Dewar College of Education
Policy and Procedures Manual
Table of Contents
The College of Education (COE) Policies and Procedures Manual describes the organizational structure and governance of the unit. Its purpose is to provide information specific to the organization and activities of the unit. The manual will be reviewed and revised periodically and changes will take effect as approved and adopted. The following additional sources of policies and procedures guided the development of the manual. The information presented is not meant to conflict with, contradict, or supersede the information contained in the documents listed below.
University System Board of Regents’ Academic Affairs Handbook
Valdosta State University Statutes
Valdosta State University Faculty Handbook
Valdosta State University Student Handbook
Additional College of Education policies and procedures concerning admission and program requirements are described in the University Graduate and Undergraduate Catalogs that are printed annually and available on the university web page.
Developing and Maintaining Policies and Procedures
Policies are governing principles with wide, general application. Written policy sets a course of action that requires compliance and can also constrain action. Procedures are written to implement policy. Clearly written and agreed-upon guidelines describe accepted policies and procedures to ensure that decisions are made considering the common good. It is essential that all policies be clearly written and effectively communicated. Creating and maintaining policies is an on-going process.
Section 1. Overview
The College of Education proudly maintains a commitment to providing an education for current and future professionals in South Georgia. This commitment began with the inception of Valdosta State as an institution of higher education in 1906. The College of Education draws its student population primarily from the surrounding forty-one counties. Acting as a learning community, the College of Education strives to meet the needs and aspirations of the population it serves by offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs, continuing education programs, and performing research and community service activities. The degree programs address appropriate professional standards and prepare teachers and human resource professionals for challenging positions. Graduates demonstrate a strong background in subject matter knowledge and service delivery skills designed to meet the needs of all learners.
The College of Education shall define its purpose by maintaining a mission statement that meets the following criteria: relates to and supports the university’s stated mission; accurately describes the unit and its characteristics; is developed with input from students, faculty, and administrators; is approved by the Executive Committee and faculty members;
and is considered for revision every three years. The mission statement is the foundation upon which the College of Education goals are developed:
The College of Education provides quality instruction through offering comprehensive degree programs in the liberal arts, pre-professional, and professional service areas at the associate, baccalaureate, masters, specialist, and doctoral levels. In addition to a primary focus on preparing future teachers and other professionals, faculty members of the College of Education also maintain a commitment to engaging in the scholarly pursuits of research and service for the advancement and sharing of knowledge.
Philosophy
We, as faculty members, administrators, and staff of the College of Education, envision an educational system where students fully participate in and take responsibility for their own learning process, where interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration is the norm, and where technology is fully integrated into the learning process. We also seek to create an environment that promotes the full development of human potential, supports the conviction that all individuals are capable of learning, and prepares professionals to meet the needs of all learners.
Vision
An agreed upon vision provides focus and direction for the members of an organization. The College of Education dedicates its resources and expertise to:
Positively Impacting Learning
Through Evidence-Based Practices
College of Education Goals
The College of Education defines and seeks to ensure excellence in fulfilling its mission by maintaining a positive vision for the future of education and developing goals to achieve this vision. The following goals support the mission and vision of the College of Education:
Improve Graduation Rates
Enhance Quality Academic Programs
Positively Impacting Learning Through Evidence-Based Practices
Recruitment, Retention, and Development of High-Quality Personnel
Diversity (Improvement and Enhancement)
Service
Systematic Planning
The College of Education is committed to using standards as a conceptual framework to ensure that all aspects of its operation contribute significantly to developing professionals of the highest caliber who are prepared to meet the challenges of providing services to enrich the lives of a diverse population. Mutually agreed upon and adopted, sets of standards are used by faculty members and administrators to develop a shared vision of professional practice. Standards guide the College of Education mission and goals as well as planning for continuous improvement.
1.2.1 Conceptual Framework: Guiding Principles
Dispositions Principle: Productive dispositions positively affect learners, professional growth, and the learning environment.
Equity Principle: All learners deserve high expectations and support.
Process Principle: Learning is a lifelong process of development and growth.
Ownership Principle: Professionals are committed to, and assume responsibility for, the future of their disciplines.
Support Principle: Successful engagement in the process of learning requires collaboration among multiple partners.
Impact Principle: Effective practice yields evidence of learning.
Technology Principle: Technology facilitates teaching, learning, community-building, and resource acquisition.
Standards Principle: Evidence-based standards systematically guide professional preparation and development.
1.2.2 College of Education Conceptual Framework Standards for Teachers (CFS)
I. CONTENT AND CURRICULUM: Teachers demonstrate a strong content knowledge of content area(s) that are appropriate for their certification levels.
II. KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS AND THEIR LEARNING: Teachers support the intellectual, social, physical, and personal development of all students.
III. LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: Teachers create learning environments that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
IV. ASSESSMENT: Teachers understand and use a range of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous development of all learners.
V. PLANNING AND INSTRUCTION: Teachers design and create instructional experiences based on their knowledge of content and curriculum, students, learning environments, and assessment.
VI. PROFESSIONALISM: Teachers recognize, participate in, and contribute to teaching as a profession.
Standards adopted by the College and Departments include:
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
American Library Association/American Association of School Librarians (ALA/AASL)
American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA)
Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI)
Association for Education Communications and Technology (AECT)
American Society of Exercise Physiologists (ASEP)
Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education Programs (CAATE)
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC)
International Reading Association (IRA)
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC)
National Association for Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
National Association for Schools of Music (NASM)
National Association for Sports and Physical Education (NASPE)
--American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
National Middle School Association (NMSA)
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
The College of Education maintains accreditation with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and each of its individual teacher preparation programs are accredited by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GPSC). In addition, the Sports Medicine/Athletic Training Program is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education Programs (CAATE), the Speech and Language Program is accredited by the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), and the graduate program in School Psychology is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). In the College of the Arts, the Music Program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the Art Program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Section 2. Organizational Structure
The College of Education is headed by the Dean, who reports directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Personnel reporting directly to the Dean include an Assistant or Associate Dean for Administrative Services, the Director of Teacher Certification and Student Teaching, the Director of the Advising Center, a Doctoral Program Coordinator, and an Assessment Coordinator. Each department has a Department Head who reports directly to the Dean. Faculty members and departmental staff report directly to the Department Head to which they are assigned. The College of Education is organized into the following seven departments:
Adult and Career Education
Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology
Early Childhood and Reading Education
Kinesiology and Physical Education
Middle Grades and Secondary Education
Psychology and Counseling
Special Education and Communication Disorders
In addition, the Dean’s office supervises technology support specialists, technology training specialists, a copy center director, and clerical staff who report directly to the Dean. An organizational chart is included in Appendix A.
The mission of the Advising Center is to assist students in meeting requirements for admission into their chosen major in the College of Education. The Center has a Director and experienced faculty members are selected to work with the Center. Additionally, Peer Advisors are hired by the Director to assist with orientation sessions and other College of Education functions. The Center activities include: assisting students in scheduling classes; giving information on policies and procedures; and helping students explore short- and long-range consequences of their academic choices. All incoming freshmen and transfer students who don’t meet requirements for admission into their programs of study are assigned to the Center. The Center maintains a website which provides information about admission to teacher education. The Advising Center maintains all records related to admission to teacher education.
2.2 Educational Technology and Training Center
The COE provides facilities for, and support to, the Educational Technology and Training Center (ETTC) that is funded through the Georgia Department of Education. The Center’s primary purpose is to provide training and support for public school personnel to aid them in integrating technology into teaching and learning through InTech workshops. Faculty members in the COE may also take advantage of InTech training sessions.
Section 3. Governance
A number of committees are maintained to support the goals of the college and to provide an organizational structure that facilitates shared governance. Each committee’s purpose and membership is regularly reviewed by the COE Executive Committee.
The College of Education Executive Committee is chaired by the Dean and is composed of selected Dean’s office personnel, all Department Heads, representatives from the Colleges of the Arts and Arts and Sciences offering teacher education programs in conjunction with the College of Education, and a faculty representative. The faculty representative is elected by the COE faculty annually. Policies specific to the College of Education are approved by the Executive Committee. Suggestions for policies and procedures can be submitted by faculty members or administrators to the Executive Committee.
The Vice President for Academic Affairs formed the Teacher Education Council and the Dean of the College of Education and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences co-chair the committee. The mission of the Valdosta State University Teacher Education Council is to bring together faculty members and administrators from the Colleges of Education, Arts and Sciences, and the Arts for the purpose of improving the preparation of educators at the initial and advanced levels. The Council is also responsible for the successful implementation of the Board of Regents’ Principles for the Preparation of Educators for the Schools and is a forum for dialogue.
3.3 Discipline Study Committees
To address its purposes, the Teacher Education Council has formed five Discipline Study Committees in the areas of Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, and Fine Arts. These committees review teacher education program requirements and make recommendations for program improvement. Courses are developed or revised to support the training of future teachers and address state requirements.
It is the policy of the College of Education to maintain a Standing Committee structure to ensure that critical issues related to the health and functioning of the unit are addressed in a consistent manner and that faculty members have an on-going involvement in the decision-making and problem-solving processes. To this end, the Standing Committee structure is reviewed each fall by the Executive Committee and committees may be added or deleted depending on the current needs and directions of the unit. Each Standing Committee is assigned a charge important to the mission and goals of the unit. Committee charges are also reviewed and revised each fall. The Standing Committees’ chairs maintain committee membership, coordinate the activities of the different committees, and report the results of committee work to the Executive Committee. Faculty members volunteer to be committee chairs or members. Generally, the individual committees have at least one representative from each department in the College of Education. The current Standing Committees for the College of Education are:
·1 Conceptual Framework Committee
·2 Technology Committee
·3 Assessment Committee
·4 Field Placement Committee
3.5 Doctoral Program Coordinating Committee
The Doctoral Coordinating Committee is chaired by the Doctoral Program Coordinator and includes the coordinators appointed by each department offering a doctoral program. Issues and concerns from the Dean of the College of Education and the Dean of the Graduate School are brought before the Doctoral Coordinating Committee by the Doctoral Program Coordinator during monthly meetings or via email. Program-level concerns are brought before the Doctoral Coordinating Committee by individual coordinators. The committee is responsible for setting policies and procedures and maintaining the doctoral program handbook. These responsibilities are carried out with input from the Dean of the College of Education, the Dean of the Graduate School, and Department Head and faculty from each department offering a doctoral program. Notifications of any changes in policy and/or procedure are communicated to appropriate stakeholders by the Doctoral Program Coordinator and/or program-level coordinators.
Doctoral program faculty applications are evaluated based on established doctoral faculty criteria. Faculty who meet these criteria are approved by the Doctoral Program Coordinator and the Dean of the College of Education. A list of all current doctoral faculty is maintained on the doctoral program website. Copies of applications are kept on file in the Doctoral Program Coordinator’s office.
The following committees are required at the department level. Each department may decide how to best organize committees as long as there are committees that serve the following functions.
3.6.1 Personnel/ Screening Committees
Each department maintains a Personnel Committee for the purpose of reviewing specified decisions related to faculty. Faculty members on this committee, as part of their professional responsibilities, participate in the evaluation process by making formal recommendations on the status of their colleagues in respect to initial appointment to the faculty; pre-tenure and post-tenure review; promotion in professorial rank; and the awarding of tenure at the institution. Determining the status of colleagues is a primary responsibility of faculty because of their expertise, credentials, and experience. Faculty members also have input into establishing the qualifications for appointments to the faculty. Recommendations to promote or award tenure are made after consideration by the appropriate personnel committee according to procedures adopted by the faculty.
This committee is also responsible for carrying out searches to fill vacant positions. Specific requirements concerning searches are described in the Valdosta State University Recruitment Handbook which is available from The Office of Equal Opportunity Programs and Multicultural Affairs.
Each College of Education department is responsible for creating and maintaining an Advisory Committee for the purpose of soliciting input from external constituents concerning instructional programs. Minutes from all departmental Advisory Committee meetings are maintained in departmental offices.
Section 4. General Administration
The following sections describe general administrative aspects of the College of Education.
4.1 Professional Community and Collaboration
The College of Education maintains a number of Centers designed to serve both academic and community goals. Each Center is approved by the Board of Regents and is supervised by a College of Education faculty member.
The College of Education maintains that all programs have the responsibility of preparing professionals for a diverse society. Multicultural perspectives should not be limited to isolated courses, but awareness should permeate throughout the curriculum. Teacher education faculty and candidates need to address multicultural issues within each educational experience. The goal of providing culturally appropriate educational experiences is to increase respect for diversity, reduce prejudice, and positively affect student learning.
4.3 Departmental Diversity Plans
The College of Education requires Diversity Plans from each department as one method to focus attention on the goal of building an inclusive community that respects and values differences. The Diversity Plan describes the current status of faculty and student diversity based on information from the VSU Enrollment Analysis and the Faculty Data Base. The plans are submitted to and approved by the COE Executive Committee each Fall and describe diversity efforts, programs, and on-going projects planned for the up-coming academic year and provide a summary of progress made in maintaining and advocating diversity for the past academic year.
The College of Education Strategic Plan is developed to identify major long-range goals of the college and to guide the actions of the college toward accomplishing the agreed-upon goals. The plan is reviewed by the Executive Committee and faculty of the college and submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs every year. The major factors that influence the planning process of the College of Education include its mission statement, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia Policy Directives, Valdosta State University’s (VSU) Mission and Goals, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Standards, the Professional Standards Commission (PSC) Standards, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Criteria, standards from Professional Organizations, other accrediting commissions, and the specific needs of the service area. The College of Education Strategic Plan directly addresses the Board of Regents’ and Valdosta State University’s planning documents wherever appropriate.
Each department submits an Annual Report to the Dean and the Dean submits a college annual report to the Vice President.
The College of Education promotes and encourages faculty members to pursue external funding for research and community service projects. All grant and contract activities follow the guidelines set by the Grants and Contracts Office. (See VSU Grants and Contracts Handbook)
Faculty members, program coordinators, and Department Heads are responsible for all curriculum revision in the COE. All curricular changes go through a rigorous approval process described in the following sections.
4.8 Review and Approval of Academic Program and Course Changes
Faculty members with the appropriate academic and experiential qualifications have primary responsibility for curriculum development for each major in a degree program. The following items describe the steps required for the approval of curriculum development and revision:
All curriculum changes in the COE must be reviewed by the Teacher Education Council and approved at the department and college level before being forwarded for approval to the University Academic Committee and the Board of Regents. Curriculum changes to graduate programs must also be approved by the Graduate Executive Committee. Proposals for curriculum changes originate from faculty members and are approved by the following groups:
Departmental Curriculum Committees
Departmental Faculty
Departmental Advisory Committee
Teacher Education Council
College of Education Executive Committee
Graduate Executive Committee (for graduate program changes)
University Academic Committee
Faculty Senate
University System Board of Regents
The university distributes two forms required for curriculum changes, one for course changes and one for program changes. Forms are available from Department Heads, departmental secretaries, or on the web.
The Request for New or Revised Course form is used to propose new courses and to revise course titles, numbers, credit hours, or bulletin descriptions. A course syllabus, following the COE syllabi format, must be attached to this form. The Request for Curriculum Change form is used to propose new programs or make changes in existing programs. Syllabi, following the COE syllabi format, must be attached to this form when significant changes in programs and course content are being proposed.
Both forms include a justification section that should be used to describe the rationale for the proposal. COE faculty members should reference the conceptual framework, appropriate learned society professional standards, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission standards, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education standards, or Board of Regents’ guidelines wherever relevant.
The forms, once approved, become the official record of all curriculum changes and are used to make the appropriate changes in the University Catalogs. It is therefore essential that the forms submitted to the various committees be complete and without error.
The College of Education has an approved syllabus format to facilitate consistency of required components across departments and programs. The consistency in format aids students in understanding course requirements and facilitates syllabi review for program and unit accreditation reviews. Faculty members may add items to the format as necessary.
Study abroad opportunities for both students and faculty members are organized through the university International Programs office.
The Student Services Office is responsible for overseeing all activities related to student teaching and teacher certification. Policies and procedures governing student teaching are described in the COE Student Teaching Guidelines. Guidelines are available from the Student Services Office. The Student Services Office also maintains all records related to criminal background checks, teacher certification, and teacher testing.
Field experiences prior to student teaching are determined by each department in which the field experience is required.
All research projects planned by students or faculty members are reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research and Research Related Activities. Forms and procedures are described at the following web site:
http://www.valdosta.edu/ospra/forms/irb/irb98b.html
4.14 Thesis and Dissertation Requirements
The College of Education abides by the Thesis and Dissertation Handbook published by the Graduate School. Individual departments may approve additional requirements.
The COE requires faculty and students to abide by the University System Guide to Understanding Copyright and Fair Use published by the Board of Regents, University System of Georgia. The guide is available on the web at: www.peachnet.edu/admin/legal/copyright.
Section 5. Faculty
Full-time teaching faculty members are responsible for performing diverse professional activities including the delivery of quality instruction to students, advisement of students, research, and service activities. Faculty members are also primarily responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum. Additional Faculty Rights and responsibilities are covered in the university Faculty Handbook.
Faculty members coordinate their workloads with their Department Heads. Issues involved in determining workload include candidate committee work, teaching, scholarship, assessment, advisement, supervision of field experience of clinical practice, online courses, off-campus courses, collaborative work with P-12 schools, grant work, and collaboration with the community. Teaching loads on campus generally do not exceed 12 hours for undergraduate teaching and 9 hours for graduate teaching. Supervision of clinical practice generally does not exceed 18 candidates.
The COE faculty evaluation process is designed to highlight the accomplishments of faculty members and to encourage faculty members to improve the quality of their teaching, scholarship, and service when appropriate. Procedures for evaluating the teaching, scholarship, and service of faculty members involve colleagues, administrators, and students. These procedures are established and maintained with appropriate input from faculty and administrators.
Evaluation of COE personnel includes the following:
Faculty Evaluation Plan
Annual Faculty Evaluation
Course/Instructor Evaluation
Student Teaching Supervisor and External Placement Evaluations
Pre-Tenure Review
Promotion and Tenure Reviews
Post-Tenure Review
Administrative Evaluation
A brief introduction to each of these areas is presented below. Additional information on specific policies and procedures for each area is available from the Dean’s Office or from individual departments. The University System Policy Manual for Academic Affairs, available on the web, and the University Faculty Handbook, distributed by the Faculty Senate, are important sources of information regarding policies and procedures concerning faculty evaluation. One factor to consider when reviewing the procedures is that the University’s and College’s schedule of activities are based in part on the calendar year (which is from January to December) and in part on the fiscal year (which is July to June). Exact due dates for all materials are posted on the COE Web Page.
The purpose of the Faculty Evaluation Plan is to describe the objectives the faculty member anticipates achieving in the upcoming calendar year. It is a comprehensive outline of the activities the faculty member agrees to pursue in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. The plan, which is generated by each faculty member, is reviewed and approved by the Department Head at the beginning of the calendar year. If the plan is not agreed upon by the faculty member and Department Head, a meeting is scheduled with the Dean to review the plan. These plans may be revised during the year, after consultation with Department Head, to take into consideration any unanticipated circumstances. The accomplishments of the faculty member, based on the agreed-upon plan, are then taken into account when the Department Head prepares Annual Faculty Evaluations and recommends merit pay. Each department revises the Faculty Evaluation Planning process to meet the needs of the faculty and department.
5.2.2 Annual Faculty Evaluation
Using the Faculty Evaluation Plan, faculty members submit a summary of their accomplishments to their Department Head at the end of the calendar year. Annual faculty evaluation forms are then completed by Department Heads, discussed with the faculty member, and submitted to the Dean on a form that describes the faculty member’s accomplishments in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. After this process is completed, merit pay is recommended by Department Heads, with the approval of the Dean, based on the outcomes of the Faculty Evaluation Plan and Annual Faculty Evaluation. If a faculty member wishes to appeal a merit pay recommendation, the process is initiated by the faculty member submitting a written justification to the Department Head. If the faculty member’s request is not supported by the Department Head, the written appeal may be forwarded by the faculty member to the Dean. The Dean consults with the faculty member and the Department Head to reach consensus. If agreement is not reached, the faculty member may continue the process by submitting the written appeal to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
5.2.3 Course/Instructor Evaluation
The primary purpose of student ratings of courses and instructors is to improve teaching and programs. Faculty members use the COE Course/Instructor Evaluation form as a means of summative evaluation for all courses. These forms, and the specific directions for administration, are provided to faculty members by individual departments--they may be completed by students either electronically or manually. Forms should be completed in the last class prior to the final exam; forms that are completed manually are to be returned directly to the Dean’s office. The Dean’s office processes the forms, prints individual reports and overall comparisons, and distributes the reports to Department Heads after grades have been recorded. Copies are then distributed to individual faculty members and kept on file by the department. Departments or faculty members may supplement the COE forms as they see fit. The COE supports and encourages faculty members’ use of innovative teaching methods and considers multiple data sources when evaluating faculty members’ teaching, taking into consideration the research on validity and reliability of student ratings. Faculty members are also encouraged to use various forms of formative assessment in their courses throughout the semester.
The College of Education expects faculty members to maintain a minimum of ten office hours per week when classes are in session to ensure that students have access to instructors/advisors. Office hours must be posted on the faculty member’s office door, and a copy must be given to the departmental secretary at the beginning of each semester. Office hours must be distributed throughout the week. Temporary changes to posted office hours, due to meetings, appointments, etc., must be communicated to the departmental secretary. Deviation from the required hours due to off-campus teaching or supervision may be approved by the Department Head.
During summer sessions, faculty members are expected to maintain a minimum of one office hour a week for each semester credit hour of teaching load when classes are in session to ensure that students have access to instructors outside of class.
5.2.5 Student Teaching Supervisor and External Placement Evaluations
Faculty members who supervise student teachers are evaluated by both the mentor teacher and the student teacher on forms that are submitted electronically. Results are compiled and returned to Department Heads to be shared with faculty members. Other external placements are important components of many programs in the COE. These various experiences are designed to give students the opportunity to apply knowledge and skill learned in the classroom. All field experiences, internships, and practica are to be evaluated by departments, and the results should be shared with the appropriate faculty members.
Faculty members and administrators in tenure-track positions are given guidance by their peers on progress toward tenure at the mid-point of their pre-tenure period through the Pre-Tenure Review process. This process is described in the university Faculty Handbook.
5.2.7 Promotion and Tenure Procedures
Criteria for promotion are delineated in the Board of Regents’ Policy Manual, Section 803.08.
Each department is responsible for having approved guidelines for gaining promotion specific for the department. During the pre-tenure period, faculty members are made aware of the criteria to be applied to their evaluation for promotion and tenure through the Faculty Evaluation Plan and departmental requirements. Before promotion is considered, a faculty member should have three years experience as an instructor, four years as an assistant professor, and five years as an associate professor. Tenured status is earned after a probationary period not to exceed seven years. Faculty members are awarded tenure only after a rigorous peer evaluation of their teaching, scholarship, and service based on specific criteria properly adopted by the respective department, the COE, and the university.
Promotion and tenure documents are due to Department Heads midterm, Fall Semester (exact dates are disseminated). Application forms are available in the Dean’s office. The documents are reviewed by the departmental personnel committee, which makes a recommendation to the Department Head, who makes a recommendation to the Dean. The Dean then makes a recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, who submits a recommendation to the President. All promotion and tenure recommendations must ultimately be approved by the Board of Regents.
Five years after receiving tenure or after the last personnel action, such as promotion, a faculty member’s accomplishments are reviewed by their tenured peers in the Post-Tenure Review process. This process is described in the university Faculty Handbook.
5.3 Faculty Professional Development
Faculty members are encouraged to use various sources of assessment information to reflect on their performance and plan for their professional development. The COE and university support faculty professional development by funding travel, sponsoring workshops, and providing leave with pay opportunities.
Faculty members are provided an opportunity to evaluate Department Heads and the Dean annually through the Office of Institutional Research and Policy Analysis.
The College of Education recognizes the important contribution that part-time faculty members bring to the learning environment. Students can greatly benefit from the experiences of part-time faculty who link education to the real world and workplace. The College of Education maintains a handbook for part-time faculty to provide an orientation to campus, to describe college policies and procedures, and to assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities. The Dean interviews each part-time faculty member, the department assigns a full-time faculty member as a mentor to all part-time faculty, and part-time faculty are regularly evaluated by the appropriate Department Head. All courses taught by part-time faculty members are evaluated using the College of Education Course/Instructor Evaluation form. The following is the Board of Regents’ definition of part-time faculty as found in the Academic Affairs handbook:
Non-tenured faculty employed less than full time:
1. Shall be known as "part-time" faculty.
2. Are not accruing time toward tenure.
3. Are not covered under the "Revised Tenure Policies."
4. Are considered temporary appointees, requiring re-appointment from year to year (if and as needed).*
5. If written agreements or contracts are issued to part-time faculty members, they must be appropriate to the specific assignments.
6. Additional justification will be required when part-time faculty member's employment exceeds one-half time for the year.
* Does not include Adjunct Faculty (Persons holding adjunct appointments or other honorary titles shall not be considered to be members of the faculty)
Section 6. Assessment Policies
The College of Education maintains a focus on performance assessment in all programs in addition to participating in systematic assessment of all aspect of the college. The COE Assessment Matrix outlines the major methods used for assessment purposes.
One of the most important activities of the College of Education is maintaining professional and institutional accountability for its degree programs. Collecting information pertaining to effectiveness is an ongoing process, the product of which is used to improve quality and to demonstrate that the College is fulfilling its stated purpose. The COE functions in a complex environment that includes state and national calls for educational reform, compliance with state and national accreditation standards, Board of Regents’ requirements, institutional demands, and a commitment to meeting the needs of its service region. The COE’s stakeholders are numerous and varied. In addition to professional organizations and learned societies, the College must take into consideration the specifications of accreditation bodies, the needs of students, faculty members, public school personnel, and the University System Board of Regents.
In order to ensure its commitment to the assessment of effectiveness and organize its many components, the COE has outlined an Assessment Matrix that divides the necessary actions into stages that describe exactly what activities are required, who is responsible for the activities, and how the results are disseminated and used. These stages form a cycle that focuses the efforts of the COE on continuously clarifying its purpose, identifying measurable outcomes, assessing the attainment of outcomes, and implementing improvements to enhance effectiveness based on assessment results.
COE departments have identified specific faculty members as Program Coordinators. The Program Coordinators have expertise and experience related to their respective degree areas and have a primary responsibility to maintain program integrity.
6.4 Program Outcomes and Assessments
Each degree program has developed from three to five program outcomes and matching assessments that are published in the Valdosta State University catalogs. Using the identified assessments, each program collects data to measure students’ levels of achievement based on the outcomes. Results from this process are used in program planning decisions.
The Program Assessment Matrix is designed to identify the major methods used to evaluate each of the degree programs offered in the COE. The matrix documents the fact that individual programs use various methods to assess student achievement and program outcomes. For example, all teacher education programs use the results from the Praxis II exams, course/instructor surveys, Student Teaching Program Improvement Survey (STPIS), and feedback from public school mentors to evaluate programs. Examples of other programs’ requirements include teaching portfolios, thesis, capstone courses, or applied projects.
6.6 Program Improvement Surveys
As part of the overall COE assessment process for undergraduate teacher education programs, all student teachers are asked to complete a Student Teaching Program Improvement Survey (STPIS) after completion of the student teaching experience. The students are asked to give their respective programs an overall grade, identify strengths, and make suggestions for improvements. In addition, various questions are asked about the integration of technology into instruction, preparation to meet the needs of diverse learners, quality of advising, and other areas. Results from this survey are shared with Department Heads and faculty members and utilized in planning program improvements and for the two-hour Student Teaching Seminar class that is taken simultaneously with student teaching.
COE personnel also use survey results provided by the Office of Institutional Research and Policy Analysis to assess programs and services. Examples include the Student Exit Survey, the Alumni Survey, and the Graduate Surveys. All departments are also required to maintain Advisory Committees to solicit feedback from appropriate constituents.
Section 7. Budget and Resources
The university’s budget is determined by the Board of Regents. The new fiscal year begins each July. The College’s budget is determined by the Office of the President and Cabinet. A budget presentation is required annually. The Dean and each Department Head maintain budgets for the effective management of the college and departments. In addition, faculty members manage budgets associated with external funding sources.
The COE provides hardware, software, and technical support to faculty members, staff, students, and administrators. The COE Technology Standing Committee is responsible for reviewing technology needs and for providing support for the integration of technology into teaching and learning.
Each department designates a faculty member as the Library Liaison. This person is responsible for overseeing the library materials budget and purchase requests made by faculty members.
Section 8. Considerations for Hiring New Faculty in the College of Education
Position announcements from departments should address:
Rank
Advertise for two levels only, such as instructor/assistant, assistant/associate - generally, the assistant/associate level is most appropriate
Qualifications
Degree level should generally be at the terminal level unless the search needs a quick turnaround time, in which case the statement would be doctorate, ABD with Masters considered. Be sure to include three years’ minimum public school teaching experience.
Responsibilities
Teaching/advising, community and institutional service, and research productivity will be expected.
Candidates for the position must meet the listed qualifications and correspond with the Dean’s office within the timelines stated in the position announcement. All position announcements must request that a letter of application, a resume, and the names and phone numbers of three references be sent to the Dean’s office.
8.2 Process for Advertising Faculty Positions
After the personnel committee and Department Head have approved written information regarding rank, qualifications, and responsibilities, the information is be forwarded to the Dean’s office. A position announcement is created and sent to the Academic Vice President. An advertisement to the Chronicle of Higher Education is created at the Dean’s office and sent with the position announcement. Advertisements other than the Chronicle of Higher Education need to be created in the departmental level with a purchase request accompanying the advertisement and forwarded to the Dean’s office at the time the position announcement is supplied. While the advertisements are paid for by the Vice President’s office, all purchase requests are completed at the college and departmental levels.
Once the Vice President’s office has received the position announcement and advertisement(s), the position is checked with the departmental budget to assure that a vacancy exists. The position is then listed on the COE web page and through the University System’s Clearinghouse; and the advertisement is sent to purchasing. The Dean’s office inputs the position information into a database to ensure that all applicants for each position are monitored.
8.3 Monitoring Position Applicants
When correspondence is received in the Dean’s office, it is stamped with the date and placed into each applicant’s folder. All correspondence is copied and forwarded to the Department Head for consideration by the departmental personnel committee. The written contact with each applicant through the Dean’s office consists of a letter indicating receipt of application materials and forwarding the required VSU application. After the search is completed and an applicant accepts the position, a form letter is sent to all unsuccessful applicants.
8.4 Department Personnel Committee Responsibilities
Upon receiving the applicants’ folders, several tasks are necessary. First, those applicants who do not meet minimal qualifications should be excluded from further consideration and a list of those applications and the reason for their exclusion developed. Second, specific criteria used to judge the remaining applicants must be put in writing.
Third, applicants under consideration should be contacted to determine if they are still interested in the position. This is a good time to clarify such items as (1) tenure-track means that the successful applicants can apply for tenure during their fifth year, unless up to three years of prior higher education experience are credited toward tenure at the time of employment, (2) Board of Regents policy states tenure may not be granted at the time of employment, (3) information concerning the salary range, and (4) information concerning the departmental, College of Education, VSU, and community.
Fourth, after narrowing the field to approximately five applicants, telephone interviews should be conducted with the committee agreeing on standard questions to be asked. Two references that need to be contacted are the applicant’s current and former supervisors. The faculty interviewer needs to take notes of the conversation and those notes must be placed in the applicant’s folder.
Two applicants should be selected to be interviewed by the committee. The personnel committee chair should send a memorandum to the Department Head with the recommendations and all folders of the applicants. In addition, the position announcement, criteria for evaluating the applicants’ qualifications, the documentation dealing with minority applicants, the list of non-qualified applicants, and the interview notes should accompany the memorandum. Any self-identified minority applicants’ exclusion from the interview group should be documented with specific reasons explained. Specific directions from the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs/Multicultural Affairs follow:
Affirmative Action Approval Guidelines
There are several documents that are needed in order to complete the Affirmative Action Approval Request. It is essential that a copy of the position announcement(s) is included in the request. Copies of the entire application packets are required for the finalist (others may be requested by the Affirmative Action Officer). If additional information is needed, the search committee chair will be contacted. There should be a memo outlining the following guidelines:
1) the total number of applicants
2) a list of the applicants categorized by race (this information is
located on the institutional application)
3) a list of applicants categorized by gender (this information is
located on the institutional application)
4) a list of finalists
5) a list of minorities who were excluded from finalist list and the
reasons for their exclusion
6) an explanation of where the job advertisement was placed
7) copies of application packets of the finalists(s)
The Department Head reviews the submitted documentation and either supports the recommendation of the personnel committee or schedules a meeting to address questions that may arise. If self-identified minority applicants are included in those selected to be interviewed or among those not selected but qualified, a copy of their folders and the applicants selected for interview are forwarded to the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs/Multicultural Affairs. The folders will be reviewed and returned to the department with a memorandum sharing impressions and recommendations. If no minorities surface, a strong justification must be submitted as to the efforts made to secure minorities for the pool. Each personnel committee should review the VSU Recruitment Handbook.
The Department Head writes a memorandum to the Dean recommending the applicants to be interviewed. The memorandum and the committee’s documentation; the interviewee’s folders, correspondence from the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs/Multicultural Affairs, lists of those applicants not qualified, qualified minority applicants not interviewed including the rationale for their exclusion are all forwarded to the Dean’s Office. This documentation is critical to completing the affirmative action paperwork once an applicant is hired.
The Dean then sends a memorandum and the other documentation to the Vice-President. The Vice President contacts the Dean’s office when permission for interviewing has been granted and the Dean’s office contacts the appropriate Department Heads.
Interviews for each applicant need to be scheduled with the Dean’s office and the Vice President’s office. Other interview events must include:
Individual and/or group interviews with departmental faculty
Individual interview with the Department Head
Interview with the departmental personnel committee
Meeting with students in that major
Presentation to students/faculty (optional)
Meeting with local area teachers at local school (optional)
Meeting with the personnel office
Tour of the campus and Valdosta area
The departmental personnel committee chair is responsible for arranging or delegating the arrangement for each applicant’s schedule while in Valdosta. It is important that faculty members assist sharing non-interview times, such as meals and tours. The applicant is to pay for lodging and meals and submit an expense forms for reimbursement. The chair of the personnel committee should make sure receipts for lodging and travel are attached to the expense form. Meals, as of 11/1/96 are $6.0, $7.00, and $15.00 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and receipts are not needed. If faculty join the applicant for a meal, the cost is the responsibility of the faculty member unless the department establishes reimbursement through the department’s VSU Foundation discretionary account. A per diem form and travel expense form should be completed by the applicant, with assistance from a VSU faculty member, and sent to the Vice President’s office.
8.6 Selection and Offering a Position
It is the responsibility of the departmental faculty and Department Head to agree upon procedures to arrive at the final decision as to the most appropriate applicant for the position. This recommendation is forwarded to the Dean in written form. Once the recommendation has been communicated to the Dean, the recommendation, with approval of the Dean, is forwarded to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. With approval from the Vice President’s office, the applicant is then contacted and informally offered the position. That contact is made by the Dean, or his designee. It is at that time that specific salary is discussed, although the applicant could be informed of the approximate salary range while on campus.
Another topic that is discussed between the applicant and the Dean may be years credited toward tenure. The Board of Regents of the University System allows a maximum of three years that can be applied to tenure. These years are based on years of higher education experience and any years of credit applied toward tenure must be in included in the formal written offer mailed from the Vice-President’s office.
After the Dean and applicant agree on the terms of employment, the Vice-President of Academic Affairs is contacted and a letter of intent to employ is sent to the applicant. In turn, the applicant accepts the offer in writing. At this time, the applicant also completes a set of employment papers and requests official transcripts from all institutions where degrees were earned to be mailed to the Vice President’s office. Once the acceptance letter, paperwork, and transcripts have been received, the Vice President requests approval of employment from the Board of Regents and that request is placed on the agenda of the next monthly board meeting. Contracts to new faculty can be sent after approval by the Board of Regents and after the Board approves the budget for the next fiscal year. Timing is particularly critical in the summer months, as the agenda for the board meeting is developed during the last week of the month for next month’s meeting.