SOE Curriculum Lab Partners with Mardigian Library

In an effort designed to serve better the needs of faculty, staff, and students in the UM-Dearborn community, the SOE Curriculum Lab is working with the Mardigian Library on an exciting new project to integrate the SOE collection into the library’s automation resources. This automated system will allow the SOE books and materials to remain physically present in the SOE and also virtually integrated into the main library system. The SOE Curriculum Lab materials will be treated as a special collection and will appear in the library’s automated web-access catalog and will support automated circulation. In this way users will be able to access online the books in the SOE Curriculum Lab collection and find out whether materials are currently available in the Curriculum Lab or are checked out on loan.

Work has begun on this project, and the system is expected to be made fully operational at some time during the 2010-2011 academic year. Please join me in thanking Paul Bielich, Director of the SOE Curriculum Lab, and the leadership and staff of the Mardigian Library for their efforts to bring about this exciting new partnership that promises many benefits for our students, faculty and staff

Laura Reynolds-Keefer Tapped to Lead Campus Accreditation Effort

Laura Reynolds-Keefer, Assistant Professor of Education, has been selected by Provost Davy as the faculty leader of a campus-wide accreditation process that will culminate in a visit by a team from the Higher Learning Commission in 2013. At the University of Michigan-Dearborn, the HLC accreditation process will be folded into a campus-wide strategic planning process that the Provost has dubbed Vision 2020. Dr. Reynolds-Keefer will serve as co-coordinator, with Associate Provost Shridhar, providing leadership of a core group of faculty, administrators, and staff throughout the accreditation process.

Provost Davy selected Dr. Keefer-Reynolds for this role in large part because of her accomplishments in the area of educational assessment and evaluation. Please join me in congratulating Laura, thanking her for taking on this key campus leadership role, and pledging your support to her in this effort.

ECEC Receives Great Start Readiness Program Grant

The Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) has won a Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) competition grant of $61,200 to pay tuition costs for 18 children, The GSRP is a state-funded program to prepare four-year-old children who are judged to have factors that place them at risk for achieving school success. The recent award to the ECEC will provide tuition for four half-days of education for 18 children who meet the award criteria. Congratulations to the faculty and staff of the ECEC who will now be able to help these children get off to a great start in their schooling!

SOE Students Receive CEW Scholarships

Terrie Bishop (Elementary Education) and Diamantina Salinas (Early Childhood Education) have been awarded scholarships by the University of Michigan Center for the Education of Women (CEW). The CEW Scholarship Program for returning women students was established in 1970 to honor the academic performance and potential of women whose education has been interrupted and to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the admission of women to the University of Michigan. Please join me in congratulating Terrie and Diamantina on being selected for this honor from among a large number of worthy applicants.

SOE Staff Members Recognized for Service

At a recent event hosted by Chancellor Daniel Little, several SOE staff members were recognized for their service to UM-Dearborn. Judy Garfield and Pat Parker were recognized for 5 years, Liz Morden for 10 years, Shirley Solomon for 15 years, and Sandy Kulka for 20 years of dedicated service to UM-Dearborn. Please join me in congratulating them and thanking them for their efforts on behalf of the School of Education community.

UM-Dearborn Teacher Preparation Program Deemed Exemplary

For the second year in succession the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has designated the teacher preparation program at UM-Dearborn as EXEMPLARY, the highest category available.To make these program designations the MDE uses a complex, multi-faceted evaluation system that includes several different indicators of program characteristics, with special attention to teacher candidates’ content knowledge and preparatory experiences. Kudos to the faculty, staff and students in UM-Dearborn School of Education teacher preparation program for this recognition!

Educational Doctorate Program Coordinators Named

I am pleased to announce that Bonnie Beyer, Professor of Education, and Chris Burke, Associate Professor of Education, have agreed to serve as co-coordinators of the School of Education’s Educational Doctorate program.

Both Bonnie and Chris have been active in shaping the program since its inception, and they have both taught and advised students in the first cohort. As we launch our second doctoral cohort this year we are fortunate that these two dedicated faculty members have agreed to take the helm, stepping in to succeed Gail Luera who skillfully led the program through the approval processes and through its first year of operation.

Professors Beyer and Burke bring a combination of talents and perspectives that are essential to nurturing the program and helping it serve well the needs and aspirations of our students. Professor Beyer’s expertise and research interests are rooted in administrative leadership. She has published in national and international journals, presented at state, national, and international conferences, and is the author of numerous journal publications, book chapters, and books. Burke’s expertise is rooted in curriculum and instruction, with particular attention to the teaching and learning of science. His qualitative research endeavors have resulted in multiple publications and numerous presentations.

Please join me in congratulating and supporting Bonnie and Chris as they undertake this important new leadership role in the school.