The Council on Academic Affairs approved a proposal Thursday from the special education department to add two new classes in order to meet statewide changes in teacher certification requirements.

“Illinois now requires that students be prepared to teach all aspects of special education,” Kathleen Shank, special education department chair, told the council. “Before we were only preparing students to teach individuals with mild problems.”

The two new courses, Disabilities in the Context of Education and the Life Span, SPE 2000, and Learning Differences of Individuals with Moderate to Severe Exceptional Learning Needs, SPE 3100, will give special education majors experience dealing with individuals with more severe disabilities such as autism, brain trauma, physical and orthopedic handicaps and health problems.

The courses will add five extra semester hours to the special education major. Shank said the department tried not to add new courses, but the the state’s demand for higher standards made it too difficult to simply place the extra material in existing classes.

Special education majors will now be required to take 126 semester hours instead of 121. SPE 2000 is a 2 semester hour course, and SPE 3100 is a 3 hour course. Students may be required to complete 129 hours if a math requirement change passes through the Council on Teacher Education.

“I expect all state universities will have to go to 130 to 135 semester hours in order to meet the state’s standards,” Shank said.

The courses, which will take effect in the fall, are required of all new special education majors and the majors that are not yet at a second-semester junior standing within the program.

Transfer students will be allowed to transfer in credits from similar courses at community colleges.

“They are likely to have courses like these,” Shank said, referring to community colleges.