STANDARD 5: FACULTY QUALIFICATIONS, PERFORMANCE, AND DEVELOPMENT

QUALIFIED FACULTY
MODELING BEST PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN TEACHING
MODELING BEST PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN SCHOLARSHIP
MODELING BEST PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN SERVICE
COLLABORATION
UNIT EVALUATION OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION FACULTY PERFORMANCE
UNIT FACILITATION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Qualified Faculty
Professional education faculty members are highly qualified and model best practice in scholarship, service, and teaching. Faculty members in the Department of Education hold doctoral, masters’ or educational specialist degrees (Table 5.1) and exemplify expertise in their specific fields. Program directors of Elementary, Secondary, Exceptional Needs, School Counseling, and Student Teaching hold undergraduate degrees in their fields and have demonstrated expertise in P-16 environments. All hold doctoral degrees. Evidence of qualifications is documented in individual curriculum vitae as well as in summaries of rank, scholarship, and service (Table 5.2). Faculty members are encouraged to participate in scholarly activities and service, and are challenged to demonstrate scholarship in teaching as presented in the Boyer Model of Scholarship (Boyer, 1990). Both the University and the Department support faculty endeavors in professional development.           

Faculty in the Arts and Sciences are highly qualified in their respective fields with 57% holding doctoral degrees. Those faculty members collaborating in supervisory roles have recognized teaching experience in the public or private P-12 schools. Clinical and public school faculty who supervise teacher and school counselor candidates hold current licenses in their fields and possess experience and professional expertise. The following statistics illustrate the qualifications, status, and professional rank of the Teacher Education faculty:

Qualifications of Teacher Education Faculty 2001-2002

Table 5.1

Faculty Rank and Professional Status - Fall 2002

Table 5.2

The Department has experienced full and part time faculty attrition over the past five years. This attrition has required orientation of new personnel to the University and to the Department’s policies and procedures. It is significant to note that qualified faculty holding doctoral or educational specialist degrees replaced each exiting doctorally prepared faculty member.

The recruitment process clearly specifies the qualifications of each faculty position.  These include a doctoral degree, validation of competence in the field, and teaching experience. An adequate number of qualified adjunct faculty members were hired over the past two years to eliminate faculty overloads (Table 5.3). As a result, there were no overloads from academic years 2000 through 2002. Furthermore, a full time Unit Assessment Coordinator/Licensing Advisor was appointed in the summer of 2002 allowing education faculty additional time for teaching and other professional endeavors.

Faculty Course Load 1998 - 2002

   Table 5.3

Modeling Best Professional Practices in Teaching
Professional education faculty model best practice in teaching and integrate current and essential knowledge within their fields into practice. Faculty members demonstrate diversity in interests, strengths, delivery modes, and have demonstrated the ability to effectively complement and collaborate with fellow faculty. Instructional approaches reflect the Department’s Conceptual Framework as evidenced by the expectation of high academic achievement, a respect for all learners, and demonstration of the qualities of reflective decision makers. Faculty demonstrate their commitment to the core Franciscan Values sustained within “Knowledge of Spiritual, Ethical, and Professional Self” through the following: service-learning involvement, community associations, active involvement with learned societies, attendance at conferences, and publications and presentations. Within education programs and in all coursework, faculty are encouraged to model sound pedagogical practices that ensure maximum learning of all candidates, thereby supporting the Framework’s “Knowledge of the Learner.”

Faculty instructional practices mirror the beliefs embedded within the Conceptual Framework. For example, course syllabi reflect sound, rigorous, and relevant content and pedagogy knowledge bases, and multiple forms of authentic assessment are employed to measure learners’ growth (Appendix E: Course Linkage Charts). Rubrics are used extensively in order to discriminate between levels of candidate achievement and to guide the candidate towards attainment of course goals.

Coursework, field placements, and graduate level clinical practices reveal the Department’s commitment to diversity through placements (Table 4.4a), interrelated experiences such as videos, readings, guest speakers and field trips. Technology enhances coursework with presentations using the Elmo, Power Point, and/or the multi-media Destination Unit. The integration of technology is a requirement in unit and lesson plans, research, and candidate presentations.

Faculty value and respect student accomplishments and class work as demonstrated through the display of “Wonderfully Outstanding Work” (WOW). This event is held at the end of each semester and attended by candidates, parents, faculty, staff, and administration. Furthermore, student accomplishments are highlighted on the “Bravo Board,” in Departmental and University publications, and through local media.

Faculty participate in dialog with University colleagues. For example, interdisciplinary class participation has occurred between the Department of Education and the faculties of Mathematics and Environmental Studies/Biology Departments. Within the Department, members address related issues in current practices through cooperative learning and team teaching endeavors (e.g., EDUC 100, 201, 301, 420) Additionally, P-12 and Department faculty collaborate bridging the gap between higher and P-12 education (e.g., SPED 237, EDUC 392).

Assessment of faculty effectiveness is demonstrated through the University-wide system of course/faculty assessment, evaluations by the Chair of the Department, and reflective statements by faculty members. Throughout the University, an effective Peer Development system assists faculty in establishing and reaching goals in scholarship, service, and teaching.

Department of Education faculty are recognized by their colleagues within the University, locally, and nationally as outstanding teachers, leaders, and contributors to the education profession. Two members received the University’s “Professor of the Year” Award in 1998 and 2000, respectively, and two members received the University of Saint Francis award honoring “Franciscan Spirit.” One member received the CEC: “Special Education Teacher of the Year” in 1998. Local, state, and national recognition by faculty members is documented on individual curriculum vitae.
 

Modeling Best Professional Practices in Scholarship
Professional education faculty demonstrate best professional practice in scholarship through their work in specialized fields. Although encouraged and supported by the University to demonstrate a broad range of scholarly activities, the primary focus of the University is the scholarship of teaching.

Notwithstanding, faculty members have provided leadership in University-based endeavors, committees, and with local, state and national organizations. The Chair of the Department will be participating in the Indiana State Advisory Council. She has been recognized as a leader in Exceptional Needs programs and practices. Faculty have served as textbook reviewers, had manuscripts published and served as officers or board members in numerous organizations. Additionally, faculty have participated in a national endeavor to establish the goals of service learning in Teacher Education. Both faculty and candidates have participated in a national level research project on service learning. An extensive list of faculty awards, leadership roles, publications and presentations attests to faculty scholarship.

Furthermore, faculty members demonstrate their commitment to scholarship through the procurement of grants, enabling them to further “best practice” in their professional roles. Substantial grants have been awarded to augment technological facilities and instruction, initiate and sustain service-learning endeavors, provide for faculty development, and support collaborative dialog on the local, state, and national levels.
 

Modeling Best Professional Practices in Service
Faculty members demonstrate best practices in service to the profession as evidenced by their numerous affiliations and the appointment of leadership positions with local, state, national, and international organizations. Examples of such endeavors include faculty leadership in Fort Wayne Community Schools Strategic Planning, Local Education Fund, “Everybody Reads,” Allen County Literacy Council, and Catholic Schools Partnership among others. A faculty member engaged in international collaborative scholarly projects with the Albanian Ministry of Education, its staff, and a core of teacher leaders from that country. Three faculty members were selected to serve on accreditation committees for P-12 schools in the United States, American Sponsored Overseas Schools in Latin America, and universities.

Faculty members provide leadership in area schools through their system wide or school-based courses, workshops, classroom presentations, school events, and individual teacher consultation.
 

Collaboration
The University and the Department of Education have a commitment to serve the community and its P-12 school constituents. In keeping with the University’s Mission, the Conceptual Framework encourages the formation of collaborative relationships with diverse populations. The Department members work with public and parochial schools and their faculties as well as with community agencies sheltering families or supporting schoolchildren and youth. For example, the Vincent House Homeless Shelter and Stellar Story Tellers provide evidence of faculty collaborative work with the community. Department faculty have partnered with area universities through joint presentations, board memberships, and on-going inter-institutional dialog.

Professional Education faculty members have formed collaborative relationships with other University divisions through combined participation in professional discussion groups held after University-wide Faculty Forum (F-3), Strategic Planning, Program Prioritization, Service-Learning Task Force, UNITED, and in numerous other campus committees, as well as through supportive efforts in the Peer Development process.

The Department’s curriculum continues to be guided through communication and collaboration with educational entities in the region and within the University community. The explicit purpose of these collaborative efforts is the continual improvement of instructional methods and experiences in teaching for the preparation of high quality professionals in the field of education.
 

Unit Evaluation of Professional Education Faculty Performance
The Department of Education, in compliance with University of Saint Francis policies and procedures, systematically, comprehensively, and continuously evaluates faculty performance in teaching, scholarship, and service. The purpose of faculty evaluation is to “encourage instructional and professional performance which is venturesome and challenging. It assists each individual in reaching a high level of professional growth and provides an institutional support system designed to facilitate this growth (Faculty Handbook, Section 4.1).” Faculty evaluations are based on development and growth as a person, a professional, and as a member of the academic community (Faculty Handbook, Section 4.3).

Each semester, the faculty is evaluated in a minimum of one course by candidates, and the results are compiled by the Office of Academic Affairs. They are subsequently reviewed by the Vice President and Department Chair and shared with individual faculty. The faculty member responds to the evaluation and establishes performance development goals. Additionally, once each year faculty members submit personal/professional goals and self-evaluation. The Chair of the Department evaluates faculty performance and conducts dialogs with individual faculty members.

Tenure track faculty participate in formative peer development and evaluation during their first and third years of employment. The purpose of this process is to develop “an understanding of how the University functions, in course and syllabi preparation, in pedagogy, and in the evaluation of learning (Faculty Handbook, Section 4.6).” University funding in support of development is available to faculty members.

Faculty are expected to model the dispositional characteristics of professional educators as addressed in the Conceptual Framework. Presently, an assessment instrument and system are being developed to confirm and document faculty dispositions.
 

Unit Facilitation of Professional Development
As specifically addressed in the Conceptual Framework’s “Knowledge of Spiritual, Ethical, and Professional Self,” the Department encourages and supports faculty to demonstrate the qualities of life long learning through professional development. The University and Department support the continual development of professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions through funding for professional growth and faculty released time.

Opportunities for professional growth in the area of technology are provided through University sponsored training. For example, faculty are trained in the Jenzabar registration module, BLACKBOARD on-line teaching application, Power Point, and other technology-supported instructional programs. The Department faculty participated in workshops facilitating the use of the Individual Curriculum Assessment Notebook (ICAN).