Professional Education Council (PEC)

Responsibilities of the Council

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. The PEC will help 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 PEU shall make recommendations to the PEC, which will assist the Dean to develop and execute policies and procedures.

Other Functions of the PEC

  • Coordinate the governance work of the PEU.
  • Coordinate the work of standing committees.
  • Disseminate information relative to accreditation to home departments.
  • Disseminate information relative to state and national initiatives teacher certification to home departments.
  • Review home department personnel criteria to assure consistency with accreditation requirements and the University’s existing set of personnel processes.
  • Review and evaluate reports of the assessment committee, including assessment evaluation of applicant qualifications, candidate and graduate performance, and PEU operations.
  • Review and evaluate reports of the assessment committee and identify areas of concern within the Unit and develop plans for remediation and continuous improvement.
  • 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.
  • Establish and consult with an Advisory Board relative to the goals of the PEU and procedures for attaining those goals.

Voting Members of the Council

  • Director of the Professional Education Unit, Chair
  • Dean (or designee) of the School of Education, Health, & Human Services
  • Dean (or designee) of the School of Arts and Sciences
  • Dean (or designee) of the Center for Graduate Studies
  • Chair (or designee) of the Department of Education and Human Development
  • Chair (or designee) of the Department of Counselor Education
  • Chair (or designee) of Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and Physical Education
  • Chair (or designee) of the Department of Public Health and Health Education
  • Chair (or designee) of the Department of Educational Administration
  • Director of Partnership Development and Field Experience
  • Coordinator of Specialized Academic Assessment
  • Certification Officer
  • Four representatives from the School of Arts and Sciences representing the content areas of Math, Science, Humanities and Languages

Standing Committees of the PEC

Unit Assessment Committee

The Unit Assessment Committee is a standing committee of, and reports directly to the PEC.

The primary function 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 responsibilities and activities include:

  • Monitoring development, implementation, and refinement of the Unit assessment system
  • Analyzing and using aggregated performance data to improve programs and unit operations
  • Communicating with others in the Unit. The chair of the Unit Assessment Committee will be appointed by the Associate Dean.

Effectiveness & Best Practices Committee

The Unit Effectiveness and Best Practices Committee (EBP) is a standing committee of, and reports directly to, the Professional Education Council (PEC). The primary function of the EBP is to assess and develop policies relevant to the programs across the PEU. Specifically, the Committee performs the following functions:

  • Evaluates consistency across the PEU and broader educational community through the review of programs and policies, including the following areas:
    • Being grounded and guided by a constructivist approach to education
    • Linking theory and practice through extensive quality-based field experiences in diverse settings
    • 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)
    • Demonstrating a set of Professional Dispositions
    • Demonstrating candidates’ positive impact on P-12 learners or the learning environment
  • Identifies, monitors, and expands school partnerships that support clinical experiences and best practices of the discipline in diverse settings
  • Recommend to the PEC areas in which greater coherence across the PEU and the broader educational community are needed

The Committee membership is comprised of the Director of Field Experience and Certification, along with representatives from each of the six departments within the PEU. The chair of the Committee is appointed by the Associate Dean.