College of Education

Christine Cheney, Dean
4107 William Raggio Building
(775) 784-4345

Objectives

The College of Education, as an integral academic unit within a land-grant, research institution, has a four-part mission directed at improving education for each person: 1) to develop and strengthen the capacity of educators to serve an increasingly linguistically and ethnically diverse student population in ways so that each student is successful; 2) to conduct research and disseminate the results in order to improve professional practice and contribute to the knowledge base in our fields of study; 3) to engage in outreach activities aimed at improving educational practice and policy; and 4) to provide educational leadership to the state and nation.

The College of Education is nationally prominent and recognized for its research based programs focusing on developing and strengthening the capacity of educational personnel to inspire all learners through collaboration and innovation.

These goals are met within the college’s conceptual framework: to prepare educators who possess a love of learning, value democracy and multiculturalism, develop a strong fund of knowledge, and engage in reflective practice.

Support for students is provided through the college’s academic programs and support units including the Center for Learning and Literacy, the Learning and Resources Center, the Advisement Center, the Office of Field Experiences, the Early Learning Center (grades 1-3), the Raggio Research Center for Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Education, the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities, and the Child and Family Research Center (CFRC).

Accreditation

The College of Education is accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges for all teacher education, undergraduate and graduate curricula. It is also accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education for the preparation of elementary and secondary teachers and school service personnel, with the doctoral degree being the highest degree approved. These two accrediting bodies are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Programs

The College of Education offers three undergraduate degree programs–the bachelor of arts in education with teaching majors for secondary level, the bachelor of science in education with teaching majors at the secondary or elementary level, and a bachelor of science with a major in human development and family studies. The Integrated Elementary Teaching Program bachelor’s degree in education focuses on elementary licensure with students selecting an additional emphasis in one of three areas: special education, early childhood education, and English as a Second Language.

Master’s degrees are offered with majors in counseling and educational psychology, information technology in education, educational leadership, elementary education, secondary education, special education, literacy studies, equity and diversity in educational settings and human development and family studies.

A Doctoral program is offered with various areas of emphasis.

Licensure

By law, all teaching licenses in Nevada are granted by the Nevada State Board of Education. All of the teacher education programs in the College of Education are approved by the Nevada State Board of Education. Students who complete the bachelor’s degree in education at elementary level, and also complete the required internship semester of student teaching, are eligible for a Nevada teaching license in elementary (K-8) plus additional licensure/endorsement in their chosen area of emphasis.

Admission to College

Teacher education students are admitted to the College of Education as premajors. Admission to the College of Education as a pre-major is not the same as admission to teacher education. Pre-majors may enroll in lower-division courses with the EDU prefix, but they may not enroll in upper-division courses with a CTL, ECE, EDS, EDUC, EDEL, EDSC, EDRL, EDCT, or EDSP prefix until they have been admitted to teacher education.

Performance Assessment

All programs in the College of Education (undergraduate and graduate) are performance based. The purpose of our assessment procedures is to assure that UNR program completers are educators of quality. Assessment procedures are aligned with state and national standards. Assessments occur throughout a program, but more specifically at admission to a program, at a midpoint in a program, and at program completion. For students in a teacher education program, assessment also occurs for admission to the student internship. Assessment criteria must be met in order to progress through a program. Details on departmental advising or performance assessment are available in the departmental handbook.

Academic Advising

2005 William Raggio Building
(775) 784-4298

Academic advising helps students to realize the maximum educational benefits available to them, and to learn to use the resources of the institution to meet their specific educational needs. It is a process during which the students develop a meaningful and relevant educational plan through communication and information exchange with an academic advisor, who is knowledgeable about their educational and career goals.

Advisor Responsibilities

Advisors are expected to participate regularly in training sessions provided by the university or college so that they keep informed and current. They are expected to provide clear and relevant information to address advisees’ individual situations at the time of the advising appointment.

Advisee Responsibilities

Academic advising is a critical component of all students’ experiences in higher education. The responsibilities include:

• Being prepared with accurate information and relevant materials when contacting their advisor, which is expected at least every year;
• Being knowledgeable about relevant policies, procedures, rules, and degree requirements of the university, college, and academic program;
• Meeting with an advisor at key times as specified by the College of Education;
• Seeking academic advisement and career information needed to meet education goals; and
• Being responsible for course scheduling, program planning, and the successful completion of graduation requirements.

Appeal Process:

If there is a concern, the student should document the issue in writing. He or she should share this concern with the following individuals in the following order:

1. Coordinator of the Student Advising Center
2. Chair of the student’s department
3. Associate Dean
4. Dean

Admission to Teacher Education Programs

There are two main undergraduate teacher education programs in the college:

• The Secondary Teacher Education Program with a teaching major in a specific subject
• The Integrated Elementary Teaching Program for elementary education with an integrated additional emphasis in one of three areas: special education, early childhood education, or English as a second language.

Students accepted into the programs must complete a 120-credit course of study, which begins in the freshman year and culminates in graduation with a degree in education. Upon completion of all course work, students must fulfill an internship (student teaching) of one semester to complete licensure requirements.

Students must formally apply for admission into the teacher education program of their choice; this normally occurs toward the end of the sophomore year. The deadlines for submission of application materials are:

• March 1 for admission in the subsequent summer or fall term.
• October 1 for admission in the subsequent spring semester.

Secondary Education:

In order to apply for admission to the Secondary Teacher Education program, students must have completed at least 30 credits of college coursework with a grade point average of no less than 2.75 (on a 4-point scale) and have completed EDU 202  or the equivalent with a grade of “C” (not “C-“) or better. The 30 credits must include core requirements in English, math, and the sciences. In addition, applicants must have passed the Pre-Professional Skills Test (Praxis I) in reading, writing and mathematics with a satisfactory score, established by the Nevada State Department of Education.

Elementary Education:

In order to apply to the Integrated Elementary Teaching Program (IETP), students must have completed at least 45 credits of college work with an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale and have completed EDU 201  with a grade of C* or better. In addition, applications to the program require:

1. documentation of at least 30 hours of experience working with K-8 students in an educational setting under the supervision of a licensed professional who attests to the candidate’s potential to become a highly qualified teacher;
2. passing scores on all sections of Praxis I (PPST) or CBEST;
3. a grade of C (not C-) or better in all education courses;
4. a grade of C (not C-) or better in all other courses required in the IETP.

Additional requirements associated with the application process can be obtained from the Student Advisement Center in the College of Education (WRB 2005). A specified number of students will be admitted into the various programs each semester, based on admission criteria and space available in the program.

Once admitted to one of the teacher education programs, students must formally re-apply if they wish to be admitted to a different teacher education program. Applications for re-admission will be considered following initial review of applications, depending upon space availability. Admission to one program does not privilege the student with respect to admission to another program.

Students already admitted to teacher education may temporarily withdraw from their teacher education program (i.e., not remain enrolled at UNR) for up to two consecutive semesters (fall/ spring, spring/fall). The requirements pertaining to the student’s original program will be honored within this time period. Students who are not enrolled for three or more consecutive semesters must re-apply to return to the program. In this case, the College of Education reserves the right to require additional courses (not in the student’s original program) based on program changes that were instituted while the student was not enrolled. Note that students returning to the university after an absence of one or more semesters are required to resubmit an application to the university through the Office of Admissions and Records.

Probationary Status in the College of Education

Students will be placed on probationary status if their grades or conduct fail to meet program requirements. All students placed on probation are required to meet with their academic advisor to develop a plan for improving their academic standing. Students will be removed from probationary status and will be informed upon approval of the faculty that program requirements are being met. If a student remains on probation after two consecutive semesters (fall/spring, spring/fall) that student may be withdrawn from the teacher education program. If a student who has been withdrawn from the teacher education program under these circumstances wishes to be re-admitted to the program, he or she must formally re-apply in accordance with stated procedures and deadlines associated with the application process for all students.

Study Abroad Programs

The University of Nevada, Reno is the lead institution of the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) whose Central Office is located on campus. USAC offers study abroad programs in 26 countries. Students interested in teaching second languages in public schools, interested in foreign languages or interested in taking a variety of other courses in another country can study on programs in Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and Turkey. University of Nevada credits, internships, service learning, field trips, small classes and fully integrated living opportunities are a key part of the programs. Come by the USAC office in the Virginia Street Gym, Room 5, call (775) 784-6569, (866)404-USAC, email: usac@unr.edu or check out the website at http://usac.unr.edu

Application For Graduation

The College of Education requires that undergraduate students in teacher licensure programs submit an application for graduation at least 6 months prior to the planned graduation date. This is earlier than the general university deadline. The intent of this is to assist students with deficiencies early enough to allow for changes in class scheduling. Students who are graduating in May or August must submit their graduation applications by December 1. Students who are graduating in December must submit their graduation applications by the previous May 1. Graduation applications are obtained online through the University of Nevada, Reno website.

Bachelor’s Degree Requirements

Candidates to the bachelor’s degree in education must satisfy these requirements:

1. Gain admission to the teacher education program. A government-issued form of picture identification is required in order to participate in all practica or field-based courses. These courses generally begin in the second year.
2. Earn a minimum of 120 credits in required and elective courses.
3. Complete 40 credits or more in courses numbered 300 or above.
4. Secondary education majors must earn a 2.5 or higher GPA in the major teaching field and a 2.3 or higher GPA in the minor teaching field (optional). They must also earn a GPA of at least 2.75 in courses taken in the College of Education and a minimum 2.75 GPA overall. Methods courses in the teaching major must be completed with a grade of “C” (not “C-“) or better. Secondary education majors who do not attain the required grade of “C” in the content methods course may only retake the class one more time unless they can provide documented evidence of special circumstances.
5. Integrated Elementary Teaching Program major. A minimum grade of “C” (not “C-“) must be earned in all program-required courses. Students not receiving at least a “C” grade may retake an upper division education course only once unless documentation of special circumstances can be provided (Lower division courses may be repeated as often as needed).
6. Meet all university requirements for fulfillment of core curriculum, total credits, grade-point average and resident credit.
7. Meet requirement for instruction in Nevada school law.
8. Display a professional disposition as described by performance assessment materials for all teacher education candidates in the College of Education and demonstrate appropriate professional competence as outlined in performance assessment materials.

Supervised Internship in Teacher Education

All teacher education program majors are expected to complete a semester of student teaching (internship) to meet Nevada state teacher licensure requirements. Supervised internship experiences are provided in the public schools. Students are assigned to lead teachers employed by a school system. Staff members of the College of Education are responsible for the supervision of interns, making regular visits to observe the student’s teaching, and holding conferences with the student and the lead teacher concerning the internship experience.

Prerequisites for Supervised Internship

Only those students who have demonstrated scholarship, dependability, a disposition appropriate for a teacher, and a commitment to the profession of education are accepted for supervised internship. The failure on the part of the student intern to meet all requirements may result in the immediate forfeiture of internship privileges.

Applicants for supervised internship must:

1. Gain admission to the teacher preparation program and complete ALL courses required for graduation.
2. Meet all course grad and GPA requirements for graduation.
3. Obtain a Nevada substitute teaching license. To obtain this license students must be U.S. citizens or have resident alien (green card) status.
4. This is a stipulation of the Nevada Department of Education.
5. Meet performance assessment criteria, including demonstration of a professional disposition and demonstration of appropriate professional competence as specified in the performance assessment materials.
6. Be qualified in the professional judgment of the College of Education faculty.
7. Admission to supervised internship is secured through the Office of Field Experiences. Applications for internship are submitted the semester prior to interning according to the procedures noted on the website: www.unr.edu/education/internships-and-careers/internships.