The Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education (AFTSE) operates undergraduate and graduate programs designed to prepare prospective educators for initial certification, as well as to prepare experienced educators for roles as educational leaders (see Exhibit 1.3.a.1-15 State Program Review Documents). The AFTSE is one of six (6) schools within the university, including the College of Arts and Sciences, and has the primary authority and responsibility for delivering and operating all initial and advanced professional education programs. All programs offered in the unit are administered under the authority of the dean of the AFTSE, the associate dean of the AFTSE, and undergraduate and graduate program chairs who oversee the delivery of the unit's programs of study (Exhibit 6.3.a.1, p. 9). The dean is the academic, administrative, and managerial head of the unit, and is a member of the Academic Deans Council of the university, which meets bi-monthly with the Vice-President for Academic Affairs to collaboratively plan and problem-solve in alignment with the mission and vision of the university. The unit is represented on Bellarmine University's Faculty Council which has "the right and duty to advise the President and Trustees of the University and to initiate recommendations in all areas of the University." University approval of unit programs of study is a function of the Coordinating Committee of the Faculty Council (Exhibit 6.3.b.1). State approval of unit programs of study is granted by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board.
The university acknowledges that the preparation of educators is a shared responsibility among all schools, as appropriate, with the College of Arts and Sciences as the primary collaborative partner in teacher training. The AFTSE collaborates with educational leaders from the community who serve on the Advisory Council on Education (ACE). The ACE is an integral part of unit decision-making, curricular and program change, and design of new programs (Exhibit 6.3.b.2). The AFTSE collaborated with the ACE, as well as with Bellarmine University's College of Arts and Sciences, in the redesign of the Master of Arts in Education program in 2008. The unit ensures that faculty members have the opportunity to collaborate in program design/evaluation, student assessment, and unit governance (Exhibit 6.3.b.3). Additionally, faculty is involved in the governance of the unit through participation in regular faculty meetings during which programmatic and AFTSE policy decisions are made (Exhibit 6.3.b.4).
The AFTSE ensures that candidates in all undergraduate and graduate programs are prepared to meet relevant institutional, state, and professional standards through the requirements of the Continuous Assessment Plan (CAP) (Exhibit 6.3.c.1). Program chairs collaborate with faculty members to continually assess candidates according to policies and procedures as set forth in the CAP and the Full-time Faculty Handbook, pp. 48-49. This collaboration continues in Transition Point Committee meetings during which data that illustrate a candidate's performance are considered to determine whether a candidate is making adequate progress. The Transition Point Committee presents its findings and makes recommendations to the entire faculty regarding a candidate's progress. The faculty as a whole votes three times per academic year on whether a candidate will continue on to the next phase of the program. Candidates are advised by AFTSE faculty members who utilize curriculum contracts designed to ensure candidates are enrolled in the appropriate courses and maintaining appropriate progress. Advising is designed to accurately guide candidates toward completion of program requirements, which are aligned with appropriate programmatic standards. Advisors and candidates are guided by the Advising, Benchmarks, and Data Handbook (ABD) (Exhibit 6.3.c.2), the Advising, Anchors, and Data Handbook (AAD) (Exhibit 6.3.c.3), and the EdS in Instructional Leadership Candidate Handbook (Exhibit 6.3.c.4). All candidates are informed of support services available to them by the Bellarmine University 2011-2012 Student Handbook (Exhibit 6.3.c.5, p. 27) and information contained on every course syllabus. Candidates have access to the Academic Resource Center which provides academic support services to candidates (Exhibit 6.3.c.6). Candidates also have access to counseling and accessibility resource center services which provide all candidates with equal opportunities to succeed (Exhibit 6.3.c.7). The AFTSE honors the recommendations made by the Accessibility Resource Center regarding candidates' needs for accommodations (Exhibit 6.3.c.8).
Policies related to admission to the unit's undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs are contained in the University Course Catalog (Exhibit 6.3.d.1), recruitment materials distributed by the Offices of Undergraduate Admissions and Graduate Admissions, and in the ABD and AAD (Exhibit 6.3.c.2 and Exhibit 6.3.c.3). Recruiting practices include Bellarmine University and AFTSE open houses and information sessions that provide information about AFTSE programs to prospective candidates. Recruitment events are published on the Bellarmine University website (Exhibit 6.3.d.2 and Exhibit 6.3.d.3). The university and the unit place particular emphasis on recruiting minority candidates into the unit's programs of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, with the assistance of the admissions offices and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (Exhibit 6.3.d.4).
The academic calendar is published on the Bellarmine University website, as are all undergraduate and graduate catalogs and publications (Exhibit 6.3.e.1). The University Course Catalog (Exhibit 6.3.d.1) contains information about AFTSE programs and requirements, in addition to the unit's website (Exhibit 6.3.e.2), which houses faculty and candidate handbooks and forms. Grading policies specific to the unit are outlined in the AFTSE Full-time and Adjunct Faculty Handbooks (Exhibit 6.3.a.1 and Exhibit 6.3.e.3).
Exhibits
6.3.a.1 AFTSE 11-12 Full-Time Faculty Handbook
6.3.b.1 Faculty Council Governance
6.3.b.2 Advisory Committee Education Minutes
6.3.b.3 EdS Principal Redesign Meeting Notes from December 1, 2009
6.3.b.4 AFTSE Faculty Meeting Minutes from November 11, 2011
6.3.c.1 Continuous Assessment Plan
6.3.c.2 ABD Initial Certification Handbook
6.3.c.3 AAD Advanced Programs Handbook
6.3.c.4 EdS in Instructional Leadership Candidate Handbook
6.3.c.5 University Student Handbook 2011-2012
6.3.c.6 Academic Resource Center
6.3.c.7 University Counseling Center
6.3.c.8 Accessibility Resource Center
6.3.d.1 University Course Catalog 2011-2012
6.3.d.2 Undergraduate Admissions Events
6.3.d.3 Graduate Admissions Events
6.3.d.4 Office of Multicultural Affairs
6.3.e.1 University Academic Calendar
6.3.e.2 Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education (AFTSE) Website
6.3.e.3 AFTSE Adjunct Faculty Handbook