Jerry Ligon, Ph. D.
Associate Dean
National College of Education                        
1000 Capitol Drive
Wheeling, IL 60090
847-947-5699
jligon@nl.edu



Hi and Welcome to the Dean’s Office

I am the guy who likes to say, “I’ve given an arm and leg to NLU.”  You will have to ask me how I broke an arm and leg teaching for the Interdisciplinary Studies program in the summer of 2001.  Just let me add, “Authentic experiences can be engaging and dangerous!”

I came into the Dean’s office as Associate Dean after being a faculty member, program coordinator, and Chair of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, and the Secondary Education Department which I joined in 2003 when I moved to the Chicago area.  Along with Drs. Harvey Daniels and Marilyn Bizar, I helped write the Secondary Education program in 1998. I am, also, the Director of the NCE doctoral programs .

Recently the National College of Education has adopted four visions.  By 2011…
1.    NCE will be recognized for our role in bringing together communities of practiced and advocacy around important educational issues.
2.    NCE will lead change in the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational environments.
3.    NCE will impact education through collaborative scholarship that contributes to knowledge, practice, advocacy, and policy in education.
4.    NCE will be an efficient, effective, attractive, and financially stable educational community.

I am active in all four visions, but particularly active in Vision 3.  Vision 3 is consistent with my long standing professional interests and activities. For a long time I have been interested in helping teachers help students and in studying how it might be done in powerful and engaging ways.  I have learned a lot from my students in high school and at the university level, my colleagues, and from my wife and kids. 

If I can help you in anyway, please call or e-mail me. My office is on the Wheeling Campus of NLU.
Jerry Ligon

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More about me...


Degrees:  Ph. D. Arizona State University (Secondary Education/Curriculum & Instruction); M.A. Wichita State University (Sociology); B.S. in Education, Wichita State University (U. S. History/Sociology).

Professional Positions:  Associate Dean, NCE, since 2004; Secondary Education, NLU, 1 year; Interdisciplinary Studies, NLU, 9 years; Secondary Education and Foundations, Eastern Illinois University, 9 years; High School Social Studies, Wichita, Kansas, 11 years.

Research Interests: issues-centered education, radical educational projects, and teacher education; published in Theory and Research in Social Education, Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, Journal of Curriculum Studies, Curriculum Inquiry, Social Science Record, and others; founding editor of the journal Critical Issues in Teacher Education, sponsored by the Illinois Association of Teacher Educators.

The most exciting research: with Dr. George W. “Skip” Chilcoat of Brigham Young University.  We have published numerous articles on Mississippi Freedom Schools, a project that was part of what is called “Freedom Summer,” which included activities that took place in Mississippi in the summer of 1964 as part of the civil rights movement.
(For a sample, see http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=11269156&db=afh)

Professional organizations: professional activities have been important to me and my professional and personal development.  I have served on committees for the National Council for the Social Studies and the Association of Teacher Education, and have been President of the Illinois Association of Teacher Educators and continue to service on the IATE Executive Council as Membership Chair.  At two universities, I’ve served on NCATE leadership teams. 

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