Minutes
Educational Studies Faculty Meeting
September 21, 2007
Room 233
Present: Frank Black, Jennifer Cook, Becky Cox, Betty Cox, Robert Erk, Ginny Esch, Kathy
Evans, Mary Lee Hall, Robert Hartshorn, Beverly Hearn, Patricia Hewitt, Sandy Murray, James
Petty, Michael Poore, Michael Spaulding, Joyce Swan, Gwen Tomlin, Cherry Watts, Cris
Whitlow
Call to Order
Dr. Frank Black called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.
Approval of Minutes
1. April 20 minutes
Motion: Move for approval of minutes from April 20, 2007.
(Correction made to Standards I committee report to say “See #6 under ‘Follow-up’”.)
Move: Erk
Second: Hearn
Vote: Carried
2.
August 23 minutes
Motion: Move for approval of minutes from August 23, 2007.
Move: Erk
Second: Hearn
Vote: Carried
Dr. Black also brought the faculty members’ attention to the Summary of Actions report,
reminding them of all the things the department accomplished last year.
Follow-ups
1. Position Searches Update
* Department Chair – Black and Hall
The re-advertisement of this position is in process. Dr. Ogg wants to do a university ad to
include several positions, so this has not yet been advertised. There has only been a
minor change in the job description, stating that the P-12 teaching experience is
preferred, not that it is required. This position should be filled by Fall 2008.
* Ripley Position – Hall
It is expected that an offer will be made next week. The department will be updated at
that time.
* Selmer Position – Hall
The Education position in Selmer has been a term appointment for the last three years,
and will now be advertised to make it a tenure-track position. A committee must be
established, with one member being an ECCE representative. Dr. James Petty
volunteered and the Dean said that she would find a third person to fill out the committee.
It was suggested that the position description should have a line regarding the
requirement for research at UT Martin, either an ongoing agenda for research or a plan
for future research.
2.
Committee Bylaws and Minutes – Hall
In view of the NCATE visit in 2009, copies should be centrally maintained (in the
departmental office) of minutes for all committees, and bylaws for most standing
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committees. Dr. Hall will be coming to each committee chair in the near future to discuss
whether that committee needs to have bylaws.
3.
One-way Window in Gooch 207 – Hall
This will be taken care of after the semester ends and work will start on December 17,
2007.
4.
Criteria for Promotion and Tenure – Duncan, Evans, Hartshorn (Chair), Hewitt,
and Maniss (Deadline: end of fall term 2007)
Dr. Hartshorn has a proposal for consideration by the committee, and has given a copy to
the Dean, but it is not yet ready to bring before the department for discussion and a vote.
5.
Convicted Felons in Student Teaching – Petty/Cook
Faculty member were given a copy of the law, effective July 1, in regards to the required
background check for all candidates for the teaching program.
Mrs. Cook reminded the faculty that the department voted to approve background checks
just before student teaching. The law says that “All students wishing to enter approved
teacher training programs shall be required to…” She is now working with the TBI about
the appropriate process. It was also stated that the issue must be addressed of other
students who are in the field having background checks.
Dr. Petty advised the faculty that Representative Mark Maddox is still working on what
felonies would preclude someone from being in the student teaching program. This law
is just a first step.
Dean Hall reiterated that this is the law; it has been passed and we have to do this. Mrs.
Cook is already moving ahead, but we are trying to get THEC to develop guidelines to
follow.
In response to a question about this issue in relation to graduate students, international
students and counseling students who were going out into the schools, it was again stated
that we are waiting for guidelines and trying to work with Maddox and Herron, trying to
get them to expand on what they have started.
Dr. Betty Cox suggested that we contact University Legal Counsel to get advice on
exactly what the legislative intent was and for clarification. Dr. Hall will do this and
share it with faculty members. Dr. Hall asked the faculty to send her any suggestions or
questions regarding this (such as what penalty if we are not in compliance) so she would
have the appropriate information when she contacted the Counsel. Clarification of this
issue is due at the end of fall semester.
6.
Comps/masters research project (Report due December 2007 to vote on January) –
Murray
7.
Portfolio guidelines – website update and faculty orientation (October 19th) – Hewitt
8.
Diversity Training Proposal – Hearn
Dr. Hall announced that Dr. Maria Sargent has been invited to campus on April 17 and 18
to meet with faculty, the local schools, and our students. She is an expert in special
education, particularly in exceptionalities. The College has received outside funding to
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pay her. Dr. Hall asked that the faculty have our students attend this. She will also be
here for the purpose of training our faculty members regarding diversity.
9.
SOAR – June 6 (Friday), June 20 (Friday), July 19 (Saturday) – Hall
Further volunteers are not needed for the April SOAR date, but there is a need for at least
three people for each of the other dates. If you are teaching first summer anyway,
perhaps you would not mind helping us for these.
Old Business
None
New Business - Black
1. Committee Reports
* Appeals – Poore
Since August 1 the committee has heard 5 appeals, with 4 denied, and 1 approved. (These
appeals are to be admitted to TEP.) In the five he met with, the problem has been
literacy. Mr. Poore will give a report at the end of the year with statistics showing how
many students and what problems were involved.
* Undergraduate – Hewitt
Reminder – for all substitution requests to transfer course credit from elsewhere, a copy
of the course description or syllabus from that institution is required. Dr. Hewitt also
stated that one of her advisees is taking a course off-campus and student teaching at the
same time. The catalog says they cannot take any additional course(s) with student
teaching. We can’t keep them from taking courses from other places, but the catalog says
they can’t. (Note: Further investigation showed that the state has dropped the rule saying
no other courses may be taken, but the class cannot conflict with their student teaching
duties.)
If you advise middle school students, Philosophy 310 is now an aesthetics course, and the
only substitution is Fine Arts 310.
* Graduate – Murray
The counseling faculty have met and they are going to deliver the mental and community
counseling program online beginning fall of 2008.
There have been several substitutions for TCED/EDPG 716 submitted. A blanket
substitution request will be processed so we don’t have to address each one individually.
Dr. Erk suggested that we do the same for TCED/EDPG 712.
Motion: That we do a blanket request for TCED and EDPG 716, and one for TCED
and EDPG 712 to alleviate numerous substitution requests.
Move: Erk
Second:
Whitlow
Vote: Carried
Dr. Petty stated that we created a specific track for international students, but failed to
create a culminating experience for them. We need to take care of this, and also address
the need for a background check.
Motion from committee: Suggest that we replace TCED 780 and 781 with EDFN
730 and 731 for the International Program only (non-licensure option).
Second: Whitlow
Vote: Carried
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* IRB – Esch
The IRB Committee currently does not have any proposals from faculty members, but
several from Dr. Petty’s class. Drs. Esch and Hartshorn are reading these.
* Technology – Hartshorn
Faculty members were asked if they felt they needed training for the new Apreso
classroom; only a few said yes, so those faculty members will receive individual training.
Dr. Hartshorn said that we need to have clear guidelines on who gets to use that room for
classes. Dr. Hall asked those who want to use it to let her know now because we must
have the spring schedule completed by October 16.
Some of the classrooms do not have an installed computer and it is necessary for the
faculty to bring their own for use in there. Cables have been purchased and put in the
classrooms, but they disappear. Mrs. Cook said that the LRC would keep cables and the
faculty could check them out.
* Departmental Bylaws – Murray
Nothing to report at this time.
2.
Standards Committees
a. Standard I
Candidate Knowledge, Skills, Dispositions – Petty
The matrices must again be reviewed because of curriculum changes to meet the 120hour rule. This committee is also looking at check points for portfolios, and continuing to
look at the background check issue.
b. Standard II
Program Assessment and Unit Evaluation – Greenockle/Erk
Plans are being made to get in touch to get someone from Blackboard to come to campus
to demonstrate how to use the electronic portfolio through Blackboard, sometime during
this semester.
c. Standard III
Field Experiences and Clinical Practice – Cook
This committee is working on the following goals:
 GOAL: Develop a viable Level I final/summative evaluation form that accurately
reflects the experience and student growth and development, whoever fills it out.
 GOAL: Revise Level II form with the following:
o Delete “exceeds expectations” and keep a three-level assessment as it is a
Level II experience (we do not expect them to be masters yet).
o Change language in “I.A.1” to reflect this statement: “Prepares meaningful
and developmentally appropriate learning activities.” (i.e., delete “interesting”
and replace “purposeful” with “meaningful.”)
o In “I.B.6” should be deleted as it appears confusing or redundant.
o What about adding a “N/A” column on the form?
d. Standard IV
Diversity – Hearn
The faculty members were asked to please get the committee evidence of diversity from
class assignments; anything that documents those 9 areas of diversity, such as
assignments that exemplify it or anything that covers differentiated instruction is
acceptable.
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3.
Field Placement Report – Cook
a. Student teaching applications are due September 28.
b. Only a couple of students in 302 are not placed this semester.
c. Teacher Education Program Interviews are scheduled for October 9-10. Faculty
members are asked to please sign up to assist in interviews.
4.
Faculty Senate Report – Esch, Evans, Hearn, Petty, Whitlow
a. Dr. Evans – There has been a lot of discussion about some of legalities associated with
the technology classroom. She will share more information and/concerns as they come
through the various senate committees.
b. Dr. Whitlow – There have also been questions raised regarding the limit on C’s that
we have and that Business has (in the graduate programs), asking, What is the procedure?
It seems that different students are treated differently. Do they have to repeat that third
C? Can they choose which C to repeat? Do they get to substitute a course for a course for
which they received a C? Dr. Murray said that our graduate committee will look at that
and bring a recommendation before the department.
c. Dr. Petty reported from the personnel policies committee that there is a concern about
whether all departments are using the same guidelines for searches, and discussion about
using a search handbook developed by Dr. Robert Smith several years ago. In response to
a question as to whether candidates being interviewed were being ranked before their
names were sent through for permission to interview, Dr. Petty stated that the
recommendation might be for candidates to be ranked.
Chair’s Remarks - Hall
a. Faculty member were asked to schedule a time with Dean Hall for classroom
observation on the following dates: October 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, including evening classes
and online.
b. Syllabi update and office hours – If you are teaching only online, your office hours
may only be online, but we need to know when you are available to students, and the
students can contact you. Faculty members were also asked to give a copy of their office
hours to Kristy, who will share them with staff in Gooch 205.
c. Commencement rotation – Dr. Hall thanked the faculty members for signing up. We
now have met the requirement for 50% participation in commencement.
d. Data reports from Counseling/EDAS Admissions Board end of each semester – The
admissions boards will be sharing this information with the department. Our enrollment
is going back up after some decrease after change in admissions requirements. A concern
was expressed from a member of one of the committees regarding incomplete
applications.
e. Tenure and Promotion criteria – Dr. Hall tied this in to merit pay assessment. The
departmental bylaws say what the rankings are for assessment/merit pay. But these
questions have been asked: What is the expectation for all of the criteria? What are we
looking for? The new guidelines should answer these questions and appear to be
applicable for merit pay also.
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f. Portfolio check/field experiences/for data entry – After advising, please do not put the
portfolio check sheets back in the advisee’s folder. Instead, bring them to the Dean’s
office so they can be entered into the database. After some discussion about the process
and about using a new form each time, it was stated that the process will be clarified so
everyone is doing the same thing.
Announcements/Reminders - Black
a. Dr. Betty Cox – Our library interlibrary loan people are wonderful, and I highly
recommend that service for research purposes.
b. Dr. Erk – There are also several new library databases that could be helpful.
Adjournment
Motion: Move to adjourn
Move: Murray
Second: Hewitt
Meeting adjourned at 10:50 a.m.
Vote: Carried
NEXT MEETING: October 19, 2007
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