Preparing Caring, Critical, and Reflective Professionals to Maximize Student Success
Through coursework, field experiences, and clinical practice, School of Education/Professional Education Unit faculty, staff, and administrators aim to prepare caring, critical, and reflective professionals who are committed to:
Critical Inquiry and Intellectual Development
Candidates inquire and reflect critically on sociological, historical, and other aspects of educational practice and policy, engage in data-informed decision-making processes, demonstrate the ability to employ evidence-based practices, and continually develop disciplinary and pedagogical knowledge and skills oriented towards high-quality teaching and learning standards.
Professional Skills and Disposition
Candidates develop respectful relationships with students, families, communities and colleagues, practice an ethically informed philosophy, and participate effectively in institutional change.
Culturally Responsive Practice and Social Justice
Education Candidates understand and apply practices that promote respect, inclusion and equity in teaching, learning, and student development based on social identity markers including, but not limited to, race, gender, class, sexual orientation, disability, language, religion, culture, national origin, epistemology, and family life.
Democratic Citizenship and Student Advocacy
Candidates respect education as a human right and a foundation to active inclusion and participation in public life, and aspire to be agents of change in response to persistent barriers to equal educational opportunity.
Faculty, staff, and administrators strive to model, as well as nurture and cultivate the four dimensions in the candidates they serve. Guided and informed by these dimensions, candidates are prepared to maximize their students' success.
