Eastern Michigan
University
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Some broad directions for the future have emerged from the recent work of the College of Education Program and Policy Advisory Board (see Exhibit IV.A.6.1) and the discussions of the College of Education faculty and staff at the 1997 Fall Conference. In the spring of 1997, the College of Education Program and Policy Advisory Board raised a number of issues that fell in the categories of "pay more attention to social justice" (race, gender, poverty, etc.) and "become more involved in collaborative activities." Various aspects of these same issues were addressed by the faculty and staff members in the College of Education in September 1997. From this discussion emerged greater specificity concerning issues related to increased collaboration within the College of Education (across organizational lines) and increased collaboration between EMU and K-12 schools in the area. As these issues are defined further, especially by the College of Education Planning and Finance Committee, they will be converted into action plans that will influence many aspects of the College's total programming.
Curriculum and Program
Initial programs. At the initial level, the immediate task is to complete all aspects of the full implementation of the Reconfigured elementary, secondary, and K-12 programs for the Fall of 1998. This task involves making certain decisions regarding the secondary and K-12 programs, identifying and making arrangements for a large number of field placement sites for the required field experiences, securing several more programmatic approvals, making scheduling determinations, and numerous other logistics. Completing the task also involves making several collective determinations concerning early childhood education, special education, and bilingual-bicultural Spanish/English such that pedagogical pieces of these programs fit together effectively with the generic elementary education program.
At the initial level, a "Reconfiguration Phase II" review and planning process will follow shortly after the full initiation of the present Reconfiguration plans. This phase will focus on the content for the specialty for each subject field (its structure and, in some cases, its delivery), improved alignment of the curriculum for each subject field with state objectives for that teaching field, and the total length of the program. Evaluation of each subject field will receive additional attention, not only in terms of the local and state objectives for the subject field, but in terms of the needs of school districts, consistency of quality across subject fields, and the like.
Advanced Programs. At the advanced program level, individual programs and the Advanced Programs Committee will address processes for assessment of the general knowledge base as it is reflected in each program. In addition, these same groups will address processes for assessing the degree to which each student who completes an advanced program has mastered the general, as well as the discipline-specific, knowledge base that has been determined..
The relationship between the advanced degree program in a given field and the advanced credential in the same area (or for teachers at that level) is in early stages of discussion and the need for greater alignment is evident. Some work has been done--and more will occur as the College of Education brings in staff from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)--concerning the greater alignment of the content of the advanced programs (especially for teachers) with the standards of the NBPTS.
Other Programmatic Considerations. In the recent past and at the present time, the College of Education has some sort of involvement with dozens of school districts and hundreds of school buildings. However, in only a relatively few instances (see College of Education Office of Collaborative Education) are the efforts "focused" in such as way as to have a comprehensive "partnership" with a district/building and to have a substantial effect on the programming of both EMU and the building/district. Discussions are in early stages as to how the College of Education (and other units of EMU) can "focus" efforts more intensively on a smaller number of buildings/districts.
At the present time, "alternative delivery" of professional education programs is limited in both scope and mode. Various courses are offered on campus, at unconventional times, through the Weekend University. Other courses are delivered in fairly conventional format in remote locations, including the initial certification sequence on weekends in Detroit. The doctoral program in educational leadership has taken pioneering steps in delivering courses through mixed media, with a heavy emphasis on compressed video. In another department, two courses to be offered on the Internet are in development. Even so, all this activity combined represents only a very small part of the total credit-generating programming of the College of Education. Each of these activities is serving as a "demonstration" of how many other programs and faculty members can and will become involved in alternative delivery modes.
A small number of additional doctoral programs, such as one in curriculum and instruction, will be considered at a later time.
Students
Advising. Present arrangements for advising students tend to be based on assumptions of full-time, traditional status. At the initial level, as there has been a rapid increase in the number of students who already hold an undergraduate degree, the advising mechanisms have proved inadequate for the new population. Some of the other academic colleges at EMU have moved toward college-level centralized advising, at least for many students and many areas of student need. There have been early discussions as to how some such structure can be implemented for the College of Education as well and the discussions will be expanded. At the advanced level, many programs have relatively recently initiated a thesis or capstone project activity. Departments and programs are currently addressing how faculty supervision of these activities can be accomplished such that students complete programs in a timely way.
The College of Education will also be looking closely at the role technology can play in improving the advising function, especially in terms of (a) information about program requirements and expectations, (b) improved self-advising, and ( c) status at any time with respect to program and degree requirements.
Diversity. No one is satisfied with the amount of diversity in the professional education student body, especially at the advanced level. Additional efforts--within the institution's support offices, within the College of Education--will be made to attract, retain, and graduate more persons of color (especially men); more men in many teaching fields; more teachers in relatively scarce fields (e.g., special education, science, and mathematics); more teachers for the inner city; and in other such areas of need.
Scholarships. The institution's Development staff is committed to working with the leadership and faculty of the College of Education to (a) increase the value of existing scholarships and (b) increase the total number of scholarships available to prospective educational personnel. Such additional scholarship help is essential to attract and retain to the teaching profession both persons of color and those who are particularly able.
Faculty
"Productivity." "Productivity," as defined by University (number of student credit hours taught per faculty member), has decreased as the College of Education has moved into more high-cost/low-enrollment programs, sought and obtained additional external program accreditations/recognitions, engaged in more sponsored project activity, engaged in more research and scholarly endeavors, participated in more collaborative arrangements with K-12 schools, and the like. The declining "productivity" is threatening to the resource allocation to the College of Education. Part of this problem can be solved by different record-keeping processes, but part will be addressed by devising ways of teaching more students at a time without loss of quality in other respects.
Part-time Faculty. The College of Education is fortunate to have an outstanding talent pool for part-time faculty members (visiting lecturers). These persons have much to contribute to the programming for professional education because of their close and recent experience with K-12 delivery of professional services. However, in far too many cases, these part-time faculty members have been "on their own" to deliver instruction without close contact/coordination with the "mainstream" in that professional area. Additional steps will be taken to assimilate the part-time faculty more closely into each professional field's programming. Similarly, much work will be done to bring two on-campus constituencies closer to the heart of the programming for educational professionals: (a) professional education faculty members administratively housed other than in the College of Education and (b) the faculty members who are providing the subject-matter content for teachers of many fields.
Diversity. Constant attention will continue to be paid to maintaining and expanding the diversity of the faculty of the College of Education in terms of gender, ethnicity, etc. In particular, recruitment efforts will give particular attention to persons of Hispanic background, as well as to persons of African-American background, among other persons of color.
The Unit and Resources
Facilities. The John W. Porter College of Education Building, scheduled for occupancy in the spring of 1999, will provide a variety of opportunities for faculty members. Specialized spaces will be available that have not been available before, or that have been available only in rudimentary forms. Using these spaces effectively calls for various types of faculty development. As space becomes available in the Rackham and Warner buildings as a result of the occupancy of the Porter Building, detailed planning will occur as to how these will best be used for additional specialized laboratory space, space for short-term projects, and the like.
Equipment. EMU Development personnel, working closely with College of Education personnel, are in the early stages of planning a solicitation of $1 million for furnishings (particularly electronic equipment) for the "new" building. In addition, there are major needs that will be addressed associated with the equipment-intensive laboratories of the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and the Department of Special Education. Additional funds--funds beyond those that can be provided through state/tuition resources--will be needed each year thereafter to upgrade and expand the technology capability of the College of Education. Steps will be taken to obtain this money from private sources.
Sponsored Projects and Development. There has been a rapid increase in the amount of money available to the College of Education from various sponsored projects. These funds have permitted the expansion of many aspects of programming that would not have been possible otherwise. It is projected that sponsored project funding will continue to increase in appreciable amounts each year through efforts to train faculty and staff members in "grant winning." Recent reorganization and staff expansions in the EMU Development function will result in expanded resources for the College of Education for equipment, scholarships, endowed chairs, endowment, and general operating funds.
For additional information, please contact Jerry H. Robbins, Dean, at (313)487-1414 or by e-mail at Jerry.Robbins@emich.edu.
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