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The unit is comprised primarily of the School of Education, which has the major authority for planning, delivering, and operating programs for the preparation of educators. However, other university departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Fine Arts are involved with teacher and educator preparation, so the governance structure facilitates interactions with faculty and administrators from these other units across the university.
The chief executive and administrative officer of the School of Education—and the unit head—is the Dean, who holds academic rank in one of the School’s departments. The Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor appoints the Dean, who provides overall vision and leadership for the School of Education. The School has two Associate Deans – the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Research (GPR) and the Associate Dean for Teacher Education and Undergraduate Programs (TEUP). There is an Assistant Dean, who along with the two Associate Deans, sits on the Dean’s Team, which meets weekly. A newly created Office of Assessment has a coordinator who reports to the Dean, as do the Technology Director and the Financial Officer. The School has five departments, each under the direction of a department chair, which are guided by policies and plans approved by the Dean. The Administrative Council meets twice a month, including the department chairs, the two Associate Deans, the Assistant Dean, the NCATE Coordinator, Assessment Coordinator, Technology Director and Financial Officer. They recommend policy and coordinate activities among the departments and programs.
The School Assembly is the primary policy making body in the School and has the authority to set mission and policy and establish curricula, academic standards and degree requirements. All policies and curriculum for the School must be approved by the Assembly. All tenure-track faculty have voting privileges, and any faculty member on more than a .5 appointment can have these voting privileges if approved by a petition to the Assembly. The Assembly meets monthly and holds both a fall and spring semester retreat prior to the start of classes. Three faculty committees have jurisdiction over policies and programs related to educator preparation. The Teacher Education Committee reviews and makes program recommendations over undergraduate teacher education programs. This committee is composed of eight faculty members from across the School, with three from the Department of Curriculum and Teaching, two from the Department of Special Education, and one from each of the other three departments. It includes two undergraduate candidates, with the NCATE coordinator and the Assessment Coordinator serving as ex-officio members and is chaired by the Associate Dean for TEUP. The committee makes program recommendations to the Undergraduate Studies Committee for final decision-making and moving to the School Assembly for faculty vote. This committee has final jurisdiction over all undergraduate programs, including those that involve teacher preparation. It includes six faculty members (one from each department and one at-large), two undergraduate candidate representatives, and is also chaired by the Associate Dean for TEUP. Finally, the Graduate Studies Committee has authority over all decisions related to graduate programs. It consists of six faculty members (one from each department and one at-large) and two graduate students. The NCATE coordinator and the Assessment Coordinator serve as ex-officio members, with the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Research serving as chair.
Three advisory councils guarantee coordination among units within the university regarding educator preparation, as well as collaboration and coordination with the professional community. The Teacher Education Advisory Council (TEAC) consists of representatives appointed from the School of Education, The School of Fine Arts (chairs of Art and Music departments and one faculty member from each), and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (chair of each secondary content area discipline plus one faculty member from each of these departments). It also has at least five representatives from local school districts including administrators and teachers. The Council advises the unit head on the development and delivery of programs leading to the initial and advanced preparation and licensure of teacher education candidates. The council meets at least twice each semester, more if deemed necessary. The Council is chaired by the Associate Dean for TEUP. TEAC is the primary vehicle for faculty and leaders from the School of Fine Arts and the College of Arts and Sciences to provide direct input into licensure programs offered through the School of Education. The Superintendent’s Circle is an Advisory Council to the Dean. It consists of Superintendents from within a 60 miles radius from campus, which includes representatives from all of the school districts where the school places students for field experiences, student teaching, internships, and practica. It currently is composed of twenty-four active members, and meets four times each academic year. Finally, The Professional Development Schools Alliance Executive Council (PDSAEC) provides support and guidance to the School of Education’s seven PDSs. It consists of faculty and leaders from each of the partner schools and partnering districts, along with School of Education faculty involved with the PDS students. It reviews programs, strengthens collaborations, and recommends ways to improve the PDS experience for students and faculty in partner schools and the university. It meets monthly and is chaired by the unit’s PDS coordinator. The TEAC and PDSAEC meet separately but there is a representative from PDSAEC on TEAC.
Candidates are first provided with detailed information about student services such as advising and counseling during new student summer orientation. Visual arts and music education candidates enroll directly into the School of Fine Arts. Those aspiring to teach all other fields enroll in the “Introduction to the Education Profession” class before they apply to the School of Education for admission as juniors. Part of the objectives of the class is to provide detailed orientation to student services, advising, counseling, and enrollment options. The orientation information is posted on the School of Education website and staff and faculty are asked to advise and counsel from the web-based information.
A Welcome Center has been established to provide a central location for those with questions. Information provided is the same text from brochures and websites to ensure current and uniform communication. Students complete enrollments with the help of staff and faculty advisors, and are welcome to corroborate advising information through the Welcome Center. Current recruiting and admissions policies are updated each semester on the web. At least four orientation sessions are presented each semester to provide prospective candidates updated and detailed recruiting and admissions policies. Similar information-sharing strategies are shared at key points as candidates progress to graduation. Orientation sessions continue for candidates through their student teaching and licensure requirement deadlines. In an effort to keep calendars, catalogues, publications, policies, and advertising current, the unit has moved to multiple deliveries of real-time information sharing. Publications and news information are posted online and sent electronically. Electronic plasma screen displays have recently been installed to broadcast key information to students in the building. Announcement of changes and reminders about deadlines and news are sent to students, faculty, and staff via the Internet. New brochures are produced and distributed in a timely fashion to ensure that current and accurate information is being shared.
