Governance Document

Context

The administrative structure of SUNY Brockport includes four divisions: Institutional Advancement, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, Finance and Management, and Academic Affairs. Each division has a Vice President who reports directly to the President of the University; the Vice President of the Division of Academic Affairs also serves as Provost. There are three schools in the Division of Academic Affairs: the School of Education, Health, and Human Services, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Business. Academic Affairs also contains the Center for Graduate Studies.

The School of Education, Health and Human Services houses professional education programs. The School of Arts and Sciences provides academic majors (i.e., content knowledge) for some candidates seeking teacher certification. The Center for Graduate Studies, in conjunction with the other schools that offer professional education programs, also plays a role in the education of teachers, counselors, and administrators. There are five departments in the School of Education, Health, and Human Services that have responsibilities for teacher certification or related professional education programs: Education and Human Development, Counselor Education, Educational Administration, Public Health and Health Education, and Kinesiology, Sports Studies, and Physical Education.

The University has a collegial governance structure. Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York State specify that faculty have the “obligation to participate significantly in the initiation, development and implementation of educational programs.” The College Senate is the representative body of the faculty. The undergraduate and graduate curriculum committees of the College Senate review and recommend the approval of new undergraduate and graduate degree programs and revision to existing programs. Procedures of the College Senate are inclusive; they require departments/units proposing a new degree program or revising an existing program to solicit input from all other departments/units affected by the proposal and address the concerns, if any, of affected departments/units and also seek the approval of the School Dean.

The University is required to use the policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York to define and review professional obligations of faculty. To clearly articulate the scope and extent of a faculty member’s professional obligation with respect to teaching/learning, scholarship/creative activity and service, each department in the University has developed an Appointment, Promotion and Tenure (APT) document. All departmental APT documents specify the minimum requirements for the renewal of term appointment, continuing appointment (tenure) and promotion. The School Deans and the Vice President of the Division of Academic Affairs reviewed criteria developed by departments and ensured uniformity among departments within a School and among Schools within the University. Peer evaluation of faculty performance is an integral part of all personnel actions. Criteria used for peer evaluation have common elements; they also allow for departments to use procedures specific to their mission. For example, peer evaluation of the teaching portfolio of an individual who is being considered for a personnel action must include a review of representative samples of instructional material, including course syllabi, assignments, and examinations and may also include direct observation or review of videotape and interviews of current students and/or alumni.

Preamble

SUNY Brockport has five departments with programs in teacher education, counselor education, and educational administration that prepare students for careers in professional education. These five departments are in one school within the Division of Academic Affairs. Furthermore, some Brockport students in teacher certification programs are required to choose an academic major from among 14 liberal arts programs and these programs are distributed across two schools in Academic Affairs. In order to better manage and coordinate its professional education activities that are dispersed around the Division, the University established a Professional Education Unit (PEU) which is also within the School of Education, Health, and Human Services. The PEU also is charged with providing an infrastructure to secure and maintain institutional accreditation for Brockport’s professional education programs. The purpose of this document is to articulate the composition and governance structure of the PEU.

Article I: Title and Purpose

Section I: Title
The PEU shall be the organization through which SUNY Brockport, State University of New York, coordinates its teacher certification and related professional education programs.

Section II: Purpose
The PEU shall have the responsibility to develop and implement a shared vision for programs preparing initial and advanced teachers, school counselors, and school building and district leaders and to establish procedures for fostering continuous improvement of these programs that are consistent with the institution’s mission of student success, best practices of the education profession, and CAEP accreditation requirements and standards. Accordingly, the PEU shall develop coherent and effective educational policies that are consistent with the conceptual framework of the Unit and academic requirements of the University. Such policies shall enunciate professional commitments and dispositions that are common to all programs, demonstrate a commitment to diversity, focus on infusing appropriate technology and ensure that candidate proficiencies are aligned with professional, state and accreditation standards.

Article II: Professional Education Unit Membership

Section I: Administration
The Dean of the Professional Education Unit shall serve as the Head of the PEU. The Dean shall report directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Director of the Professional Education Unit serves as CAEP Coordinator and shall report directly to the Dean. Other administrative staff in the PEU reporting to the Director include the Director of Partnership Development and Field Experience, the Coordinator for Specialized Academic Assessment, and the Certification Officer.

Section II: Faculty and Staff
Any full-time or part-time employee of the University who teaches a required professional education class in pedagogical knowledge or professional knowledge and skills shall be considered a faculty member of the Professional Education Unit. Faculty of the PEU come from the following departments (and programs):

  • Education and Human Development (initial and advanced teacher preparation programs);
  • Counselor Education (school counseling);
  • Educational Administration (school building leader and school district leader);
  • Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and Physical Education (initial and advanced teacher preparation programs);
  • Select Departments from the School of Arts and Sciences

Any full- or part-time employee who is assigned to support the work of Unit administrators or faculty shall be considered a staff member of the Professional Education Unit.

Section III: Education Candidates
Any full- or part-time student enrolled in an educational program in one of the five departments listed in Article II Section II, above, shall be considered an education candidate of the Professional Education Unit.

Article III: Governance

Section I: Dean of the Professional Education Unit
The Dean of the PEU is the Unit Head and shall administer the PEU and shall have the authority and responsibility for the overall operation of the Unit and for CAEP accreditation of the institution. The Dean is appointed by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The duties of the Dean include the following:

  1. Serve as the Head of the Professional Education Unit (PEU)
  2. Provide a vision for the PEU
  3. Exercise the authority and assume responsibility for CAEP accreditation of the institution
  4. Consult with the Director of the Professional Education Unit and oversee all Unit functions
  5. Serve as an ex officio member of the Professional Education Council

Section II: Director of the Professional Eduation Unit
The Director serves as the CAEP Coordinator and assists the Dean in the administration of the PEU. The Director is appointed by the Dean.

The duties of the Director for the Professional Education Unit include the following:

  1. Consult with the Dean on matters of professional education and accreditation
  2. Serve as the primary liaison between the PEU and CAEP
  3. Serve as the chairperson of the Professional Education Council
  4. Communicate accreditation related developments to departments within the PEU
  5. Monitor accreditation related tasks assigned to departments within the PEU
  6. Coordinate, write, and submit accreditation related reports (including self- studies) to CAEP
  7. Work with Coordinator of Specialized Academic Assessment to plan and implement the PEU’s assessment efforts
  8. Provide oversight to the offices of Field Experience, Assessment, and Teacher Certification
  9. Serve as a liaison between the PEU and community partners (Advisory Board, Joint Management Team-Higher Education Group, SUNY Deans and Directors of Education, public schools, etc.)

Section III: Professional Education Council
On behalf of the Professional Education Unit, the Professional Education Council (PEC) shall assist the Dean to develop and implement a shared vision for programs preparing initial and advanced teachers, school counselors, and school building and district leaders and to establish procedures for fostering continuous improvement of these programs that are consistent with the institution’s mission of student success, the PEU’s conceptual framework, best practices of the education profession, and CAEP accreditation requirements and standards. Standing and ad hoc committees of the Unit shall make recommendations to the PEC, which, in turn, shall assist the Dean to develop and execute policies.

Other functions of the PEC shall be as follows:

  1. Coordinate the governance work of the Unit
  2. Coordinate the work of standing committees
  3. Disseminate information relative to accreditation to home departments
  4. Disseminate information relative to state and national initiatives pertaining to teacher certification to home departments
  5. Review home department personnel criteria to assure consistency with accreditation requirements and the University’s existing set of personnel processes
  6. Review and evaluate reports of the Assessment Committee, including assessment and evaluation of applicant qualifications, candidate and graduate performance, and Unit operations
  7. Review and evaluate reports of the Assessment Committee, and identify areas of concern within the Unit and develop plans for remediation and continuous improvement
  8. Based upon Assessment Committee reports and analysis, communicate the accomplishments and needs of the Unit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs through the Dean
  9. Review and evaluate reports of the Effectiveness and Best Practices Committee, and identify areas of concern within the Unit and develop plans for remediation and continuous improvement
  10. Based upon Effectiveness and Best Practices Committee reports and analysis, communicate the accomplishments and needs of the Unit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs through the Dean
  11. Establish and consult with an Advisory Board relative to the goals of the Unit and procedures for attaining those goals

The voting members of the PEC shall include the following persons:

  1. Director of the Professional Education Unit, Chair
  2. Dean (or designee) of the School of Education, Health, and Human Services
  3. Dean (or designee) of the School of Arts and Sciences
  4. Director (or designee) of the Center for Graduate Studies
  5. Chair (or designee) of the Department of Education and Human Development
  6. Chair (or designee) of the Department of Counselor Education
  7. Chair (or designee) of the Department of Educational Administration
  8. Chair (or designee) of the Department of Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and Physical Education
  9. Chair (or designee) of the Department of Public Health and Health Education
  10. Director of Partnership Development and Field Experience
  11. Coordinator of Specialized Academic Assessment
  12. Certification Officer
  13. Four representatives from the School of Arts and Sciences representing the content areas of Math, Science, Humanities and Languages

Section IV: Unit Assessment Committee
The Unit Assessment Committee is a standing committee of the PEC and shall be charged by and report directly to the PEC. The primary purpose of the Unit Assessment Committee is to coordinate the collection, aggregation, analysis, and use of data from a variety of sources related to the performance of the Professional Education Unit, including data about applicant qualifications, candidate and graduate performance, and Unit operations.

The Committee’s specific functions include the following:

  1. Develop, refine, maintain, and evaluate an assessment system that reflects the Unit’s conceptual framework and professional and state standards, including assessment and evaluation measures of candidate performance, programs, and Unit operations at data checkpoints
  2. Develop and implement processes to eliminate bias in assessments and work to establish the fairness, accuracy, and consistency of its assessment procedures and Unit operations
  3. Regularly evaluate the validity and utility of the data produced through assessments
  4. Assess candidates’ ability to impact the learning of diverse student populations
  5. Make data analysis reports available to PEC, faculty and candidates to review
  6. Use technology to support the assessment system

The members of the Unit Assessment Committee shall include the following persons (the chair of the Committee shall be appointed by the Dean):

  1. Coordinator of Specialized Academic Assessment
  2. Representatives from each of the home departments of the PEU
  3. Representatives from the School of Arts and Sciences representing the content areas of Math, Science, Humanities and Languages
  4. Director of the PEU

Section V: Effectiveness and Best Practices Committee
The Effectiveness and Best Practices Committee is a standing committee of the PEC and shall be charged by and report directly to the PEC. The primary purpose of the committee is to review cohesiveness across programs and with the broader educational community.

The specific functions of the committee are to:

  1. Evaluate consistency across the PEU and broader educational community through the review of programs and policies. The areas to be reviewed include (and are not limited to) the following:
    1. Being grounded and guided by a constructivist approach to education
    2. Linking theory and practice through extensive quality-based field experiences in diverse settings
    3. Explicitly delineating required knowledge and skills (i.e. the Themes and Competencies defined in the PEU Conceptual Framework including effective integration of technology in instruction)
    4. Professional Dispositions
    5. Candidates’ positive impact on P-12 learners or the learning environment
  2. Identify, monitor, and expand school partnerships that support field experiences in diverse settings which incorporate best practices of the discipline.
  3. Recommend to the PEC, areas in which greater coherence across the PEU and broader educational community is needed.

The members of the Effectiveness and Best Practices Committee shall include the following persons (the chair of the Committee shall be appointed by the Dean):

  1. Director of Partnership Development and Field Experience
  2. Representatives from each of the home departments of the PEU
  3. Representatives from the School of Arts and Sciences representing the content areas of Math, Science, Humanities and Languages
  4. Director of the PEU

Section VI: Ad Hoc Committees
In order to improve the effectiveness and best practices of the Unit, the Professional Education Council will appoint ad hoc committees. These committees will develop from a need or issue that is brought to the PEC from a committee, department or member of the PEU or college. One ad hoc committee formed as needed will be the disposition subcommittee that will review Level 3 disposition transgressions and refer to the Unit Head for appropriate action. If a conflict of interest exists with a committee member, he/she will step aside and a new member will temporarily replace them.

Section VII: Advisory Board
The purpose of the Professional Education Unit Advisory Board is to ensure a relationship between the Professional Education Unit and the persons in the education community it serves. The Advisory Board provides input to the Unit’s on-going strategic planning process that will help to ensure that programs will be kept at the forefront of the profession.

The functions of the Advisory Board shall include the following:

  1. Review and provide objective assessment and make recommendations about the future direction of curriculum, instruction, candidate and Unit assessment, and other aspects of Unit operations
  2. Help promote good relationships with the Professional Education Unit’s external community, including positively promoting the Unit’s Programs
  3. Provide an external perspective including practitioner, employer, and education faculty
  4. Provide an alumni perspective and a student perspective
  5. Keep the Professional Education Unit apprised of trends and needs in P-12 education

The work of the Professional Education Unit Advisory Board shall include the following provisions:

  1. The Advisory Board members shall meet twice during each academic year
  2. The Advisory Board members will be nominated by the Professional Education Council and then appointed by the Dean for a renewable 3-year term
  3. The Advisory Board minutes of each meeting will be kept on file in the PEU shared drive.

The membership of the Professional Education Unit Advisory Board shall consist of 10- 15 representatives of professional education from school districts and other professional education institutions, and 2-3 current Brockport students (graduate and undergraduate). The members of the Advisory Board could include the following categories of individuals:

  1. Experienced administrators, including school superintendents, central office administrators, building principals, and directors of health, physical education, and athletics, and directors of counseling
  2. Practitioners who have significant years of experience and have earned tenure in their positions, including teachers and school counselors
  3. Alumni
  4. Faculty from other higher education institutions
  5. Representative from New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)

Section VIII: General Rules for Conduct of Committee Meetings in the Unit

  1. Committees meet on the call of the chairperson or when at least 30% of the committee membership petitions the chair
  2. Chairpersons shall prepare and distribute an agenda prior to a committee meeting
  3. A quorum shall be necessary for any votes taken during the conduct of a meeting; a quorum shall be defined as attendance which is greater than 50% of committee membership
  4. Motions shall be carried or defeated by a majority vote of those in attendance; there shall be no provisions for absentee voting
  5. Minutes and notes shall be maintained by all committees and made available to all members of the Unit

Section IX: Amendments
Proposals for amendments to this governance document may be made by any faculty member of the Unit through his or her PEC representative, provided the proposal is accompanied by a petition signed by at least 30% of the membership of the PEC. Amendments shall be ratified by a majority vote of the membership of the PEC.

Section X: Interpretation of the Governance Document
Questions of interpretation of this governance document shall be resolved by a majority vote of the PEC.