best descriptions of the cultural context that structures our understanding of ability and disability for Somali African refugees, and how culturally responsive education systems can bridge or break assumptions we hold about our students and create new opportunities for educational growth.

Past accomplishments include four notable fellowships: the prestigious honor of being selected as a Past-President’s Fellow of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, U.S.A. (2002), a Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar in the U.S. Department of Education (2003), a 2016-2017 North Carolina-West Education Policy Fellow, and a 2017/2018 Fulbright U.S. Scholar at the University of Education, Winneba, in Ghana, West Africa. Currently, she is the Director of Africana Studies and Professor of Africana Studies and Education at the University of North Carolina Asheville.

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education Specialization and Cognate in Reading Education
  • Master of Education, Secondary Education Major, Licensure in Reading Education K-12
  • Bachelor of Science in Education, Special Education Major (LD/MR), Licensure in Special Education Mild/Moderate K-12

Courses Taught

  • EDUC 178/LA 178: Separate is still not equal | 64 years After Brown vs.Board of Education
  • LS 179: What Difference Does Difference Make?
  • EDUC 210: Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century, K-12
  • EDUC 230: Introduction to Exceptional Children
  • EDUC 314: Multiple Literacies in Content Area Classrooms
  • EDUC 325: Classroom Management and Instructional Differentiation, K-6
  • EDUC 346: Teaching Students with Diverse Needs in the General Education Classroom
  • EDUC 379: Introduction to Special Education
  • EDUC 455: Student Teaching and Seminar
  • EDUC 348: Assessment for Exceptional Learners
  • EDUC 373: Teaching English to English Language Learners
  • EDUC 373: Introduction to West African Education
  • AFST 374: African American Education: Race, Place and Schooling

Awards/Honors

  • Recipient of a UNC Asheville 2020-2021 Distinguished Scholarship/Creativity Award
  • Recipient of the 2020 Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching for UNC Asheville
  • Recipient of a UNC Asheville 2019-2020 Distinguished Service Award
  • Awarded a 2017-2018 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Teaching & Research Fellowship at the University of Education-Winneba, Ghana, West Africa
  • Awarded a 2016-2017 North Carolina-West Education Policy Fellowship
  • Recipient of UNC Asheville’s 2015-2016 Key Center for Community Citizenship and Service Learning Community Connector Award
  • Recipient of UNC Asheville’s Change Agent Award by the Division of Student Affairs, Multicultural Student Programs Office and Intercultural Center (2016)
  • Recipient of  the Mary McLeod Bethune Award for Education Advocacy (2015, awarded by UNC Asheville’s Black Student Association)
  • Recipient of the Francine Delany Award in recognition of my service on issues of social justice, race, and diversity (2014, awarded by UNC Asheville’s Black Student Association)
  • Recipient of the Malcolm X Faculty Award (2011, awarded by UNC Asheville’s Black Student Association )

Recent Publications

Book:

  • Ruffin, T. (2012). Somalis and disability: Cultural context and implications for practice, VDM Verlag Dr. Muller. ISBN: 9783836438827 [published in 2008; revised in 2012 with unchanged content]

Book chapters

  • Ruffin, T. (2020). Equity and Inclusion in Today’s Diverse and Inclusive 21st Century Classroom: Fostering Culturally Responsive Pre-Service Teachers with the Tools to Provide Culturally Responsive Instruction. In Information Resources Management Association, Accessibility and Diversity in Education: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice (2 Volumes), (pp.891-905),  Information Science Reference. **reprinted chapter in a research anthology; chapter considered to be high quality and timely research**
  • Ruffin, T. (2016). Equity and Inclusion in today’s diverse and inclusive 21st century classroom: Fostering culturally responsive pre-service teachers with the tools to provide culturally responsive instruction. In K. Gonzalez & R. Frumkin (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Effective Communication in Culturally Diverse Classrooms, (pp. 269-283). Hershey, PA: IGI Global Book Series Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development.
  • Ruffin, T. & Boakye-Boaten, A. (2015). Towards an Inclusive Education in Ghana: A Matter of Human Rights. In A.L. Jotia & D. Jankie (Eds.), Multicultural Education Discourses: Breaking Barriers of Exclusion in Selected African Context, (pp. 68- 82). Windhoek, Namibia: Zebra Publishing, Ltd.
  • Ruffin, T., & Boakye-Boaten, A. (2014).  Internationalizing teacher education through e-service Learning: Connecting preservice teachers with English Language Learners via online instruction using skype. In P.L. Lin, M.R. Wiegand, and A. Smith-Tolken (Eds.), Service Learning in Higher Education: Building Community Across the Globe, (pp. 95-105). Indianapolis, IN: University of Indianapolis Press.
  • Boakye-Boaten, A., & Ruffin, T. (2012).  Pre-Service Teachers Go Global: How an International Service-Learning Program cultivates pre-service teachers as knowledgeable global citizens with enhanced cultural competence.  In P.L. Lin & M.R. Wiegand (Eds.), Service Learning in Higher Education: Connecting the Global to the Local, (pp. 101-115). Indianapolis, IN: University of Indianapolis Press.
  • Boakye-Boaten, A., & Ruffin, T. (2010). From the Classroom to the Streets: Empowering 21st Century College Students through the Ghana Street Children Literacy Initiative. In P. Lan Lin (Ed.), Service-Learning in Higher Education: Educators, Communities, and Students (pp. 191-202). Indianapolis, IN: University of Indianapolis Press.

Peer-reviewed articles

Conference Proceedings

  • Mensah, F.A., Mensah, A.K., & Ruffin, T. (2019, July).  Exploring the cultural appropriateness of selected informal reading assessment tools with second language readers (L2) at the basic school level (ppl.38-40). Proceedings of the 16th Biennial Conference of the International Association of Special Education,  Empowering Persons  with disabilities:  Developing Resilience and Inclusive Sustainable Development. Magamba, Tanzania. ISBN: 978-0-9890212-3-4
  • Ruffin, T., & Boakye-Boaten, A. (2013, November). Internationalizing Teacher Education through E-Service Learning: Connecting Pre-service Teachers with English Language Learners via Online Instruction Using Skype. Proceedings of The 5th International symposium on Service-Learning in Higher Education, Service Learning Across the Globe: From Local to Transnational. Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
  • Boakye-Boaten, A. & Ruffin, T. (2011, September). Preservice Teachers Go Global: How an International Service Learning Program Cultivates Pre-service Teachers as Knowledgeable Global Citizens. In P. Lin (Ed.), Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Service-Learning. Ningbo, China: University of Indianapolis.
  • Cole, K., Moss, M., & Ruffin, T. (September, 2011). Globalizing teacher education through online instruction: Connecting pre-service teacher with international students via Skype. Proceedings of the 29th Annual Fall Teacher Education Forum. Raleigh, N.C.: N.C. ACTE (North Carolina Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators)
  • Boakye-Boaten, A., & Ruffin, T. (2009). From the Classroom to the Streets: Empowering 21st-Century Students through the Ghana Street Children Literacy Initiative. In P. Lin (Ed.), Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Service-Learning. Athens, Greece: University of Indianapolis.
  • Ruffin, T. (2005). Limited English Proficiency, immigrants, refugees, and disability: A Somali perspective. In B. Myles & L. Aylward (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Association of Special Education Sailing the Sea of Knowledge: A Symposium of Global Ideas. Storm Lake, IA: International Association of Special Education.

Community Engaged Scholarship (published editorials)

Non-refereed publication:

Select Professional Presentations

2019-2020 SY

  • Ruffin, T. (2019, November). Global dimension of special and inclusive education : Personnel  Awareness of UDL and its Utility  in Ghana. 69th Conference on Exceptional Children. Challenging Expectations and  Exceeding Goals. The NC Department of Public Instruction, Exceptional Children Division. Greensboro, NC.
  • Ruffin, T. (2019, October). Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. 2019 NC Americorps Member Launch.  Americorps North Carolina & the N.C. Commission on Volunteerism & Community Service, Office of Governor Roy Cooper. Greensboro, NC.
  • Ruffin, T. (2019, September). Remove Systemic Barriers, Engage in Systemic Reform, and Implement Systemic Solutions: Transformative Justice, Identity Safe Classrooms, and Good Teachers. Closing the Opportunity Gap: Black children thriving in schools. Sponsored by Expanding Equity in Our Schools and the Africana Studies Program at UNC Asheville. Asheville, NC.
  • Ruffin, T. (2019, August). Equity and Inclusion for today’s diverse schools. Pre-service equity training for Project Mars/Americorps/Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina 2019-2020 Americorps members. Montreat Conference Center, Montreat, NC.

2018-2019 SY

  • Ruffin, T. (2019, July). Education Personnel Awareness  of UDL and its utility in Ghana. The 16th Biennial Conference of the International Association of Special Education, Empowering Persons with Disabilities: Developing resilience and inclusive sustainable development. Magamba, Tanzania.
  • Ruffin, T. (2019, February). Bucking the Imposter Syndrome: Leading with Confidence. UNC Asheville’s 4th Annual Leadership Summit. Highsmith Student Union, Asheville, NC.
  • Ruffin, T., Boakye-Boaten, A., & Zunguze, J. (2019, February). Being from Afar: Pan-Africanism and Leadership. Black History Month Activity sponsored by UNC Asheville’s Black Student Association (BSA) and Student Government Association (SGA). Asheville, NC.
  • Ruffin, T. (2019, March). Diversity and Inclusion in the 21st Century Classroom. The Patton College of Education’s Diversity Committee presents Soup and Substance.Ohio University’s Patton College of Education in collaboration with Ohio’s African Studies Alumni & Friends Network, McCracken Hall. Athens, OH.
  • Ruffin, T. (2019, May). Justice for our children involves principles of Pan-Africanism, self- determination and cooperation. 2nd Meeting of Asheville’s Black Town Hall. YMI Cultural Center, Asheville, NC.

2017-2018 SY

On Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Teaching and Research Grant in Ghana, west Africa

2016–2017 SY

  • Ruffin, T. (2017, February). One African-American Teacher Educator’s curricular example of decolonizing education in a liberal arts teacher licensure program. The 2016 Joint National Conference of the National Association of African American Studies & Affiliates. Dallas, TX. (proposal accepted, but did not present due to lack of funding)
  • Adcock, A., Boakye-Boaten, A., Ruffin, T., & Zunguze, J. (2016, November). Decolonizing pedagogies in the liberal arts: Engaging in epistemic disobedience. The Annual National Conference of the African Heritage Studies Association. Washington, DC.
  • Ruffin, T., Adcock, A., Boakye-Boaten, A., & Zunguze, J. (2016, August). Fostering a Decolonized Education in an Inclusive Liberal Arts Education. Lilly National Conference Series on College and University Teaching and Learning. Asheville, NC.
  • Martinez, A., Ruffin, T., & Reiser, S. (2016, July 31). GEARing Up with SENCER in K-12. 2016 SENCER Summer Institute at Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL

2015–2016 SY

  • Ruffin, T. (2016, February). Fostering culturally responsive K-12 classrooms in Today’s Inclusive Schools. The 2016 Joint National Conference of the National Association of African American Studies & Affiliates. Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
  • Ruffin, T. (2015, September). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Teachers in Diverse Classrooms. A Professional Development Workshop at the Western Region Education Service Alliance, Asheville, NC.

2014–2015 SY

  • Ruffin, T. (2015, February). Supporting our Black Boys by Combatting Unconscious bias and the Criminalization of black males in an Elementary School: How Parental Advocacy Prompted a School System to Change its Policy. The 2015 Joint National Conference of the National Association of African American Studies & Affiliates. Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
  • Ruffin, T. (2015, February). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Teachers in Diverse Classrooms. Asheville City Schools Professional Development Day. Asheville, NC.

2013–2014 SY

  • Ruffin, T., & Boakye-Boaten, A. (2013, November). Internationalizing Teacher Education through Service Learning: Lessons learned from Connecting Pre-service Teachers with English language learners via Online Instruction Using Skype. The 5th International symposium on Service-Learning in Higher Education, Service Learning Across the Globe: From Local to Transnational. Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
  • Ruffin, T. (2013, September). Invited keynote speaker on immigrant refugee populations and disability by a Consortium of Agencies in Virginia (State developmental disability agency, the University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities at VCU, The Virginia Dept. of Education Technical Assistance Center, Commonwealth Autism Service, and the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities).

2012-2013 SY

  • Adcock, L., Crave, J., Kessaris, K., Kloeppel, L., Martinez, A., & Ruffin, T. (2013, May). Resistance & Change: The Struggle to Foster a Culturally Engaged Community. The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education, New Orleans, LA. (https://www.ncore.ou.edu/en/schedule/abstracts/187/)
  • Ruffin, T., & Boakye-Boaten, A. (2013, February). Read, Write, Think, and Engage: Enhancing Student Learning in the 21st Century College Classroom! The 2013 National Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC.
  • Boakye-Boaten, A. & Ruffin, T. (2013, February). Cultivating Pre- Service Teachers as Knowledgeable Global Citizens through the pedagogy of Service Learning. The11th Annual Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement through Higher Education, Louisville, KY.
  • Cole, K., Moss, M., & Ruffin, T. (2012, June). Internationalizing Teacher Education through Service Learning: Connecting Pre-service Teachers with International Students via Online Instruction Using Skype. The International Center for Service-Learning in Teacher Education (ICSLTE) conference at Duke University, Durham, NC.
  • Ruffin, T., & Boakye-Boaten, A. (2012, June). Internationalizing Teacher Education through Service-Learning Abroad. The International Center for Service-Learning in Teacher Education (ICSLTE) conference at Duke University, Durham, NC.

2011-2012 SY

  • Boakye-Boaten, A., & Ruffin, T. (2012, February). Learning Extends Beyond the Classroom Walls: How an International Service Learning Program Cultivates Pre-service Teachers as Knowledgeable Global Citizens. The 2012 National Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC.
  • Ruffin, T. (2011, November). A Few Tools from the Literacy Toolbox to Enhance Students’ Understanding in the College Classroom. The Idea Exchange at the Annual Conference of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, Richmond, VA.
  • Boakye-Boaten, A. & Ruffin, T. (2011, September). Preservice Teachers Go Global: How an International Service Learning Program Cultivates Pre-service Teachers as Knowledgeable Global Citizens. The 4th International symposium on Service-Learning in Higher Education: Connecting the Global to the Local, Ningbo, China.
  • Cole, K., Moss, M., & Ruffin, T. (September, 2011). Globalizing teacher education through online instruction: Connecting pre-service teacher with international students via skype. North Carolina Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators 29th Annual Fall Teacher Education Forum, Raleigh, N.C.

2010-2011 SY:

  • Bullen, M., Kloeppel, L., & Ruffin, T. (2011, May). Exploring Worlds, Building Bridges—A Collaborative Educational Dialogue on Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education, San Francisco, CA.
  •  Ruffin, T. (2011, May). Classroom Teachers’ Awareness and Use of Assistive Technologies for Reading. The 56th Annual Convention of the International Reading Association, Orlando, Florida.
  • Moss, M., Ruffin, T., & Beck, J. (2010, November). UNC Asheville Internationalizing Education: The Journey. Internationalizing Teacher Education Forum, Sponsored by The UNC Council of Deans and The University Council on International Programs, Raleigh, NC.

2009-2010 SY:

  • Ruffin, T., Hampton, V., & James, I. (2010, March). Maximizing Student Performance in the 21st Century: Exploring the use of Assistive Technologies for Reading Intervention and Support. The North Carolina Reading Association State Conference, Greensboro, NC.
  • Boakye-Boaten, A., & Ruffin, T. (2009, November). From the Classroom to the Streets: Empowering the 21st Century Student through the Ghana Street Children Literacy Initiative. The 3rd International symposium: Service Learning in Higher Education-Educators, Communities, and Students, Athens, Greece
  • Ruffin, T., Hampton, V., & James, I. (2009, November). Assistive Technologies for Reading: Are we doing enough in our teacher preparation programs? The Annual Conference of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, Charlotte, NC.
  • Ruffin, T. (2009, November). Classroom Teachers’ Awareness and Use of Assistive Technologies for Reading: A Rural Case Study. The Idea Exchange at the Annual Conference of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, Charlotte, NC.

placeholder

Cynthia Adinortey

Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence


Phone:
Email: cadinort@unca.edu

placeholder

Kim Brown, Ph.D.

Associate Chair & Associate Professor of Education; Director of CAEP Accreditation; Coordinator of K-6 Elementary and K-12 Art Licensure

114 Zageir Hall
Phone: (828) 258-7730
Email: kbrown@unca.edu

placeholder

Rebecca Bodenheimer

Coordinator of Field Placements

116 Zageir Hall
Phone: (828) 251-6958
Email: rbodenhe@unca.edu

placeholder

Reid Chapman

Lecturer in Education; Coordinator of 6-12 Social Studies Licensure

Office: 119 Zageir Hall
Phone: 251-6768
Email: rchapman@unca.edu

placeholder

Liam Danzis

Administrative Assistant, Department of Education; Interim Coordinator, Great Smokies Writing Program

115 Zageir Hall
Phone: (828) 251-6420
Email: ldanzis@unca.edu

placeholder

Megan Keiser

Assistant Professor of Education; Coordinator of 6-9 Language Arts and 9-12 English Licensure

122 Zageir Hall
Phone: (828) 251-5025
Email: mkeiser@unca.edu

placeholder

Lise Kloeppel

Chair & Associate Professor of Drama; Coordinator of K-12 Theatre Arts Licensure, LA 478 Coordinator

Office: 112 Whitesides Hall
Phone: 251-6940
Email: lkloeppe@unca.edu

placeholder

Amanda Mirabella

Assistant Professor of Education

118 Zageir Hall
Phone:
Email: mirabella@unca.edu

placeholder

Julia Webster

Lecturer of Mathematics; CTL Faculty Fellow 2023-26

Office: 320 Rhoades/Robinson Hall
Phone: 232-5188
Email: jwebste2@unca.edu

placeholder

Kimberly Nava Eggett

Educational Innovation and Engagement Coordinator

209 Zeis Hall
Phone: (828) 350-4583
Email: knavaegg@unca.edu

placeholder