Department of Educational Specialties
Mission Statement and Goals
Vision
The Department of Educational Specialties will be nationally recognized as a leader in preparing
professionals who create the educational organizations of tomorrow. These educational
organizations will meet the needs of diverse students in reaching their potential as lifelong
learners. The Department of Educational Specialties will offer the most student-focused
teacher preparation programs in the region for pre-K through 12th grade.
Our Goals in Educational Specialties are to:

Be recognized within the state, nation, and internationally for its well-coordinated and
clearly articulated curricula in bilingual/multicultural education, special education,
educational technology, and career and technical education.

Provide a variety of teacher education programs that address the needs of our
southwestern communities including campus-based, field-based and outreach
programs;

Contribute to the current body of knowledge relating to special education,
bilingual/multicultural education, second language learners, educational technology,
and career and technical education;
Graduates of our programs will be:



Prepared to meet the unique needs of students in our increasingly diverse society;
Knowledgeable in the areas of child development, inclusive practices for students with
disabilities, parental involvement and interaction, and the linguistic and socio-cultural
context of communities and schools;
Technology literate, and able to integrate technology into learning environments;

Able to create positive learning environments that encourage critical thinking and
problem solving; and.

Active and life-long learners
Brief Overview of the Department of Educational Specialties
The Department of Educational Specialties (ESP) is one of four academic units in the College of
Education. The department offers course in four unique curriculum areas of
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 1
bilingual/multicultural education, career and technical education, educational technology, and
special education. Faculty members in the Department of Educational Specialties teach
undergraduate courses that support elementary education programs, dual major programs in
elementary and special education, and a B.S.Ed. in Career and Technical Education. Master’s
level coursework and programs in the department support advanced training in critical
educational need areas. The Department of Educational Specialties offers two bachelor’s
degree programs, seven master’s degree programs, and three graduate certificate programs.
Bachelor’s Degrees
Master’s Degree Programs
B.S. Ed. in Special and Elementary M.Ed. in Bilingual
Education
Multicultural Education
Graduate Certificates
Autism Spectrum Disorders
B.S. Ed. in Career and Technical
Education: Occupational
Education*
Culturally and Linguistically
Diverse Special Education
English as a Second
Language Certificate
Educational Technology
M.Ed. in Career and
Technical Education*
M.Ed. in Educational
Technology
M.Ed. in Early Childhood
Special Education
M.Ed. in Special Education:
Cross-Categorical
M.Ed. in Special Education:
Low Incidence
M.Ed. in Special Education
(non-special education
certified)*
*Programs targeted for this review
The master’s program in Bilingual Multicultural Education is an advanced program designed to
assist teachers become highly qualified to provide appropriate instruction for students who are
English language learners (ELL) or bilingual learners as well as students from culturally and
linguistically diverse backgrounds. In addition, candidates who complete this program are
eligible for the ESL or Bilingual endorsement to their teaching certificate. The bachelor’s and
masters’ degree programs in Career and Technical Education address the need for CTE teachers
and occupational trainers with the knowledge and skills related to the latest instructional
teaching and occupational training practices. The M.Ed. in Educational Technology and the
Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology provide candidates with the skills and abilities
to design, model and implement technology in any learning environment. Candidates in the
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 2
M.Ed. in Special Education programs are prepared for initial licensure in early childhood special
education, cross-categorical (mild-moderate) special education, and low incidence/severe
disabilities and serve individuals who are seeking additional teaching certifications or second
career professionals who want to enter the teaching force. Each program leads to an
institutional recommendation for certification in Arizona. The M.Ed. in Special Education (nonspecial education certified) was developed to address the needs of individuals who want
advanced training in special education or who intend to work in private or human service
agencies working with individuals with disabilities. The ESP department also co-operates the
Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with the Department of Teaching and Learning. The
graduate certificate programs are designed to provide advanced training in high need areas.
Each certificate is a stand-alone program but can also be embedded in other master’s degree
programs.
Department of Educational Specialties Enrollment Trends
Along with most of the rest of the programs in the College of Education, the Educational
Specialties graduate programs have lost considerable enrollment in the last years. Many factors
are likely to have influenced this trend, but the most salient of these are (1) the national and
state economic downturn; (2) elimination of the need to hold a graduate degree for
recertification in the state of Arizona; (3) educational budget cuts; (4) increases in university
tuition; and (5) increased competition from for-profit universities. Fortunately, spring 2012 saw
an upward trend in enrollment that is similar to the number of students enrolled in the
department’s programs four years ago. This is due, in part, to the new bachelor’s degree
programs offered at different sites, including Tucson, Signal Peak, and Phoenix that offset the
loss of students in the graduate programs.
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 3
Enrollment Trend
1,200
Total Enrolled Students
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
Fall
2004
Fall
2005
Fall
2006
Fall
2007
Fall
2008
Fall
2009
Fall
2010
Fall
2011
Fall
2012
Enrollment 1,024
965
1,011
918
856
766
735
771
853
Previous Program Review
The Northern Arizona University College of Education was last reviewed in Fall 2002. This
review encompassed the four departments in the College of Education: Educational Leadership,
Educational Specialties, Teaching and Learning, and Educational Psychology. Since this last
review, the Department of Educational Psychology has undergone a program review in 2010.
This section will briefly describe the overall findings for the College of Education, and then focus
on the findings for the targeted programs in the Department of Educational Specialties relevant
to the current review.
Findings and Progress on Recommendations for the College of Education since 2002:
Strengths of College of Education







Dedicated faculty and staff
Commitment to Statewide access
Student-centered programs
Sophistication of faculty and staff in using technology to teach in statewide programs
Partnerships with schools, districts, community colleges, and other agencies
Optimism for the future
Facilities at the Mountain campus
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 4
2002 Recommendations
 Increase COE budget to recognize the administrative and faculty loads associated with
statewide programs.
 Initiate serious discussions about national accreditation
 Develop and implement a plan to define program standards for students and means by
which they are assessed.
 Consider methods by which the CoE and the Graduate College assure the quality of
doctoral programs.
 Examine and address the personnel needs of the College
 Clarify the institutional mission and commitment for statewide programs.
 Continue ongoing discussions in the College regarding strategic planning
 Continue discussions in the college about the location of the administrative leadership
program on the main mountain campus.
 Continue seeking creative means to reward faculty productivity regarding teaching and
scholarship.
Current Program Review
This Self Study was completing using data from the university’s Office of Planning and
Institutional Research (PAIR). The standard report includes data for Program Personnel,
Enrollment and Course Information, Main Class Size, Degrees Awarded-Unduplicated, and
Degree Seeking Headcount. However, in completing this report, references to data maintained
in Business Objects, ESP department records, COE budget and faculty contract records, and
other sources were needed to develop a complete review of the department and relevant
programs.
Full-time faculty members from the Department of Educational Specialties assumed primary
responsibility for compiling data from previous reports, records, full-time faculty, part-time
instructors, current students, alumni, and employers. For the M.Ed. and B.S. Ed. in Career and
Technical Education programs, Ms. Nicole Hampton assisted with data collection and
summarization. Ms. Hampton teaches courses in both programs and serves as the primary
advisor for the bachelor’s program. She is resides off campus, teaching in Extended Campuses,
as well as in online instructional modalities. The program report for the M.Ed. in Special
Education (non-certified) was reviewed by faculty members from the department.
Department of Educational Specialties Findings and Progress on Recommendations since 2002
The Department of Educational Specialties offers both undergraduate and graduate degree
programs, as well as service courses in bilingual/multicultural education (specifically Structured
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 5
English Immersion and ESL), educational technology, and special education, all supporting the
various teacher education programs in the College of Education and secondary programs
located in other academic units.
Increase the CoE budget to recognize the administrative and faculty loads associated with
statewide programs. With the addition of the statewide cohort programs in Tucson and
Phoenix, the ESP department was able to add two non-tenure track faculty members to
coordinate the bachelor’s programs in the Tucson and Signal Peak areas (one faculty), as well as
in the East Valley area. These additional positions allowed the department to consider
expanding their programs to work in high-need areas of the state. Additional faculty positions
in BME, ETC, and CTE are funded through Proposition 301 TRIF (Technology Research Initiative
Funds) support. This support is used to increase access to BME and ETC degrees through
distance education and to support the CTE programs that are already being delivered online.
The funding from non-college/department funding sources has allowed the ESP department to
maintain efforts in key program areas during the economic downturn.
Initiate serious discussions about national accreditation. Since the previous program review in
2002-2003, six programs in the ESP department have become accredited by NCATE/CAEP. The
master’s degree in BME is nationally recognized and is listed as an exemplary program by
NCATE/CAEP. The M.Ed. in ETC and the Graduate Certificate Program in ETC are nationally
recognized by ISTE and NCATE/CAEP. Both the B.S.Ed. in Special and Elementary Education and
the M.Ed. in Special Education with certification are nationally recognized by the CEC and
NCATE/CAEP. Furthermore, the master’s programs in low incidence and early childhood special
education are State Board of Education approved teacher preparation programs. Both are
preparing to submit program reports to NCATE/CAEP in the upcoming review cycle in 2014.
Consider the methods by which the COE and the Graduate College assure the quality of doctoral
programs. In FY 02, the Departments of Educational Specialties and Teaching & Learning coadministered a doctoral program in Curriculum and Instruction at the Flagstaff campus. To
assure quality in the C&I doctoral program, the faculty instituted two advisory committees. The
Doctoral Steering Committee (DSC) is composed of faculty from the departments of Teaching &
Learning and ESP. The DSC is responsible for reviewing policies, procedures, and program data
to assure the quality of all curriculum and course offerings, admissions and retention policies,
faculty members instructing doctoral courses, and admissions policies. The second committee,
the Doctoral Admissions Committee, was formed to assure the quality of candidates being
admitted to the C&I doctoral program.
Examine and address personnel needs of the College of Education. The number of EPS tenuretrack faculty has increased by 2.0 FTE through new appointments in ESE (low incidence) and the
conversion of one non-tenure track line in ETC. Both tenure track positions have provided
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 6
additional capacity to offer coursework to students both on the Flagstaff campus and for those
residing in distance locations. In 2003, the ESP department was composed of 15.5 FTE of
tenure track faculty and also employed 9.0 FTE of non-tenure track faculty members. Currently,
the department has 17.5 FTE of tenure track faculty members and 9.5 FTE of non-tenure track
faculty members.
Continue seeking creative means to reward faculty productivity regarding teaching and
scholarship. The majority of faculty members in the ESP department teach a 3/3 course load.
In addition to the funding available from the Dean’s Research, Dean’s Travel, and Provost’s
Travel awards, the ESP department provides additional support for tenure and non-tenure track
faculty members. The department uses over attainment funds generated during summer
sessions to provide faculty members with funds that can be used to support scholarship
activities, offset costs related to disseminating research or practice findings at professional
conferences or meetings, and to enhance their scholarship or teaching through professional
development activities. In the most recent academic year, the department allocated
$19,300.00 to faculty members to support these activities.
Curriculum Areas, Programs, and Courses
Curriculum Areas
The department is organized into four program areas: Bilingual/Multicultural Education (BME),
Career and Technical Education (CTE), Educational Technology, and Special Education, each of
which are governed by program committees of faculty member in the respective content area.
Committees meet monthly to oversee curricular decisions, professional standards, and assess
evidence of students’ progress and learning. All ESP faculty support and advise student in the
M.Ed. programs; the Office of Student Services provides advisement for candidates in the
bachelor’s degree programs. Faculty in the department also teach and supervise
undergraduate and graduate courses that support teacher preparation, as well as “service”
courses used in other degree programs. For example, faculty members in the BME program
area teach courses in Structured English Immersion, a state mandated course preparing
teachers to work with English Language Learners (ELLs).
Several curriculum initiatives have been initiated in the ESP department. First, in 2009 and
2010, the department initiated two B.S.Ed. dual major (elementary and special education)
programs in statewide locations, each program with a newly funded non-tenure track faculty
member paid for through the Extended Campuses. In Tucson, the department worked with the
Flowing Wells Unified School district to launch a program on the campus of a local elementary
school. The second program was launched the following year situated on the campus of
Central Arizona Community College in Signal Peak, AZ. Second, the Career and Technical
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 7
Education faculty recently streamlined their occupational education degree program to become
a 90/30 program to address an emerging need in occupational training areas. The streamlined
program will make it easier for those individuals seeking advanced training in their career area
or wanting to become eligible to train others in a technical area to achieve their bachelor’s
degree from NAU. Third, the ETC program recently completed a comprehensive curriculum
review that resulted in a 30 hour streamlined program of study (reduced from 36 hours) to
allow students to achieve their degree in a more time efficient manner. Lastly, the department
is working with the NAU Yuma branch campus to administer two grant funded personnel
preparation grants. The first of these, the PRIME program (formerly PRISE) is a grow your own
bachelor’s degree program where students living in Yuma and surrounding areas attend classes
and complete applied fieldwork and student teaching experiences culminating in a B.S.Ed. in
Special and Elementary Education degree. The second grant, CREST, is an advanced training
degree in special education with a focus on infusing STEM topics and on preparing educations
to work with culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional learners.
As a result of the additions of the statewide cohort programs, the ESP department was able to
add two non-tenure track faculty members to coordinate the bachelor’s programs in the
Tucson and Signal Peak areas. These additional positions allowed the department to consider
expanding their programs to work in high-need areas of the state. In recent years, the number
of ESP tenure-track faculty has increased by 2.0 FTE through new appointments in ESE (low
incidence) and the conversion of one non-tenure track line in ETC. Currently, ESP has 17.5
tenured/ tenure-track FTE appointments in Flagstaff and 9.5 clinical, non-tenure track positions.
In response to the previous program review recommendation to pursue national accreditation
for the College of Education, the ESP department participated in two assessment and program
planning activities that ultimately resulted in a number of programs becoming nationally
recognized and accredited. In 2006, the certification-related programs in special education and
career and technical education engaged in a curriculum alignment and assessment planning
process for the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Program Review process that resulted
in State Board of Education program approval and the ability to issue an institutional
recommendation for certification for each program. The following year, the College of
Education embarked on an effort to achieve NCATE/CAEP accreditation. Throughout the 20072009 period, the programs in bilingual/multicultural education, career and technical education,
educational technology, and special education engaged in curriculum mapping to national
standards of their respective specialized professional associations (SPAs) or other professional
associations. Curricular changes were implemented to align courses, learning outcomes, and
program assessment activities to TESOL, CEC, ISTE, and CTE professional standards. Programs
in each area submitted their program reports in 2009. The BME and ETC programs were each
nationally recognized in the initial round of reviews. The ESE programs were recognized with
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 8
conditions, which were addressed in the 2009 reports after which they, too, received national
recognition. Furthermore, the BME and ETC reports were notified that their program reports
and assessment systems were recognized as exemplary programs by their respective SPAs.
Since 2002, the percentage of part-time faculty teaching in the program has decreased.
However, this is due to an increase in online classes taught by full-time faculty (tenured, tenuretrack, and clinical) as well as a decrease in enrollment in the program, especially in statewide
sites. The faculty engage in discussions about the quality of class delivery from various
perspectives (e.g., statewide vs. on-campus, online vs. in-person, and part-time vs. full-time
faculty). Formal ways to effectively evaluate web delivery have recently been suggested,
though specific data have not yet been collected or analyzed. This is a goal for the coming year.
The NAU Academic Chairs Council has recently advocated for increasing per credit hour salaries
for part-time instructors in order to recruit and retain highly qualified faculty to teach courses.
This resulted in salary increases effective in the spring 2013. Advisement for the undergraduate
dual-major program is handled by advisors at Student Services in the Flagstaff Mountain
campus and by Centralized Advisement, an office of Extended Campuses, at statewide
locations. These advisors also work with students from various programs in the College and
University. Ongoing training and updates are provided to these advisors about changes in
programs and procedures. On the other hand, advisement for graduate programs in ESP (with
the exception of some Special Education programs that lead to certification, which are
managed by Student Services) are handled by full time faculty in the Flagstaff Mountain
campus.
Courses
Percentage of Courses Taught By Faculty Type:
Faculty type
Tenure/Tenuretrack
Non-tenure track
Part-time faculty
FY 04
24.9%
FY 05
22.2%
FY 06
20.1%
FY 07
22.6%
FY 08
32.7%
FY 09
33.5%
FY 10
32.2%
FY 11
32.9%
24.6%
50.6%
28.1%
49.7%
23.7%
56.2%
23.3%
54.2%
17.8%
49.5%
20.2%
46.2%
21.0%
46.8%
19.0%
48.1%
While the percentage of classes taught by full-time tenured, tenure-track faculty decreased
slightly between 2004 and 2007, the percentage increased and remained stable during the
2008-2011 academic years. There has been a decrease in the percentage of courses taught by
non-tenure track faculty members during this same time period. Throughout the review
period, approximately 50% of the courses in the ESP department have been taught by part-time
instructors. This is primarily due to the number of courses taught in programs that have degree
offerings in the extended campus system. Until recently, the ESP department has not had
faculty positions (tenure track or non-tenure track) located in the extended campus system.
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 9
Thus, all course offerings outside the Flagstaff campus were instructed by part-time temporary
faculty members. Even with the recent hires of non-tenure track faculty to oversee bachelor’s
degree programs in Tucson and Phoenix, the number of courses taught by part-time, temporary
faculty members is of concern.
Class Sizes
Undergraduate Average Time to Degree
Bachelors
FY 04
4.79
FY 05
4.44
FY 06
3.94
Class Type
Flagstaff Average
Flagstaff 300 level
Flagstaff 400 level
Community Campuses
Average
Community Campuses 300
level
Community Campuses 400
level
Yuma Average
Yuma 300 level
Yuma 400 level
Fall 03
23
24
22
15
Fall 04
20
25
19
13
Fall 05
20
22
19
11
16
13
14
17
13
18
FY 07
4.44
FY 08
4.14
FY 09
3.83
FY 10
3.85
FY 11
4.31
Fall 06
19
25
18
14
Fall 07
19
23
17
14
Fall 08
19
24
17
13
Fall 09
25
28
23
15
Fall 10
23
25
21
14
10
10
12
12
17
14
13
11
15
14
13
13
13
23
16
18
18
18
16
16
18
18
18
24
31
19
20
19
21
FY 09
2.83
FY 10
3
FY 11
2.94
Graduate Average Time Degree
Masters
Class Type
Flagstaff Average
Flagstaff 500 level
Flagstaff 600 level
Community Campuses
Average
Community Campuses 500
level
Community Campuses 600
level
Yuma Average
Yuma 500 level
Yuma 600 level
FY 04
2.61
FY 05
2.51
FY 06
2.61
FY 07
2.73
FY 08
2.64
Fall 03
8
9
6
11
Fall 04
9
10
9
9
Fall 05
12
13
11
12
Fall 06
15
18
12
11
Fall 07
8
10
5
10
Fall 08
13
13
Fall 09
14
14
12
10
Fall 10
8
7
9
10
10
9
13
9
11
8
7
8
13
9
10
13
10
16
13
12
25
20
34
2
2
2
15
15
11
16
2
8
8
18
18
9
10
7
8
8
4
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 10
While there was an increase in average graduate level class sizes for the Department of
Educational Specialties in 2008 and 2009, the average level dropped back to those in 2003. In
general, the size of the ESP graduate classes is similar to somewhat lower than the NAU average
of 13 students per class.
Findings and Recommendations by Targeted Program
M.Ed. in Special Education Cross-Categorical (non-certified): This program is designed for
individuals pursuing a career serving individuals with disabilities in private settings, through
human service agencies, or for those who want to increase and enhance their knowledge and
skills in serving individuals with disabilities in school settings. The program focuses on
developing advanced knowledge about individuals with mild-moderate disabilities (highincidence) such as learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders, mild-moderate
intellectual disabilities, as well as orthopedic and health impairments. This degree program
does not lead to teaching certification. The original program had been in existence since the
mid-1990s with only minor adjustments until recently. The enrollment trends over the past 2-3
years showed a steep decline in program candidates. In the 2011-12 academic year, the faculty
members revised the program of study to embed graduate certificate programs coursework in
the program of study and eliminated certification-related coursework to prevent students from
using the degree as a pathway to certification (a problem noted across the years). The new
program provides for seven different pathways or specializations within the special education
area. While this is a strength of the program in terms of providing choices for students, it is also
a weakness as the focus of the program is diluted into too many emphases. It is recommended
that this program is revised again with a specific focus or curriculum target according to present
needs in the schools.
M.Ed. in Career and Technical Education: While not accredited under the NCATE/CAEP or State
Board of Education because the program does not lead to certification, this program is aligned
with professional standards in career and technical education and aligned to training and
development needs in secondary and post-secondary settings. Since NAU has a strong mission
of access and affordability, the program provides opportunities for students to enroll in and
complete the degree from any location within Arizona and across the nation. During this
review cycle, the program was converted to an online program to increase access and address
the needs of potential candidates living outside the Flagstaff area.
The B.S .Ed. in Career and Technical Education program is also not accredited under
NCATE/CAEP accreditation nor the Arizona Department of Education. The program moved to a
statewide model of degree access: utilizing satellite campuses, interactive television (ITV)
classrooms (when available), and online delivery methods. The program was one of the initial
adopters of online education at NAU. In 2003 the Occupational Emphasis became a completely
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 11
online program, maintaining the Phoenix-based cohort program for law enforcement
professional only. Today, the program is moving towards a national student audience through
targeted marketing and online course delivery.
In general departmental terms, it is recommended that (1) more resources are invested in
marketing programs within the department; (2) seek new partnerships mainly for graduate
programs; (3) conduct a market analysis survey to review the relevance of the department’s
programs within the education and business communities; and (4) provide more academic
resources to enhance and strengthen undergraduate and graduate programs.
Faculty and Staff Members
Department Faculty and Staff
At the time of the last program review in 2002, the Department of Educational Specialties had
15 full-time, tenure-track faculty members. The department also had 12.0 FTE non-tenure track
faculty positions for a total of 27 FTE of instructional faculty for degree programs. Since the last
program review, the number of full-time faculty members has increased slightly with additional
tenure track hires in 2007 and 2009. However, the non-tenure track faculty for the department
has decreased over the same period of time. For FY 12, the Department of Educational
Specialties has 27 FTE faculty members including a total of 17.5 full-time tenure track and 9.5
FTE of non-tenure track faculty members. Partially offsetting this reduction in non tenure track
faculty, two full-time non tenure track faculty were hired in Phoenix (2009) and Tucson (2010 to
manage bachelor’s programs offered in Extended Campuses locations. Currently, 61% of the
ESP faculty are Full Professors, 22% are Associate Professors, 17% are Assistant Professors.
Thirty-five percent (35%) of the faculty members of the department are non-tenure track. A
concern is the lack of new tenure-track faculty who can advance into critical teaching,
scholarship, and service roles with the department and college in the future.
Staff positions for the department have remained stable across the review period.
TenureTrack FTE
Faculty
Clinical FTE
Faculty
Total FTE
Faculty
Staff FTE
Yuma budget*
FY 04
14
FY 05
14.3
FY 06
17.1
FY 07
16.5
FY 08
18.1
FY 09
19
6.5
4.5
4.1
3.5
5.0
4.6
4.5
4.5
20.5
18.8
21.2
20
23.1
23.6
21
21
1
1
1.5
1
1
1
1
1
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
FY 10 FY 11
16.5 16.5
Page 12
Full-time Faculty by Gender and Ethnicity
Gender
Female
Male
TOTAL
FY 04
7.3
6.8
14
FY 05
6.7
7.6
14.3
FY 06
7.1
10
17
FY 07
7.5
9
16.5
FY 08
8.1
10
18.1
FY 09
9.5
9.6
19.1
FY 10
8.5
8
16.5
FY 11
9.5
7
16.5
Ethnicity
(duplicated)
Minority
International
Unspecified
White
FY 04
FY 05
FY 061
FY 07
FY 08
FY 09
FY 10
FY 11
0.8
1
2
10.2
1
1
3.2
9.1
3
1
2
14.1
2
1
2
11.1
1.6
0
4
12.5
2
2
2
4
12.5
4
10.5
4
10.5
Gender representation on faculty has remained relatively stable during this review period. In
2004, 52% of the faculty members were female; 48% were male. Currently, 58% of the tenure
track faculty members are female; 42% are male. Thirty-six percent (36%) of the ESP faculty
members are White-Non Hispanic. One faculty member is identified as American Indian/Alaska
Native, one is Asian, and four are designated as non-specified. During the last seven years, the
number of faculty identifying themselves as White-Non Hispanic has decreased (in 2004 73% of
the faculty were identified as White-Non Hispanic). This may be attributed to retirements, new
faculty from diverse backgrounds, and a shift in how faculty members are designating their
ethnicity (an increase in the designation of unspecified). A continued focus on recruiting faculty
members from diverse backgrounds is an area of need for the department.
Full-time Tenure/Tenure Track Faculty
At the beginning of FY 2004, ESP department had 15.5 tenure-track faculty members including
the department chair. While retirements, reductions in force, and resignations have changed
the mix of individual faculty members across the curriculum areas of the department, the FTE
of tenure track faculty has remained stable, increasing by 2.0 FTE during that period. In
addition, the relative proportion of tenure track has remained consistent during this time. The
table below portrays the relative distribution of tenure track faculty members in FY 2004
compared to FY 12 by curriculum area.
FY 04
FY 12
Curriculum Area
TenureTrack FTE
Percentage
of Overall
TT FTE
Curriculum Area
Tenure
Track FTE
Percentage
of Overall
TT FTE
BME
CTE
ETC
ESE
4
1
3
7.5
26%
6%
19%
48%
BME
CTE
ETC
ESE
4
1
4
7.5
26%
6%
26%
48%
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 13
The following table describes the Department of Educational Specialties full-time
Tenured/Tenure Track faculty from the last program review until the present:
Faculty Name
Rank
Area
Location
Current Position
Appoint
Date
End
Date
J’Anne Affeld
Professor
Flagstaff
Faculty
1988
N/A
Shadow Armfield
Flagstaff
Faculty
2000
N/A
Karen Applequist
Assistant
Professor
Professor
Flagstaff
Faculty
1995
N/A
J. Michael Blocher
Professor
Flagstaff
Faculty
1999
N/A
Roberto Carrasco
Flagstaff
Retired
Flagstaff
Resigned
2007
2008
Norbert Francis
Professor
Emeritus
Assistant
Professor
Professor
Flagstaff
Faculty
1995
N/A
Lawrence
Gallagher
Willard Gilbert
Associate
Professor
Professor
Flagstaff
2006
N/A
Flagstaff
Associate
Dean
Faculty
1986
N/A
Mariella Herold
Flagstaff
Faculty
2009
N/A
Flagstaff
Faculty
2009
N/A
Flagstaff
Deceased
1986
2011
Susan Unok Marks
Associate
Professor
Assistant
Professor
Professor
Emeritus
Professor
Flagstaff
Faculty
2001
N/A
Catherine Medina
Professor
Flagstaff
Faculty
1995
N/A
Patricia Peterson
Professor
1991
N/A
Professor
Flagstaff/
Yuma
Flagstaff
Faculty
Gregory Prater
Faculty
1993
N/A
Jon Reyhner
Professor
Flagstaff
Faculty
1995
N/A
Michael Roberts
Phoenix
Faculty
1993
N/A
Karen Sealander
Associate
Professor
Professor
Flagstaff
Faculty
1997
N/A
Laura SujoMontes
Chih Hsiung-Tu
Associate
Professor
Professor
Flagstaff
1999
N/A
Flagstaff
Department
Chair
Faculty
2004
N/A
Mongkol
Tungmala
Becky Willis
Assistant
Professor
Associate
Professor
Special Educationcross categorical
Educational
Technology
Early Childhood
Special Education
Educational
Technology
Bilingual/Multicultur
al Education
Special Education –
Low incidence
Bilingual/Multicultur
al Education
Special Education –
Low incidence
Bilingual/Multicultur
al Education
Bilingual/Multicultur
al Education
Special Education –
Low Incidence
Special Education –
Gifted Education
Special Education –
Low Incidence
Special Education –
Cross Categorical
Special Education –
Cross categorical
Special Education –
Cross categorical
Bilingual/Multicultur
al Education
Career and Technical
Education
Special Education –
Cross categorical
Educational
Technology
Educational
Technology
Bilingual/Multicultur
al Education
Educational
Technology
Flagstaff
Deceased
2007
2010
Flagstaff
Retired
1997
2008
Baylor Del Rosario
Jennifer Kurth
Steven Lapan
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
2007
Page 14
In 2005, the department added one full-time tenure track faculty line in Educational Technology
(ETC), hiring Dr. Chih Hisung-Tu. Dr. Tu’s experience and research background provided the ETC
area with much needed expertise and allowed the curriculum area to expand course offerings
and grow the program enrollment. The Bilingual/Multicultural Education (BME) area was
coordinated by Dr. Willard Gilbert who also served as the department chair during this
academic year. Dr. Becky Willis coordinated the Educational Technology curriculum area. This
area was expanded by hiring Dr. Chih Hsiung-Tu. Dr. Roberts served as the lead faculty and
program coordinator for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) area. Drs. Greg Prater and
Susan Marks co-coordinated the Special Education (ESE) curriculum area. Dr. Karen Applequist
held a joint appointment of .50 FTE to ESP and .50 FTE to the Institute for Human Development.
In 2006, Dr. Roberto Carrasco, long-time professor in Bilingual/Multicultural Education (BME),
took a medical leave of absence, ultimately retiring the following academic year. His teaching
responsibilities were handled by hiring highly qualified part-time (course-by-course) instructors.
Program coordination duties and tenure track FTE allocations remained stable during this
academic year. Carmen Martinjako, the 0. 5 FTE administrative assistant responsible for the
department finances, accepted a position in a different department on campus. She was
replaced by Robyn Herre. Josie Allred, the 1.0 FTE department administrative assistant
responsible for department operations, retired during the spring term. Her position was filled
by a temporary employee for the remainder of the academic year.
In FY 2007, the department saw an expansion of capacity through additional tenure track hires.
In the BME area, Dr. Carrasco’s line was replaced by hiring Dr. Mongkol Tungmala. Dr.
Tungmala assumed teaching responsibilities related to assessment and Structured English
Immersion. Dr. Gilbert relinquished his role as department chair, returning to faculty status in
the BME area and taking a one year sabbatical leave. Two new faculty lines were added in the
ESE area. Dr. Baylor Del Rosario was hired as an assistant professor in the special education low
incidence/severe area. Dr. Lawrence Gallagher was hired as an associate professor to serve as
the department chair. The BME area was coordinated by Dr. Lawrence Gallagher as part of his
responsibilities as department chair. Dr. Laura Sujo-Montes assumed program coordination
duties for the ETC program area. Program coordination in the ESE area was assumed by Dr.
Catherine Medina. Steven Colson was hired as a 1.0 FTE administrative assistant for the
department.
In FY 2008, Dr. Baylor Del Rosario resigned his position, returning to New Mexico to accept a
position in a local educational agency. He continued to teach for the department on an as
needed basis as a part-time temporary employee. . Dr. Becky Willis, a faculty member in the
ETC curriculum area, relocated to New Mexico and retired. A search for a tenure track line in
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 15
ETC to replace her was initiated. Dr. Shadow Armfield, currently serving the area as a nontenure track faculty member, was hired as a tenure track faculty member for the 2008-09
academic year. Program coordination in the ESE area changed with Dr. Patricia Peterson taking
over for Dr. Catherine Medina. Dr. Laura Sujo-Montes served as the assistant chair with
responsibilities in scheduling, curriculum management, and departmental reporting.
In FY 2009, in addition to Dr. Shadow Armfield’s hire in the ETC area, the department added
faculty lines in BME (Dr. Mariella Herold) and ESE (Dr. Jennifer Kurth). Dr. Herold replaced Dr.
Tungmala (on indefinite medical leave) in the BME area. Dr. Kurth added capacity in the special
education/low incidence area, replacing Dr. Del Rosario. The program coordination in the BME
area transitioned to Dr. Louise Lockard. Dr. J’Anne Affeld replaced Dr. Patricia Peterson in the
special education coordinator role. Laura Cook was hired as a 1.0 FTE administrative assistant
to replace Steven Colson, who relocated to Michigan for another position.
In 2010 and 2011, the composition of the tenure track faculty for the department decreased
slightly. Dr. Lawrence Gallagher, ESP associate professor, continued to serve as chair during the
FY 2010 year, but was appointed as COE Associate Dean in FY 2011. Dr. Gallagher was replaced
by Dr. Jennifer Prior from the Department of Teaching and Learning in November, 2010. Dr.
Prior served in this role until January 2011 when she was replaced by Dr. Laura Sujo-Montes.
Dr. Mongkol Tungmala, on indefinite medical leave, passed away in the fall 2010 term. Dr.
Stephen Lapan retired from his faculty position in the ESE area. Neither Dr. Tungmala’s nor Dr.
Lapan’s positions were filled. Program coordination of the curriculum areas remained stable
with the exception of the ESE area where Dr. Medina again assumed this role.
Non-Tenure Track Full-Time Faculty
At the beginning of FY 2004, ESP department had 9.0 non-tenure-track faculty members.
Similar to the pattern observed with tenure track faculty allocations, retirements, reductions in
force, and resignations have changed the mix of individual non-tenure track faculty members
across the curriculum areas of the department, but the overall FTE of non-tenure track faculty
has increased very slightly during the review period. The relative allocation of non-tenure track
has remained consistent during this time across curriculum areas with a slight decrease in the
ETC area offset by an increase in the ESE area. However, it should be noted that of the current
9.5 FTE of non-tenure track faculty members in the department, 3.5 FTE are funded through
Proposition 301 funds and an additional 2.0 FTE are funded by our Extended Campuses to
support specific programs in statewide locations.
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 16
The table below portrays the relative distribution of tenure track faculty members in FY 2004
compared to FY 12 by curriculum area.
FY 04
FY 12
Curriculum Area
TenureTrack FTE
Percentage
of Overall
TT FTE
Curriculum Area
Tenure
Track FTE
Percentage
of Overall
TT FTE
BME
CTE
ETC
ESE
3
1
1
4
33%
11%
11%
45%
BME
CTE
ETC
ESE
3
1
0.5
5
32%
11%
5%
53%
The following table describes the Department of Educational Specialties full-time Non-Tenure
Track faculty from the last program review until the present:
Faculty Name
Rank
Area
Location
Shadow
Armfield
Norm Bishop
Clinical Instructor
Educational
Technology
Special
Education
Special
Education
Special
Education
Bilingual
Multicultural
Education
Career and
Technical
Education
Special
Education
Educational
Technology
Special
Education
Special
Education
Bilingual
Multicultural
Education
Special
Education
Special
Education
Bilingual
Multicultural
Education
Flagstaff
April Brady
Linda Carey
Jennie DeGroat
Assistant Clinical
Professor
Lecturer, Senior
Visiting Assistant
Professor
Lecturer,
Senior/301
Nicole Hampton
Assistant Clinical
Professor
Gary Karcz
Lecturer
Mary LaneKelso
Chris Lanterman
Assistant Clinical
Professor/301
Lecturer, Senior
Judy LeFevre
Assistant Clinical
Professor
Associate Clinical
Professor/301
Louise Lockard
Eileen RomerMcGrath
Suzanne
O’Keeffe
Jeff Popko
Lecturer
Assistant Clinical
Professor
Clinical Instructor
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Appointment
Date
2000
End Date
2009
2011
Flagstaff
Current
Position
Converted to
Tenure Track
Waiver replaced
Faculty
1998
N/A
Flagstaff
Retired
2002
2005
Flagstaff
Faculty
2001
N/A
Casa
Grande
Faculty
1992
N/A
Flagstaff
Resigned/RIF
1996
2011
Flagstaff
Resigned
2005
2011
Flagstaff
Faculty
2001
N/A
Tucson/Si
gnal Peak
Flagstaff
Faculty
2012
N/A
Faculty
1995
N/A
Tucson
RIF
2009
2010
Phoenix
Faculty
2012
N/A
Flagstaff
Resigned
2006
2007
Tucson
2009
Page 17
Jane Pryne
Claudia Sturgis
Assistant Clinical
Professor
Lecturer/301
Jamie Whelan
Lecturer, Senior
Sally ZawyerJones
Assistant Clinical
Professor
Special
Education
Bilingual
Multicultural
Education
Special
Education
Special
Education
Tucson
Resigned
2009
2010
Flagstaff
Faculty
2008
N/A
Flagstaff
Faculty
2006
N/A
Phoenix
Resigned
2009
2010
In 2005, Dr. Linda Carey, a Visiting Faculty member in special education who taught in and
directed the Praxis partnership program, retired. Her position in the Praxis program was
reassigned to Dr. Karen Sealander. Drs. Hong Zahn (0.5), Cynthia Conn (0.5) and Mary LaneKelso (1.0) were hired to augment the ETC program area.
In 2006, Dr. Jeff Popko and Ms. Jamie Whelan were hired in the ESE curriculum area. Dr. Popko
was hired to teach courses in the master’s program in special education/cross-categorical. Ms.
Whelan was hired to teach in the bachelor’s program in the same content area.
In 2007, Dr. Popko resigned his position in the special education curriculum area. His position
was not refilled. The instructional load for his position was reassigned to other tenure track
and non-tenure track faculty in the department.
In 2008, Dr. Hong Zahn’s 0.5 FTE position was eliminated due to budget reductions. She
continued to teach for the ETC curriculum area on a part-time temporary basis throughout the
year. Dr. Eileen Romer-McGrath was hired as a lecturer in the early childhood special education
curriculum area. Dr. Romer-McGrath taught coursework in foundations of early childhood
special education, primarily in an online format.
In 2009, the BME curriculum area hired Ms. Claudia Sturgis to replace Dr. Mongkol Tungmala
(on indefinite medical leave). Ms. Sturgis was assigned to teach foundations of multicultural
education and introductory Structured English Immersion courses. Dr. Shadow Armfield’s
position was converted to a tenure-track position in the ETC curriculum area. The non-tenure
track position was not maintained. Two new non-tenure track positions were hired to begin
bachelor’s degree dual major (special and elementary education) program in statewide
locations. Dr. Jane Pryne was hired to develop and implement a cohort program in Tucson. Ms.
Sally Zawyer-Jones was hired to continue a similar program in the metropolitan Phoenix area.
In 2010, relatively few changes occurred in the non-tenure track ranks of the department. Mr.
Norm Bishop replaced Dr. Jane Pryne in Tucson on a waiver of recruitment contract. Dr. Pryne
accepted a superintendent position in Washington state.
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 18
In 2011, Dr. Mary Lane-Kelso accepted a tenure track faculty position in Dubai and resigned her
non-tenure track appointment in the ETC curriculum area. Due to enrollment declines in the
department and ETC program area, the line was not replaced. Dr. Gary Karcz relocated to
northern California but continued to teach online in the ESE and ETC areas.
Part-Time Faculty
Faculty Name
Rank
Area
Location
Cynthia Conn
Assistant Clinical
Professor/301
Clinical
Instructor/301
Educational
Technology
Educational
Technology
Hong Zahn
Appointment
Date
2004
End Date
Flagstaff
Current
Position
Faculty
Flagstaff
RIF
2005
2008
N/A
Cynthia Conn has continued to serve in her part-time faculty role in the ETC curriculum area
since her hire in 2004. However, during the review period, Dr. Conn served briefly as an
assistant chair in 2009 and most recently in the role assisting the Assistant Vice Provost on
NCATE/CAEP accreditation efforts.
Hong Zahn served as a clinical instructor in the M.Ed. in Educational Technology program on the
Flagstaff campus for several years. She was first appointed to an academic position at NAU in
2005. Her position was eliminated in the budget cuts of 2008, but she continued to teach in the
program on a contingent basis (course-by-course, part time) for an additional year.
Other Part-Time Faculty
Part-time instructors in the department of Educational Specialties contribute to instruction of
students both on Flagstaff Mountain campus and at various Extended Campus sites. In
particular, many of the courses in the areas of bilingual/multicultural education, career and
technical education, and some selected special education programs are taught by part-time
faculty. The number of part-time faculty has slowly decreased over the past six years, primarily
in response to fewer in-person courses offered in statewide locations, lower graduate
enrollment statewide, and a rapid increase in the number of online courses. The lower
enrollment trend is evident in all program areas.
FY
04
Number of
Part-time
faculty
6
FY
05
8
FY
06
6
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
FY
07
6
FY
08
4
FY
09
6
FY
10
9
FY
11
9
FY
12
9
Page 19
Findings and Recommendations for Faculty and Instructional Resources
In general, the department has a good ratio of tenure-track and tenured faculty. At the same
time, some tenured faculty members tend to adhere to methodologies and beliefs for a long
time and, thus, preventing the programs to embrace the newest ideas and trends in the field. It
is recommended that faculty members are provided opportunities to visit other universities
both in the nation and in international settings to observe and study innovative methodologies
and strategies so they can be implemented in the ESP department’s programs. It is also
recommended that faculty members are brought up-to-date in technology integration in
teaching and learning through professional development opportunities that are tailored to their
specific content areas and needs. Then, they should be required to integrate technology in a
significant way in their courses. Since teachers tend to teach the way they were taught, it is
important that candidates observe the best teaching practices which should include extensive
use of technology in the classroom.
Educational Specialties Department Budget
The operations budget allocated to the department of Educational Specialties enables the
program to sufficiently achieve its goals and objectives. The budget is supplemented by over
attainment money earned during the summer. These funds are primarily used for faculty
professional development. The budget has continually increased over the past six years. The
increases have primarily supported faculty wages. Hires in the past two years have been one to
three year clinical, non-tenure track positions and part-time instructors. The last tenure-track
position was hired in 2005.
Total
State
Total
Wages
Total NonPersonnel
Total
Budget/
Total TT
FTE
Total
Budget/
Total
Faculty
FTE
FY 04
FY 05
FY 06
FY 07
FY 08
FY 09
FY 10
FY 11
$979,259
8
$948,067
$1,092,834
$1,148,575
$1,308,708
$1,357, 688
$1,520,271
$1,377,100
$1,292,274
$1,062,167
$1,118,950
$1,277,968
$1,324,783
$1,487,266
$1,360,241
$1,275,415
$31,192
$30,667
$29,625
$30,722
$32,905
$33,005
$16,859
$16,859
$1,950
$1,804
$1,743
$1,617
$1,936
$1,823
$883
$1,022
$1,155
$1,136
$1,139
$1,097
$1,266
$1,429
$714
$803
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 20
Graduate Assistants
The NAU Graduate College allocates funding for graduate assistantships. All graduate assistants
working 20 hours per week (i.e., full-time for a graduate assistant) receive a tuition waiver and
health care coverage. The tuition waiver was raised to 50% in 2007, increased again to 75% in
2008, and finally increased to cover the full tuition expense in 2011. Masters degree graduate
assistants receive an annual stipend of $9,174, and doctoral graduate assistants receive
$10,222. Departmental graduate assistants support the field based Praxis partnership program,
serve as teaching assistants for selected courses, assist with various program administrative
tasks, and participate in faculty guided research projects.
Funding for assistantships has reminded relatively consistent over this time period.
Additionally, several additional in-state and out-of-state tuition waivers have been provided
through the Graduate College. Generally, three out-of state waivers and seven in-state waivers
are provided every academic year.
Graduate Assistant FTE
FTE
Fall 03
Fall 04
Fall 05
Fall 06
Fall 07
Fall 08
Fall 09
Fall 10
F all 11
7
6
7
6
6
9
6
5
5
Physical Facilities: In Flagstaff, full-time faculty are allocated individual, furnished office space
in COE. Students with graduate assistantships share office space and are provided with
computer access. Private conference space is available through reservation. Part-time faculty
are provided with shared office space upon request, support from the faculty service center,
and access to university support resources (e.g., Cline Library, e-learning). In addition, the
college operates a Curriculum and Test Lab. The curriculum lab is staffed by one part-time staff
member and student workers and includes a variety of instructional resources, curriculum
guides and audio visual resources.
Extended Campuses full-time faculty members are also provided with individual, furnished
office space at locations in Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma. Part-time instructors teaching courses
in Flagstaff or in the Extended Campuses are provided with basic clerical support and shared
office space as needed. Most part-time faculty teach only one or two courses per semester and
tend to offer office hours immediately before or after classes.
While some classes at Extended Campuses sites are taught at NAU buildings (e.g., two buildings
in Tucson, I-17 and Greenway in Phoenix), many classes are scheduled in local high schools,
elementary schools, community colleges, or other classroom spaces in the community. The
available equipment and resources in these classrooms varies greatly. Courses taught online are
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 21
supported 24 hours per day, 7 days per week by the NAU e-learning office. Faculty and
students can call for technical support.
The NAU Cline Library supports all Department of Educational Specialties programs. The
Appendix file has a document that describes the library’s support to the programs in this
review.
Findings and Recommendations for Budget and University Resources
University resources provided to faculty, especially faculty located at the Flagstaff Mountain
campus, are plentiful. Offices at the College of Education are in good physical condition as are
furniture and technology equipment. Classrooms on the second floor are spacious and
comfortable. All of this contrasts with the conditions in which some ESP courses are taught in
Extended Campus locations. As mentioned before, high school facilities are rented to deliver
classes and, in common instances, these facilities are not technologically up to date or do not
have the appropriate furniture to comfortably seat students for five hours of classes. It is
recommended that facilities are better scrutinized before they are rented or that central
locations in different areas of the Phoenix metro area are established and fitted as satellite
campuses.
In terms of departmental budget, it is recommended that the percentage of revenue returning
to the department for summer over-attainment enrollment is reviewed and increased.
Department of Educational Specialties Overview
Page 22