American University – School of Education, Teaching, and Health
NCATE: 5.1 Faculty Qualifications, Performance,
and Development
5.1 How does the unit ensure that its professional education faculty contributes to the preparation of
effective educators through scholarship, service, teaching, collaboration and assessment of their
performance?
American University attracts outstanding full-time and part-time faculty. Located in the center of urban
and suburban school systems in the DMV area, SETH recruits qualified full-time professional education
faculty with rich experiences in administrative and instructional positions in varied school systems. Fulltime faculty members are active scholars who have contemporary experience in P-12 classrooms. Many
EPP adjunct faculty are retired or current principals, teachers, or persons who bring a wealth of K-12
experience to their teaching and/or supervisory work with the unit's teacher education candidates.
5a. Qualified Faculty
SETH faculty are a diverse group of individuals with varied school-based experiences and expertise in
professional education programs. Because SETH encourages excellence in teaching, scholarship, and
service pertaining to local, national, and international communities, our faculty provide candidates with
the knowledge and guidance required to become exemplary teachers.
SETH employs 24 full-time faculty members, 15 of whom are involved in our professional education
programs. Additionally, five full-time faculty, with appointments outside of SETH, have taught and/or
supervised candidates in professional education programs. 94% of these faculty have terminal degrees
in their teaching field. SETH also employs 55 professional education faculty with an adjunct
appointment. 28 of these faculty both taught courses and supervised clinical placements, while 27
exclusively supervised clinical placements. All university supervisors have the licenses, doctorates,
and/or exceptional expertise required for teaching or clinical supervision in professional education
programs. Qualifications of faculty for the 2013-2014 academic year can be found in AIMS and in
Exhibits 5.4.a and 5.4.b. Information relative to supervisor and cooperating teacher qualifications can be
found in Exhibit 3.4.c.
5b. Modeling Best Professional Practices in Teaching
The unit is dedicated to providing candidates with the theoretical and practical tools required to be
effective classroom teachers. More specifically, SETH faculty engage candidates in content and
experiences that prepare them to be reflective and knowledgeable with the beliefs and professional
commitments defined in SETH's conceptual framework. The teaching practices of SETH faculty immerse
candidates in a thorough analysis of content and pedagogy that provides field-based experiences and
helps develop an in-depth understanding of the roles of community, diversity, equity, and excellence as
organizing principles. Further, SETH faculty integrate various technologies to engage candidates in
content and understand the importance of evaluating said technologies to maximize effectiveness.
Candidates evaluate faculty by completing the Standard Evaluation of Teaching (SET). Exhibit 5.4.f.
presents aggregated student evaluation data for all EDU course taught between Spring 2013 and Spring
2014. Data illustrates that by SETH professional education faculty members are highly rated and SETH
courses are perceived as useful and worthwhile.
5c. Modeling Best Professional Practices in Scholarship
Under the new strategic plan, AU expectations for scholarly impact have notably increased. According to
a recent AU Faculty Activity Reporting System (FARS) report, faculty members published approximately
55 books, 300 articles, and 150 book chapters during 2010 - 2012. All units place weight on disciplinespecific scholarly productivity in tenure-and-promotion decisions. Requirements for scholarship are
outlined in faculty manuals, presented in Exhibit 6.4.a. Moreover, scholarship is heavily weighed when
considering the reappointment of pre-tenured faculty. Scholarly output is also an important factor in the
annual merit evaluations of full-time faculty.
Recognizing the linkage between scholarship and teaching, AU employs faculty who are actively involved
in creativity and research, thereby engaging students' passion for learning. As a whole, there is a
breadth of scholarship and inspiration among the unit's professional education faculty. As indicated by
the data in Exhibit 5.4.d, SETH education faculty have published 33 journal articles and 18 book
chapters, produced 77 conference presentations, and written 22 grant proposals over the past five
years.
5d. Modeling Best Professional Practices in Service
Members of the professional education faculty can serve on the SETH Faculty Council, the CAS
Educational Policy Committee, and in a myriad of other ways, including ventures outside of the
university. By nature, teacher education programs are collaborative; faculty and candidates in the unit
rely on faculty across campus to assist in developing knowledge in programs and projects that involve
interdisciplinary study. Most of the service endeavors pursued by professional education faculty directly
benefit the teachers and students in the public schools in the DMV area. For example, the Institute for
Innovation in Education (the IIE) in SETH prepares an annual report for the office of the president on the
work that AU faculty, staff and students do in DC schools. Examples of EPP and faculty service can be
found in Exhibit 5.4.d.
5e. Unit Evaluation of Professional Education Faculty Performance
The university regularly conducts faculty teaching evaluations to enhance the competence and
intellectual vitality of its programs. Full-time faculty members are evaluated annually during the merit
review process (Exhibit 6.4.a). Faculty must submit annual reports concerning teaching, scholarship and
service endeavors, which are reviewed by teaching unit committees. Recommendations for pay
increases begin with these committees and proceed up through the administration to the Board of
Trustees. Thus, annual evaluation of faculty directly impacts faculty compensation.
To be appointed and subsequently re-appointed, adjunct faculty participate in a review process
mandated by the Service Employees International Union Collective Bargaining Agreement (Exhibit 5.4.f).
Adjunct appointments last three years. Consideration for re-appointment involves the review of Student
Evaluations of Teaching, observation of the adjunct's instruction, and approval by the SETH Dean, CAS
Dean, and the CAS Dean of Academic Affairs. Adjuncts also must submit syllabi each time they teach and
an updated vitae annually. Information about the evaluation system and a sample faculty evaluation
submission (through GoEd) can be found in 5.4.c.
5f. Unit Facilitation of Professional Development
Based on needs identified in faculty evaluations, AU provides opportunities for the development of new
knowledge and skills related to the conceptual framework, performance assessments, diversity,
technology, and other emerging practices. SETH uses numerous strategies, policies and procedures that
provide professional education faculty with ongoing professional development. These strategies include:
implementing workshops, providing program management system training sessions, supporting
participation in professional organizations, and providing travel funds for professional development at
international, national, and regional conferences. Examples are presented in Exhibit 5.4.g. In addition,
AU offers resources through the Center for Teaching, Research and Learning (CTRL). Established in 1989,
CTRL hosts an annual conference on teaching and learning (Ann Ferren Conference on Teaching,
Research and Learning) and provides additional professional development resources.