Conceptual Framework
The College of Education, as a professional school, promotes
reflection, critical thinking, and excellence in teaching through
interdisciplinary studies in an inclusive learning community.
Its graduates are well educated persons who view themselves as
lifelong learners and who are prepared to practice in an ever
changing, multicultural world. Graduates assume service and leadership
roles in educational programs and institutions, health and social
institutions, and public and private settings. The College establishes
and maintains productive partnerships with community schools and
agencies. The faculty is committed to excellence in teaching,
scholarship and collaboration with the community and professions.
- 1. We value an inclusive learning community, therefore, we are committed for ourselves and our students to:
- developing, using, and promoting positive interpersonal skills
- respecting and understanding differing contributions of all members of the community
- enhancing diversity
- infusing pluralistic perspectives throughout programs and practices
- engaging in and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among students, administrators and faculty in the College of Education and in the university, schools, and community agencies.
- fostering a climate of equality and trust
- creating and using an open and inclusive process for making decisions and achieving consensus
- accepting responsibility and accountability for shared decisions and actions of members of the academic community.
- 2. We believe that all persons can learn and we value high standards in the acquisition and application of professional knowledge and skills, therefore we are committed for ourselves and our students to:
- being well-educated persons in content areas related to facilitating the well-being and growth of self and others
- being open to changing structures in schools in order to facilitate support for learning for all students
- being self-directed and self-evaluative life-long learners.
- developing proficiency in:
- a. communication skills in professional and community settings.
- b. identifying and using professional and community resources.
- demonstrating proficiency in:
- a. professional and selected specialization skills.
- b. scholarship and research.
- 3. We value creative, critical and reflective thinking and practice, therefore we are committed for ourselves and our students to:
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- A. encouraging creative, critical and reflective thinking by:
- developing skills in analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating data that will inform our practice
- making critical, informed judgments on the purposes of education
- articulating our roles as professional educators
- B.encouraging reflective practice by:
- modeling professional competence
- refining professional competencies through:
- a. collegial interaction
- b. reflection on programs and practices
- employing reflective thinking for the purposes of solving problems, making decisions, facilitating change, and producing new knowledge
- 4. We value the development of ethics and high standards for professional practice, therefore we are committed for ourselves and our students to:
- encouraging personal responsibility for developing, articulating, and refining the values, beliefs and assumptions that guide our professional practice
- articulating a code of ethics appropriate to professional practice and recognizing its relationship to the realities of the contexts in which practice occurs
- developing attitudes and behaviors of caring professionals
- demonstrating a personal commitment to learning and growth
- taking personal responsibility for articulating those ethical attitudes we hold as exemplary and developing a sense of obligation to advocate for practice that is consistent with ethics
- examining professional practice in light of professional standards
