MINUTES OF THE MEETING

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The College of Education Executive Committee met on Thursday, July 24, 2003, at 9:00 a.m. in the Conference Room in the Education Center with Dean Gunter presiding. Members present were: Drs. McGahee, Price, Backes, Gerber, Bauer, Gibbs, Siegrist, Maina (for Atterbom), K. Hull, and Mrs. Roberts.

Dr. McGahee and Mrs. Roberts reported on the recommendations of the Teacher Education Admission Committee. Committee members included: Ms. Ellis, Dr. Ducharme, Dr. Dasinger, Dr. Maina, and Dr. Worth. Dr. McGahee distributed copies of the proposed new requirements for admission to teacher education. The requirements will include: completion of at least 30 hours, Praxis I, Regents' Test, MSED 2000, criminal background check, liability insurance, and an overall GPA of at least 2.5. Students will be monitored in their programs through "cut-off" courses; these are courses which students will not be allowed to take if they are not admitted to teacher education. Each undergraduate teacher education program (including initial certification graduate programs in Communication Disorders and Special Education) will have one cut-off course. Enrollment in these courses will be monitored by Dr. McGahee and Mrs. Roberts. Further, students will not be allowed to student teach if all requirements are not met. After extensive discussion, Dr. Gibbs moved approval of the new requirements; the motion was seconded by Dr. Price. The motion was approved by a vote of 9 in favor with 1 abstention. These new requirements and procedures will be posted on the COE webpage.

Dean Gunter announced that he was establishing both an undergraduate and a graduate appeals committee in the COE. The undergraduate appeals committee will be chaired by Dr. McGahee and Mrs. Roberts, who will be non-voting members, and a representative from each of the five departments having initial certification programs (including Special Education and Communication Disorders). These five members will be appointed by their department heads. This committee will hear the appeals of students denied admission to a cut-off course or denied permission to student teach. Mrs. Roberts has already developed an appeals form; she distributed a copy to committee members. The form will be available from Sheree Hudson in the Dean's Office and will be put on the COE webpage within the next few days. The committee will meet once a month during the semester.

The graduate appeals committee will be chaired by Dr. Gerber, who will be a non-voting member. The committee will be composed of one faculty member from each department having a graduate program. Committee members will be appointed by department heads and must be members of the graduate faculty. Primarily, this committee will hear the appeals of students denied admission to graduate school. Dr. Gerber will determine meeting dates for the committee within the next few days.

Dr. McGahee asked department heads to please encourage their faculty to announce to their classes that students should establish and use their VSU e-mail accounts.

Dr. McGahee distributed copies of the certification application packet which must be submitted to the Professional Standards Commission for each student seeking certification. He briefly explained how a packet is processed. Dr. McGahee also distributed copies of the PSC technology requirements for initial certification. He explained that the requirements are different for teaching, leadership, and service?which are the three different certificate types issued by PSC. He distributed a list of the initial certification programs within the COE and which courses are currently being used to satisfy the technology requirements.

Dean Gunter had asked Dr. Gerber to devise a process for an efficient flow of curricular changes from departments to Academic Committee. Dr. Gerber distributed a "flowchart" he had developed showing the path that curricular changes would follow. A few suggestions were made; Dr. Gerber will incorporate these suggestions and distribute again. However, until these changes are made and approved, all curricular change proposals move from the departmental level to Dr. Gerber.

Dean Gunter discussed the issue of field placements in courses. During last spring semester, an attempt was made to centralize all placements through the dean's office?this procedure had some difficulties. Dean Gunter requested that one person in each department be responsible for placing students in schools; Dr. McGahee will meet with these departmental representatives at the beginning of fall semester to assist them in coordinating placements.

Dean Gunter briefly discussed the agenda for the fall College of Education meeting. He will ask departments to stand as a group, and then each member will introduce himself/herself. Mary Watson has asked to speak to the COE faculty briefly, and Drs. Zaccari and Levy will make brief presentations. Dr. Price announced that she intended to have a report from the faculty workload committee ready to distribute at the fall meeting.

Dean Gunter announced that there would be no Executive Committee meeting on August 14; the next meeting will be August 21.

Dean Gunter announced that each Monday at 2:00 p.m. he will have a brief working group meeting with Dr. McGahee, Dr. Gerber, Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Ryals, Bobby Watson, and Mark Swift.

Dean Gunter asked department heads to please remind faculty members to turn in travel expense reports more frequently and not to turn in an entire year's worth at one time.

Dean Gunter asked for input about what to do about the one GSAMS classroom in the Education Center?Room 98. Only one class is scheduled in the room for fall semester, and it costs $1800 a month to maintain the room. The consensus was to convert the room back into something more usable.