News: Dallman to Retire as Dean

Dr. Sara Dallman to Retire as Dean of the School of Education

Colorado Christian University has announced the retirement of School of Education Dean Sara E. Dallman, Ph.D., who has held this leadership position since 2001. Dr. Dallman has built up the School of Education through innovative changes in state accredited teacher preparation programs, raising CCU's stature in the community, state and nationally. She has initiated a clinical internship model; original assessment and action research strategies; urban school opportunities; mathematics partnership with Colorado School of Mines; technology grants; academic standards focus workshops with liberal arts faculty; and new licensure programs including special education.

Dr. Dallman is committed to Christian higher education and to preparing future K-12 teachers who are skilled, knowledgeable, and grounded in their Christian faith for employment in the public school arena as well as private. With her efforts, education graduates gain Colorado teacher licensure and Association of Christian Schools International certification. Dr. Dallman has provided vision and creativity to prepare CCU graduates for the 21st century. As a recent Colorado Department of Education/Department of Higher Education accreditation team said, "Her fingerprint is seen across the entire campus."

Dr. Cherri Parks, Vice President for Academic Affairs, said "Sara is gifted with being able to anticipate changes in higher education and proactively prepare the School of Education and the University. The School and the University have benefitted by her giftedness. I will personally miss her, both as a colleague and a friend."

Dr. Dallman earned a B.A. History at St. Olaf College; M.A. Counseling and Ph.D. Education at The Ohio State University. During her career, Dr. Dallman has worked as a professional educator in Colorado, Minnesota, and Ohio, at public and private universities, secondary 7-12th grade schools, as well as in the private sector. Affiliations include Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Delta Kappa, National Association of Prof. Development Schools, Association for Psychological Type International, Association of Teacher Educators, and Colorado Council of Deans of Education.

President Bill Armstrong counts Dr. Dallman as one of the University's leaders. "Under the leadership of Dr. Sara Dallman, Colorado Christian University's School of Education has become, as one observer put it, "the platinum standard of teacher education in Colorado." Dr. Dallman is a scholar, a great educational administrator, a dear friend, a woman of God. She is respected, appreciated and admired by all her colleagues and students and will be greatly missed. We wish her every blessing in her new season of life ahead."

Sara and her husband, Steven Dallman, will celebrate 40 years of marriage this year. She has two married children and five grandchildren, all in Chicago. Dr. Dallman will be remembered as a woman who answered her personal call to serve the students at CCU, the members of the community, and her colleagues at the University.