STANDARD 6: UNIT GOVERNANCE AND RESOURCES
The unit has the leadership, authority, budget, personnel, facilities, and resources, including information technology resources, for the preparation of candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards.
6.1 Unit Governance and Resources
How do the unit's governance system and resources contribute to adequately preparing candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards?
6a. Unit Leadership & Authority
The Teacher Education Unit (TEU) has the leadership & authority to plan, deliver, & operate coherent programs of study. As outlined in the organization chart, the TEU at Langston University (LU) exists within the School of Education & Behavioral Sciences (SoEBS) & is governed by the Dean & the Teacher Education Council (TEC). The Dean, in consultation with the TEC, has overall administrative responsibility for teacher candidates' & other school professionals' (OSP) preparation programs. The TEC is the major curriculum review body for the unit. It provides a mechanism for & facilitates collaboration between unit faculty & other faculty at LU involved in the preparation of professional educators. The TEC serves in a decision-making capacity on all matters pertaining to teacher education within the TEU with the Dean having the final authority on all matters. The TEU adheres to the rules & regulations set forth for teacher certification & licensure by the Office of Educational Quality & Accountability (OEQA), formerly the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation (OCTP). For programs outside of the SoEBS, Early Childhood Education & Secondary, the TEC serves as the coordinating body with the Director of Teacher Education, Certification, & Field Experiences responsible for the dissemination of information to program chairs or department heads. At the advanced level, under the direction of the Dean, all matters pertaining to program & degree options are administered by the Director of the Graduate Program, who brings all such requests & concerns before the Graduate Program Commission & ensures adherence to the OEQA rules & regulations for OSP.
LU's recruiting & admission practices are reflected in university publications. The TEU recruits candidates through collaboration with the Admissions Office, Financial Aide Services, Alumni Affairs, & University College. This collaboration includes, but is not limited to, hosting prospective students, involving volunteers in William H. Hall Fifth & Sixth Grade Day, Homecoming celebrations, & career fairs. Active LU National Alumni Association chapters are also contacted for the purpose of recruitment & advisement. Admission to professional education (PED) is an official process normally occurring the semester following a candidate's completion of forty-five (45) credit hours. This process is outlined in the 2013-2015 University Catalog & 2009 Teacher Education Handbook. Beginning PED courses include ED 2212 Historical & Philosophical Foundations of American Education & ED 4001 Education Seminar: Introduction to Teaching/ Portfolio Development & Assessment. In these courses, candidates are provided with information regarding admission to teacher education. At the advanced level, applicants for admission into the Masters of Education in Educational Leadership are admitted to LU & the Graduate Program in accordance with approved & admission standards.
The TEU ensures candidates have access to student services such as advising & counseling through its collaboration with the Admissions Office & Admissions' Counselors, Financial Aid, Alumni Affairs, & University College. Advisement of teacher education candidates is a unit priority, before & after admission to teacher education. On the LU-Langston campus, before admission into teacher education, candidates are advised by advisors in University College. University College provides advising for all freshmen & sophomores on the Langston campus. These advisors work with candidates until the candidates have earned a minimum of 45 hours or until the candidates select a major. With the 4x12 general education requirements from the state for teacher education, the TEU felt it necessary to make contact with candidates prior to the completion of 45 hours. In fall 2014, a stronger collaboration was developed with University College. This increased collaboration made it possible for advisors in the TEU to co-advise candidates prior to the completion of 45 hours. This co-advisement allows TEU advisors to make early contact with education majors & guide them in their general education course selection to meet the 4x12. The TEU advisor typically serves as the advisor throughout the candidates matriculation in teacher education. TEU advisors serve as a source of information for candidates including scheduling, tutoring, career information, & the identification of resources such as the counseling center. All matters relating to advisement are administered by the Director of Graduate Programs. Applicants for admission must be admitted to LU & the Graduate Program in accordance to approved & published standards.
6b. Unit Budget
The unit receives budgetary allocations to provide programs that prepare candidates to meet standards proportional to other entities on campus with clinical components. The total allocation for the SoEBS includes the budget for the Departments of Elementary & Special Education; Health, Physical Education, & Recreation; Psychology; & Graduate Program. The budget for Early Childhood Education is included in the School of Agriculture & Applied Sciences, while Secondary Education program budgets are included in the School of Arts & Sciences budget. These budgets include allocations for materials, travel, & instructional supports. Additional fund from Title III provides for budgetary enhancement of the unit's scholarship, research, & service.
The budget supports on-campus & clinical work essential for preparation of professional educators. The funding has been adequate to maintain faculty workloads that accommodate quality teaching, service, & professional growth. Funding for faculty field & clinical experiences has been sufficient to meet the needs of the TEU. The requests for resources for initial & advanced programs are developed in consultation among the Directors, Department Chairs, Program Coordinators, & Dean of the SoEBS. Upon approval, the requests are forwarded to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. LU's budget hearing process provides the mechanism through which the TEU secures the necessary funding for programs to meet professional, state, & institutional standards.
6c. Personnel
Workload policies, including class size & online course delivery, allow faculty to engage in teaching, scholarship, assessment, service, & collaborative work with P-12 schools. The institutional policy limits faculty teaching loads & related responsibilities. Specific to the unit, faculty loads of those teaching PED courses are generally less than those not teaching PED courses. These loads usually do not exceed 12 hours for undergraduate teaching & nine hours for graduate teaching per semester or the equivalent. Supervision of clinical practice at the initial level does not exceed five candidates for each full-time faculty member per semester. Supervision of advanced candidates does not exceed ten candidates for each full-time faculty member per semester.
The TEU provides support personnel & resources needed to support faculty in the preparation of candidates. Professional development is provided through the University Faculty Development Committee, the Computer Technology & Integration Center (CTI), & through opportunities to attend & participate in state & national conferences funded by the TEU & Title III.
6d. Unit Facilities
The TEU has adequate campus & school facilities to support candidates in meeting standards & to support faculty & candidates use of information technology. PED courses & the Elementary & Special Education programs are housed in Sanford Hall. Sanford Hall has four classrooms dedicated to teacher education; three are equipped with SMARTBoards. The Department of Health, Physical Education, & Recreation is housed in the C. F. Gayles Field House & has two classrooms. Early Childhood Education is housed in the E. L. Holloway Research building & has two rooms dedicated to teaching & the child development laboratory. The Early Childhood Laboratory serves children ages 3-8 years & is NAEYC accredited. It is available for candidates to observe, conduct hands-on activities, work directly with children, & complete demonstrations. The Secondary programs are housed throughout the campus with appropriate resources (i.e. labs) specific to content area needs. The Graduate Program is housed on the Oklahoma City campus & serves the Tulsa campus & Langston campus through Adobe Connect. Both urban campuses have adequate office & classroom space including technology.
6e. Unit Resources including Technology
The TEU allocates resources & technology across programs to prepare candidates, develop & implement the TEU's assessment plan, & support faculty. Resources include access to electronic information & library & curricular resources. The SoEBS houses a computer lab & curriculum library. The computer lab is equipped with 14 computers, a printer, & LCD projector available for use by candidates. On all campuses, LU provides computer labs that support both PC & Macintosh platforms, provide internet access, offer printing, & makes available various software packages.
The CTI provides training, research & development, technology integration & implementation, & technical expertise & support for faculty. It facilitates & designs training programs that strengthen the faculty & staff in their use of a variety of computer & related technologies, ranging from basic computer skills to advanced multimedia & web-based applications.
In transitioning from paper-based assessments & Excel to the electronic portfolio PASS-PORT, candidates & faculty receive in-person trainings & how-to videos. The Director of Unit Assessment & Accreditation serves as the administrator of PASS-PORT & assists candidates & faculty in establishing accounts & troubleshooting.
6.2 Moving Toward Target or Continuous Improvement
Please respond to 6.2.a if this is the standard on which the unit is moving to the target level. If it is not the standard on which you are moving to the target level, respond to 6.2.b.
6.2.a Standard on which the unit is moving to the target level
Describe areas of the standard at which the unit is currently performing at the target level for each element of the standard. Summarize activities and their impact on candidate performance and program quality that have led to target level performance. Discuss plans and timelines for attaining and/or sustaining target level performance as articulated in this standard.
n/a
6.2.b Continuous Improvement
Summarize activities and changes based on data that have led to continuous improvement of candidate performance and program quality. Discuss plans for sustaining and enhancing performance through continuous improvement as articulated in this standard.
Changes leading to continuous improvement of candidate performance and program quality and plans for sustaining and enhancing performance through continuous improvement include the following:
• The organizational chart for the university was updated in spring 2014 and the SoEBS organization chart was updated in summer 2014. These updates assisted in redefining and clarifying duties and responsibilities of faculty, staff, and the TEC. The current policies, procedures, and practices for governance and operations are referenced in the LU Faculty Handbook (2009). This handbook does not address specifics or serve as a functional guide for unit governance or clearly identify the unit's relationship to the institutional structure. In response, the Dean led the SoEBS and TEU fall 2014 faculty meetings and provided all faculty with a packet of information (identified as 2014-2015 SoEBS Faculty Information) that outlined school and unit committees, explained committee goals and expectations, highlighted the relationship between SoEBS/TEU committees and university committees, and provided for faculty/staff sign-up. Sharing the organizational chart and committee details served as the first step in moving toward an effective governance structure embedded in written policies, procedures, and practices. Development is continuing with the implementation of 1:1 Direct Report meetings. 1:1 Direct Report meetings require chairs, department heads, and directors to meet one-on-one with the Dean to discuss needed reports, upcoming events, program assessments, successes, concerns, needs, etc. These meetings provide the Dean with information necessary to develop an outline of necessary policies, procedures, and practices to update and inform unit and school governance. It is anticipated that a working/living draft specific to unit governance will be in place beginning fall 2015.
• Currently the TEC is in the process of developing a constitution and bylaws. At present, formal policies and procedures do not exist to govern its operation. Following, the completion and approval of the constitution and bylaws, faculty from outside the unit, alumni, and candidates will be invited and encouraged to serve as part of the TEC.
• An Advisory Council was established in spring 2015 to serve as an advisory and advocacy network for the TEU through a regular exchange of information and ideas. The Advisory Council is led by the Dean and meets once each semester to review program and unit data as well as to provide feedback that may lead to program and/or unit improvement. This Council facilitates communication between the TEU, local leaders, and public school educators to review data, policies, and procedures to ensure teacher education graduates develop the skills, knowledge, and personal dispositions required for professional success.
• In reviewing the sequence of courses and in comparing LU Plans of Study (POS) to POS of other educator preparation programs, the TEU determined that LU required more credit hours to complete a Bachelor's degree than did comparative programs. It was found that changing the sequence of a few courses could increase candidate preparation related to competencies of the Oklahoma General Education Test (OGET) and Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT). Adjustments to field experiences and their associations with specific courses were made to ensure that the experiences spanned candidates' matriculation through the program. The POS were updated by TEU faculty, reviewed and approved by the TEC, Dean, University Academic Policies and Curriculum Committee, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The POS were submitted to the Regents and approved for implementation beginning Fall 2015. The new plans of study will enhance student success and degree completion with more concentrated hours toward individual programs. Based on the updated POS, course rotation schedules were developed to allow for greater efficiency in the use of faculty, increase the number of candidates per course per semester, and provide candidates with the opportunity to preplan for course enrollment. Further, these adjustments ensure all professional education courses are taught only by full-time professional education faculty.
• Policies, procedures, and practices for candidate services such as counseling and advising are addressed in existing handbooks dated 2005-2006 and 2007. The handbooks are being updated with an anticipated completion and implementation date of fall 2015.
• In fall 2014, a campus-wide technology audit was completed to identify the technology needs of the university. The recommendation was made and approved to lease computers rather than purchase computers for faculty and university labs. Through the leasing agreement, computers will be updated on a rotating three to five year basis ensuring the university technologies remain current. The SoEBS computer lab was the first to receive new equipment. In reviewing policies, procedures, and practices to ensure all candidates have access to distance learning including support services and resources, it was found that the current Distance Education Manual (2012) requires updating. This manual is in the process of being reviewed and will be updated and in place no later than fall 2015.
• The SoEBS, and university as a whole, is working with the Public Relations Department to update the website to ensure content is relevant, current, and easily accessible.
6.3 Areas for Improvement Cited in the Action Report from the Previous Accreditation Review
Summarize activities, processes, and outcomes in addressing each of the AFIs cited for the initial and/or advanced program levels under this standard.
There were not areas for improvement cited for Standard 6 in the Action Report from the previous accreditation review.
6.4 Exhibits for Standard 6
6.4.a Policies, procedures, and practices for governance and operations of the unit
6.4.a SoEBS Faculty Information 2014-2015
6.4.a SoEBS & Unit Committee Membership
6.4.b Organizational chart and/or description of the unit governance structure and its relationship to institutional governance structure
6.4.b SoEBS Organizational Chart
6.4.b TEU Organizational Chart
6.4.b University Organizational Chart
6.4.c Policies, procedures, and practices for candidate services such as counseling and advising
6.4.c LU Counseling & Advising
6.4.d Policies, procedures, and practices for candidate recruitment and admission, and accessibility to candidates and the education community
6.4.d Proposed Graduate Recruitment Plan 2013
6.4.e Academic calendars, catalogs, unit publications, grading policies, and unit advertising
6.4.e Academic Calendar SOEBS 2014-2015
6.4.e Academic Calendar LU F2013
6.4.e Academic Calendar LU S2014
6.4.e Academic Calendar LU F2014
6.4.e Academic Calendar LU Su2014
6.4.e Academic Calendar LU S2015
6.4.f Unit budget, with provisions for assessment, technology, professional development, and support for offcampus, distance learning, and alternative route programs when applicable
6.4.g Budgets of comparable units with clinical components on campus or similar units at other campuses
See documents in 6.4.f
6.4.h Policies, procedures, and practices for faculty workload and summary of faculty workload
6.4.i Policies, procedures, and practices to ensure that all candidates have access to physical and/or virtual classrooms, computer labs, curriculum resources, and library resources that support teaching and learning
6.4.j Policies, procedures, and practices to ensure that all candidates access have to distance learning including support services and resources, if applicable
6.4.j Distance Education Manual Policies & Procedures