Story: Lisa Sollie

The University of West Alabama’s Center for Conservation and Agriculture will host an Agriculture and Conservation Celebration on Earth Day, April 22, at ALFA Environmental Hall from 1–5:30 p.m.

The Center advances conservation and agriculture in the Black Belt region through education, outreach, research, and hands-on student experiences. Interns with the West Alabama Agriculture and Conservation Association assist local landowners with technical services such as invasive species management and prescribed fire application.

At the celebration attendees can learn how the Center is making a difference in agriculture and conservation through live demonstrations and educational exhibits. Demonstrations will include raised garden beds, pig traps, seed drills and meat fabrication.

Exhibits will feature a fire trailer from the Central Alabama Prescribed Burn Association, West Alabama Bee Company, Congo grass treatment, thermal drones and other drone applications, and IV Vet equipment.

The event will also include refreshments, live entertainment by Hunter Chappell, and door prizes.

Admission is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by April 15 to Kaitlyn Schmidt at  schmidtk7166@uwa.edu or John McCall, jmccall@uwa.edu.

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Story: Lisa Sollie

The University of West Alabama Police Department and Student Government Association have launched the Tiger Ticket Forgiveness and Student Support Initiative, a pilot program designed to give students structured options to convert certain minor parking citations into community service or donations that directly benefit fellow UWA students.

Like similar programs at peer institutions across Alabama, the initiative allows eligible citations to be forgiven in exchange for donations of canned food or other non-perishable items to the UWA Food Pantry. The program offers students a way to turn minor violations into positive contributions, helping ease financial strain while supporting both their peers and UWA Police parking enforcement efforts.

Tiger Ticket Forgiveness Day will be held April 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Young Hall Cafeteria. Students may have up to two eligible parking tickets forgiven by donating items based on their ticket amount: five cans/items for a $25 ticket, 10 cans/items for a $50 ticket, and 15 cans/items for a $75 ticket.

Handicap violations and tickets issued directly by UWA Housing are not eligible.

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Story: Lisa Sollie

Since the launch of its competency-based education (CBE) program, the University of West Alabama is working to move paraprofessionals into certified teaching roles more quickly to help address teacher shortages across the state.

Dr. Jan Miller serves as director of UWA’s competency-based education program, which launched January 2025 in the Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education. Miller said the initiative builds on paraprofessionals’ existing classroom experience while equipping them with the skills and competencies needed to become certified educators. Candidates must have at least three years of classroom experience and be enrolled online in one of UWA’s three education programs: elementary education, early childhood, or special education.

Miller said the University worked closely with the Alabama State Department of Education to identify the exact competencies candidates must master before earning certification. Faculty conducted extensive assessments and curriculum mapping to ensure coursework aligns with state-defined standards.

Through an evaluation tool called “Are you ready for CBE?” and a structured interview process, Miller reviews transcripts, work habits, and each candidate’s ability to work independently. She also assesses whether applicants are already serving in strong instructional roles and are prepared for the rigor of the program.

“Our model is accelerated, one-on-one, and very prescriptive,” Miller said. “Although you might be enrolled in a course with 10 other students, you aren’t necessarily moving at the same pace or even completing the same modules.”

Once enrolled in CBE, students take a 25-30 question multiple-choice pretest in each course. The assessment is not graded; instead, it measures prior knowledge and connects to course modules built around specific competencies.

After reviewing results, Miller may exempt candidates from modules or assignments within modules—where they have already demonstrated mastery. 

“I might say, ‘Congratulations, you’ve met the standards and competencies for Modules 1, 3, and 4. You only need to complete Modules 2, 5, and 6 to finish that course,’” she explained.

Students then complete summative assessments, field-embedded assignments—real work conducted in their own classrooms under the supervision of a mentor teacher. Candidates must demonstrate at least 80 percent mastery, proving not only content knowledge, but also the ability to effectively teach it.

Beth LaReau of Tuscaloosa was working at The Capitol School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, while pursuing dual degrees in early childhood and elementary education online when she heard about competency-based education programs at UWA. As one of the program’s first two graduates, she said switching to the competency-based format allowed her to focus directly on the standards she needed to master.

“Instead of feeling like I had to move through everything at the same pace, I could really concentrate on what I needed to learn,” LaReau said. “It helped me understand the science and vocabulary behind what I was already doing in my classroom.”

Another graduate, Katrina McGrady, who worked as a special education instructional aide in the Talladega County Schools while enrolled, said the program’s hands-on, practical structure stood out the most.

“My pre-assessment for integrated arts revealed I struggled with how to integrate art into math, so most of my assignments for that course focused on that,” McGrady said. “One project—a tessellations assignment—I implemented with my sixth-grade students. They loved it, and it worked just like it was supposed to. This program teaches you things you can immediately implement in your classroom.”

Stephanie Applegate, a paraprofessional at Faucett-Vestavia Elementary in the Tuscaloosa County School System for the past 23 years, agreed.

“All my assignments are so classroom-centered,” Applegate said.  “Yes, I’m getting the background knowledge I still need, but I’m applying it to real scenarios I’ll face as a teacher. The work is rigorous, but it’s easier to see the relevance—why I’m learning it and how I’ll use it.”

Through the self-paced structure, Applegate said the program has shortened her expected completion date to May 2026—a semester earlier than originally planned.

The program currently enrolls between 45 and 50 students, and Miller said interest continues to grow. While competency-based models exist in other disciplines and at other universities, she said similar approaches remain rare in teacher education. UWA’s program was the first of its kind in teacher education to receive accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and has positioned the University as a pioneer in competency-based teacher preparation.

Miller said the university plans to expand competency-based offerings in summer 2026 with the launch of a master’s-level CBE program in elementary, early childhood, and special education.

The graduate track will serve Alternative Class A (Alt A) candidates—individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-teaching field but want to become certified educators. Rather than completing a traditional undergraduate education degree, Alt A students earn a master’s degree that leads to initial teacher certification. The competency-based format will allow these career changers to progress based on demonstrated mastery, potentially accelerating their path into the classroom.

Miller said the goal of UWA’s competency-based education programs is to produce competent, highly qualified educators more efficiently without compromising standards.

“We’re not lowering expectations,” she said. “We’re recognizing experience, honoring what candidates already know and focusing our time on what they still need to master. That’s how we get strong teachers into classrooms faster—and that’s what Alabama needs.”

For more information on UWA’s competency-based education programs, contact Jan Miller at (205) 652.3445 or jmiller@uwa.edu.

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