Unit Governance and Resources

Unit Leadership and Authority

The School of Education is the recognized organizational unit within the College of William and Mary with responsibility for initial and advanced preparation of professional educators.  Given this authority, the School of Education provides the leadership for effectively planning, delivering, operating, and coordinating coherent programs of studies so that candidates are well prepared to meet institutional and professional standards.

The administrative structure of the College of William and Mary (See College of William and Mary’s Board of Trustee’s Bylaws and College/School organizational charts in the Evidence Room) includes the School of Education as one of five academic units within the institution.  William and Mary Bylaws specify the authority of each of the academic deans as follows:

 

[T]he Deans of the Schools shall have general responsibility for the Faculty under their jurisdiction and for the direction of the work of the Faculty or School.  The Deans shall report to the Provost, and shall be responsible for working directly with the Provost on academic planning, on personnel matters and actions relating to faculty and on curricular, budgetary, and educational policy matters for recommendations as appropriate to the President….They shall exercise leadership in the development of educational programs within their jurisdictions, and shall preside at meetings of the Faculty over which they have jurisdiction except when the President or the Provost chooses to preside.… [T]he Dean of a School, except as otherwise provided, shall advise with the Provost in the formation of the Faculty, the determination of curriculum, and matters concerning all the interests under their jurisdiction.

The organizational chart for the School of Education (available in the Evidence Room and and on the web) depicts the current structure of the unit.  Since 1996, the Education faculty have been organized into three functional Areas:  Curriculum and Instruction (C&I); Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership (EPPL); and School Psychology and Counselor Education (SPACE).  For each Area, a faculty member has been recommended by the faculty and appointed by the Dean to serve for two or more years as Area Coordinator.  Coordinators serve as the contact person for the Area, represent the Area in School-wide policy discussions and decisions, coordinate efforts to refine the curriculum, manage budget allocations for Areas, help develop course schedules, and assist in searches for new faculty. Administrative staff in the School of Education include the Dean, two Associate Deans, a Director of the Learning Resource Center (half-time), Director of the School Leadership Institute, and Director of Development.  Position descriptions for these administrative and professional faculty members are available for review on the web.

Bylaws of the School of Education describe the governance structure of the unit.  As noted, standing committees of the Faculty have designated responsibilities for critical functions such as admissions, curriculum, and faculty evaluation.  Current Committee rosters are available on the web. An Executive Committee advises the Dean. Its formal charge as stated in the Bylaws is as follows:

The Committee shall examine issues brought to it by the Faculty, its committees, or the Dean; and recommend to the Faculty long-range plans, policies, and procedures necessary for the School of Education to fulfill its mission.  The Committee shall review proposals including those related to programs, course offerings, and degree requirements which have resource implications and make recommendations to the Dean.

Additional ad-hoc committees are formed on an as-need basis. Minutes of School of Education Faculty Meetings provide evidence of governance work and actions taken for effective program leadership. On matters pertaining to graduate programs, the School of Education has final authority.  When the School of Education approves changes in its undergraduate elementary or secondary education programs, those changes must also be reviewed and approved by the College-wide Educational Policy Committee (EPC), on which the School has representation.   EPC is one of the formal mechanisms that ensures that Arts and Sciences faculty are actively involved in the design of programs for preparation of school personnel. 

A major vehicle for collaboration in program design, delivery, and evaluation is the William and Mary Teacher Education Advisory Council (TEAC).  TEAC was reconfigured in 2002 to include two working groups: (a) a K-12 Committee chaired by the Associate Dean for Professional Services and (b) a College-wide Committee chaired by the Dean of the School of Education and Co-chaired by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.  The purpose of TEAC is “to strengthen William and Mary teacher preparation programs through closer collaboration among Arts and Sciences and Education faculty and K-12 school personnel.”  The K-12 Committee comprised of teacher, principal, central office, and Education faculty representatives focuses primarily on issues related to pre-professional preparation, professional development, and partnerships.  The College-wide Committee, with representatives from relevant departments, the School of Marine Science, and Education, also addresses issues of preservice preparation with attention to alignment of general and concentration requirements with national and state standards, recruitment, and student advising issues.  Overall, TEAC provides a forum for development and coordination of outreach programs to serve practicing professionals and K-12 students. Additional information about TEAC is provided in the Evidence Room.

Beyond the major structures described above, Education faculty actively maintain close working relationships with colleagues across the College and in K-12 schools.   The size and culture of William and Mary encourages collaborative interactions and a sense of community more difficult to achieve in larger universities. For example, faculty from relevant Arts and Sciences departments and practicing school professionals routinely serve on search committees for Education faculty.  Faculty often collaborate on recruitment, professional development, and research projects (see Standard 5 and faculty vitae).  Such relationships, together with perceived program strengths and productivity in scholarship and service, have heightened recognition of the School of Education’s leadership role.

Unit Budget

The School of Education receives sufficient budgetary allocations, at least proportional to other academic units on campus and similar units on other campuses, to provide programs that prepare candidates to meet professional standards.  Data prepared for a recent summative Report of Accomplishments Since the 1996 Plan for Restructuring the School of Education at the College of William and Mary, noted increases in overall funding for the unit and critical changes in funding sources over the past seven years.  The chart below shows total School of Education revenue for Fiscal Year 2003.

Figure 6.1.  FY03 Funding Sources

 

 

The School’s total funding of $15.7 million represents an increase of $10.3 million over the 1996 revenue.  State funding (Education and General or E&G Funds) increased from $3.6 to $4.7 million over this seven-year period.  Nearly all of the increments in state E&G funding supported faculty-staff salary increases and new positions. Unrestricted budgets for operational support in FY04 are at virtually the same level as FY96. 

In reality, funding was not flat throughout the seven-year period, but slight gains achieved were undone by severe budget cuts over the past two years.  Like many states, the Commonwealth of Virginia experienced a significant budget crisis beginning in 2001.  In Fall 2001, the Governor announced that the Commonwealth was facing an approximate $890 million revenue shortfall, but that figure eventually grew to more than $1.5 billion. As higher education was forced to absorb a disproportionate share of the cuts, the College of William and Mary lost a total of more than $28 million in state funding. State funds now support only 18.7% of the university’s budget. Faculty and staff have received no raises since 2001. The College-wide Budget Policy Advisory Committee (BPAC) advised the Provost and Vice President for Finance on targeted reduction priorities, and each unit developed and submitted plans for one-time and base reductions. From FY02 through FY04, the School of Education lost a total of $284,440, $253,940 from base budgets and $30,500 one-time cuts.  Overall, the School of Education lost one faculty line, two staff positions, and four graduate assistantships.  Cuts to the operating budget led to reduced course offerings, a freeze on faculty professional travel, limited hardware and software purchases, and very limited provision of office supplies.  More detailed information on state, College, and School of Education budget cuts is provided on the College’s website.

Over the past seven years, the proportion of state funding has dropped from approximately 67% to 30% of the total School of Education revenue.  As indicated in Figure 6.1 above, the School of Education has been highly successful in bringing in additional funds through grants and contracts, development, and revenue-generating programs (local accounts).  The external support has enabled School of Education faculty, staff, and students to pursue many of their academic, research, and service goals despite the lack of state funding. 

William and Mary is aggressively pursuing a four-prong strategy to secure adequate funding for the future: (1) the College continues to advocate forcefully to the Governor, General Assembly, and voters making the case for additional investments in higher education for the Commonwealth; (2) the Board of Visitors is forced to increase tuition  to approximate the actual cost of a William and Mary education for in-state as well as out-of-state students; (3) faculty must rely more on grants and contracts to support research and outreach activities; and (4) the College has launched a Campaign for William and Mary to raise $500 million in private funds by 2007. The School of Education’s Campaign goal is $20 million, and more than half of that amount already has been raised.  (See Development documents in the Evidence Room.)

Personnel

The School of Education has sufficient personnel and deploys them appropriately to ensure preparation of candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards.  Workload policies and practices enable faculty to be engaged in a wide variety of professional activities, including teaching, scholarship, assessment, advisement, collaborative work in K-12 schools, and service.  School of Education “Guidelines for Teaching Load Equity” clarify considerations in the assignment of courses, clinical supervision, and dissertation advising.  The expected teaching load for continuing instructional faculty is 15 credit hours per academic year (a 3-2 course load). Faculty who serve as Area Coordinators or direct major research/service projects are relieved of one teaching assignment. In recent years, approximately 13 faculty have taught fewer than five courses per year because of such alternate assignments. Last spring, the Faculty Executive Committee affirmed prevailing practice that no faculty member should take more than two course releases in an academic year (i.e., faculty teach at least a 2-1 course load). 

Supervision of clinical practice is conducted in accord with relevant professional standards. In C&I programs, university supervisors work with 4-6 student teachers as the equivalent of one teaching assignment.  In SPACE, they have no more than 6-8 candidates in practicum and 6-8 in internships.  Recent enrollment data available in the Evidence Room confirm these practices. (Note: EPPL internship courses are organized differently than C&I and SPACE internships/practica. In EPPL, each section of internship has a faculty instructor of record, but students primarily work with an approved supervisor at the actual internship site.)

To supplement the teaching and clinical supervision provided by full-time faculty, the School of Education employs part-time (adjunct) faculty with advanced degrees and experience appropriate to their assignments. (See Standard 5 and web.wm.edu/education/ncate/.) As practicing professionals, they contribute unique expertise to preparation programs. Careful selection and preparation of part-time faculty ensures program integrity and coherence. Documentation in the Evidence Room shows that the School of Education has cultivated a talented and committed part-time faculty who have been teaching regularly in degree programs. 

Unit Facilities

The School of Education has adequate campus and school facilities to support candidates in meeting standards. Jones Hall, which currently houses the School of Education, provides office space for all instructional faculty, as well as administrative and support staff.  Approximately half of the School’s centers and projects are also headquartered in Jones Hall; the others occupy converted houses on the edge of campus.  Each semester, about half of Education courses are taught in Jones Hall (excluding field-based courses).  Most of the other on-campus courses are located next door in Morton Hall, while six to eight courses are generally offered off-campus at William and Mary’s Peninsula Center in Newport News or in local public schools.

The School of Education continues to face severe space limitations. One of our highest priorities for the past decade has been to secure a better facility for the School of Education to support our mission and ambitions for excellence. As we benchmark against current and aspirational peers, the need for a modern, inviting, high tech, professional school facility is immediately evident.  The College’s Department of Facilities Planning, Design and Construction has submitted its Capital Outlay Plan for 2004-2010 to the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget. This plan includes several possibilities for the School of Education. One alternative is for the School of Education to move across campus to Tyler Hall, which would be renovated to meet the Education’s needs. Funding for this project has been requested for fiscal year 2009.  The other alternative is for Education to stay in Jones Hall. Funding for major renovations/additions for Jones Hall has been requested for the 2011 fiscal year. 

Despite space constraints, the School of Education has access to excellent technology resources to support instruction and research.  Three high-tech classrooms in Jones Hall and five in Morton Hall are used regularly for Education classes.  Additionally, the School of Education has equipped the remaining classrooms in Jones with LCD projection systems. A state-of-the-art Mac Lab in Jones 235 is equipped with software and peripherals for teaching and production of educational materials. Jones Hall is now a completely wireless facility, allowing full access to the internet and university networks.

Unit Resources Including Technology

The School of Education allocates resources across programs to ensure that candidates are prepared to meet standards for their fields.  Despite the budget crisis in the Commonwealth and severe cuts in the College budget, William and Mary has made its utmost priority the preservation of funding for academic programs, including baccalaureate and graduate programs in Education.  Undoubtedly, additional resources would have expedited development and implementation of the unit’s assessment system, yet the School of Education has remained on track during this NCATE transition period though the focused efforts of administrators, faculty, and staff.  As positions and funding are restored, the School of Education will provide more staff support for the collection, analyses, and reporting of assessment data.

The availability of technology resources at William and Mary has improved significantly over the past five years.  The College maintains a sophisticated data, voice, and video network, and, through its Information Technology (IT) unit, offers a full range of services and support. (For complete descriptions, see the IT website, particularly resources for Academic Computing.)  Departmental liaisons have been assigned to each academic unit to assist faculty in developing curriculum integrating information technologies and to provide technical advice by identifying new software and hardware products intended to improve work flow or support the educational mission. They also work closely with the Web and Learning Services Team in Information Technology to identify the training needs of their departments.  The Web and Learning Services Team provides a range of workshops and support on web communication tools, SCT Banner software, and other technology needs. The College was an early adopter of the Blackboard instructional management software (originally called CourseInfo), and the majority of School of Education faculty maintain active Blackboard course sites. 

Over 300 computers are available in Public Access Computing Labs (PAC labs) across campus to efficiently attend to the needs of the College's students, staff, and faculty.  Jones Hall houses two PAC labs:  a 20-station Windows lab in Jones 203 and a fully configured Mac lab in Jones 235.  Both of these labs have been upgraded in 2003. 

In addition to the resources and support services provided through William and Mary’s IT, School of Education faculty and students have benefited from three Preparing Tomorrow’s Teacher’s to Use Technology (PT3) grants as well as awards from Microsoft and AACTE.  Two of the PT3 grants focused specifically on the College’s C&I programs, helping faculty infuse instructional technology into their courses and developing technology partnership schools in nearby elementary and secondary settings.  Both College and K-12 faculty received laptops, software, and extensive training and support through these projects.  The third PT3 grant was awarded to the Virginia Educational Technology Alliance (VETA) to promote cross-institutional sharing of expertise and effective practices among faculty teaching core methods courses in teacher education programs statewide.  With VETA housed in this School of Education, William and Mary faculty were especially involved in VETA activities. 

Through William and Mary’s Swem Library and the School of Education’s Learning Resources Center (LRC), faculty and candidates have access to excellent library, curricular, and electronic resources. Resources of Swem Library are easily accessible to constituents through its website. Information regarding the size of the collection, staffing, hours of operation, and the status of the $36 million renovation project is available on the Swem Library homepage. Of special note are the research tools and services offered to William and Mary faculty and students, including access to VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia. Members of the School of Education’s Clinical Faculty are also eligible for full faculty library privileges. 

The School of Education’s LRC, located in Jones Hall, houses additional instructional resources of particular relevance to professional preparation programs:  K-12 curricular materials (textbooks, teaching kits, supplemental resources) and psychoeducational tests. The LRC serves as a textbook depository for the Commonwealth, and all practicing K-12 teachers and administrators are able to review curricular materials on site.  Additionally, a significant collection of multimedia resources for effective education of students with disabilities is maintained and disseminated by the William and Mary Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) (See the T/TAC site for a description of T/TAC resources and services.).  A large collection of juvenile literature that has been shelved in the LRC is being moved to Swem Library to provide improved space and access. 

In summary, William and Mary faculty and candidates have access to exemplary information technology, library, electronic, and curricular resources that serve a broad constituency as well as the School of Education.