Teacher Education Dispositions Monitoring Process

If a faculty member documents that a particular Teacher Education or pre-service student is having difficulty with one of the following dispositional expectations in a university- or field-based course that faculty member is teaching, he/she will request a meeting with the student, share evidence of the concerns, hear the student’s reason for behavior(s) of concern, make recommendations for improvement where appropriate, and follow up the meeting with a notice and action plan sent to the student and his/her department chair. The notice and action plan will be placed in the student's file in the department. The student also may be required to meet with a committee of faculty within the major department, at the department’s discretion, to:

1. explore the nature of the concerns,
2. hear the student's reasons for the behavior(s) of concern, and
3. discuss corrective measures for remaining in the professional education sequence.

If the behavior of concern is not corrected satisfactorily, it may lead to the department’s recommendation to deny formal admission to Teacher Education and/or advancement in the program. These recommendations would be forwarded to the Associate Dean of the College of Education for a final ruling. At this time, if the student chooses to appeal the ruling, the matter would come before the Teacher Education Student Appeals Committee, according to established protocol.

Dispositional Expectations

University-based

• Interaction with the instructor (promotes a professional and effective relationship with the instructor; willing to accept instructor written or verbal constructive feedback)
• Interaction with other departmental, college, and support staff (maintains a professional relationship; shows respect; values the positions of faculty and support staff)
• Personal appearance, mannerisms, and values (dressed appropriately to the situation and learning environment; conducts him/herself professionally in speech through appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication patterns, in personal habits, and in mannerisms; exhibits fair, consistent, and equitable treatment of all; respects civil rights and confidentiality of all; demonstrates civility and respect for diversity; sees the worth of others and dignity in others; works effectively with peers in collaborative ways)
• Adherence to class policies (punctual; observes schedules, regulations, and expectations of the university-student relationship)
  Attendance and responsibility (reliable, regular in attendance according to the standards set by the instructor and the university; fulfills course obligations; notifies appropriate persons/submits necessary documentation if absent; carries through on assigned responsibilities; focuses attending behaviors during class discussion and lecture presentations)
• Level of preparedness (shows evidence of being well-prepared for class academically and attitudinally; shows willingness to approach tasks in an organized and skillful manner; demonstrates appropriate professional content in assignments).

• Interaction with the site-based teacher (promotes a professional and effective relationship with the teacher(s); willing to accept written or verbal constructive feedback from the teacher(s))
• Interaction with other building staff (maintains a professional relationship; shows respect; values the positions of and is courteous to administrators and other building staff)
• Personal appearance, mannerisms, and values (appropriately dressed and groomed to the school culture; conducts him/herself professionally in speech through appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication patterns, in personal habits, and in mannerisms; exhibits fair, consistent, and equitable treatment of all; respects civil rights and confidentiality of all; maintains confidentiality of school matters and child-specific information; demonstrates civility and respect for diversity; sees the worth and dignity of all; works effectively with school staff in collaborative ways)
• Adherence to class policies (adheres to building and staff policies and procedures; punctual; observes schedules, regulations, and expectations of the university-district relationship)
• Attendance and responsibility (reliable, regular in attendance and time on-site according to the standards set by the instructor in collaboration with the school partner; fulfills course field obligations; notifies appropriate persons/submits necessary documentation if absent; carries through on assigned responsibilities; shows good professional judgment)
• Level of preparedness (shows evidence of being well-prepared for field duties academically and attitudinally; shows willingness to approach tasks in an organized and skillful manner; demonstrates enthusiasm for the students and the teaching process; uses time effectively; is able to adapt to changing situations in the classroom or school).

Student Appeals - Scope of the Process

The Associate Dean of the College of Education makes decisions about students’ requests for exceptions to requirements according to established criteria and interpretations of College of Education regulations, and about student dispositions in courses and field experiences that may preclude advancing in courses. The Student Appeals process applies to questions, based on decisions and documentation provided by the Associate Dean, regarding (a) enforcement of said regulations and their exceptions, and (b) outcomes of student dispositional evaluation in professional sequence, field, and student teaching situations. Since appeals involve questions of professional judgment, the Student Appeals Committee may not recommend that a decision be revised in the student's favor unless there is clear evidence that the original decision was based on prejudiced or capricious judgment, or was inconsistent with official University processes. Decisions by the Associate Dean that may be appealed include but are not limited to:

• Denials of application for waiver to formal teacher education admission status;
• Removal from formal teacher education admission status for a grade point average less than 2.8; and/or
• Outcomes of dispositions decisions.

A student must initiate an appeal in writing within 21 calendar days from the mailing date of the Associate Dean’s decision or action in question; forms are available in Recitation 302. This written appeal should be sent, care of the Coordinator of Teacher Certification in R302, to the Student Appeals Committee, which shall review the appeal. Written notification of Committee recommendations are sent to the Dean of the College of Education, whose decisions may not be appealed.

• Student Appeals Form

Student Appeals Committee

Membership

• Chair, appointed annually by the Dean of the College of Education.
• Four members of the Teacher Education Council, elected by the constituency, and representing the following:
  • College of Education -  Two representatives
  • College of Arts and Sciences -  One representative
  • College of Visual and Performing Arts/College of Health Sciences  -  One representative from either college

Attendance at the Hearing

• The student involved may be assisted by an advisor. The advisor may be another student, an administrator, or a faculty member. Witnesses may be called on behalf of the student. The advisor does not speak on behalf of the student, testify (unless he or she has first-hand-knowledge of a fact), or question witnesses. The advisor generally consults and/or privately interacts with the student, unless the University grants the advisor permission to represent the student in a particular case.
• Resource persons or expert witnesses may be called at the request of the Committee. In the event that the appeal involves knowledge of the discipline, the Committee shall be required to utilize at least one resource person from the discipline, an expert advisor(s) to aid them in their deliberations and recommendations.

Procedure

• Preparation for the Hearing  -  All parties must be informed of the appeal in writing by the chairperson of the Student Appeals Committee (hereafter referred to as ”chairperson”), normally within five class days after the receipt of the appeal application. Copies of documents and correspondence filed with respect to the appeal shall be provided to the relevant parties through the chairperson. Thereafter, neither new evidence nor new charges shall be introduced before the Committee. The chairperson shall notify in writing the relevant parties of the exact time and place of the hearing and shall provide existing University and/or Commonwealth regulations germane to the appeal at least seven calendar days before the beginning of the proceedings. Throughout these proceedings, the burden of proof rests upon the person bringing the appeal. The Student Appeals Committee also may seek out pertinent witnesses and documentation.
• Hearing Procedure  -  During the hearing, both the faculty member and the student shall be accorded ample time for statements, testimony of witnesses, and presentation of documents.

Recommendation of the Student Appeals Committee

• The Student Appeals Committee shall deliberate in executive session and customarily render a recommendation by majority vote within five calendar days of the close of the hearing. The chairperson may participate in these deliberations but not vote.
• The chairperson shall notify, in writing, the Dean of the College of Education and the student of the recommendation within five days of the Committee's final action. The notification shall include the basis upon which the Committee’s recommendation to the Dean was reached.