Students

Some of the most influential adults from our childhood through our adolescence were the women and men who instructed us, inspired us and encouraged us daily — our teachers.

The College of Education took an early lead in preparing the teachers who would guide future generations. Beginning in 1857, the University of Missouri had the distinction of being the first public university in the nation to offer teacher training at the collegiate level. Today, the college is still a leader, providing the premier teacher education program in Missouri and ranking among the top 30 nationally.

The success of our alumni speaks volumes about the quality of our college and is one of our most effective recruiting tools. From fall 2000 to fall 2002, our enrollment increased about 11 percent, from 1,814 to 2,010.

Perhaps the single most important quality of our students is dedication. They have chosen to devote their careers to imparting knowledge and developing character. Their efforts will resonate through generations, yet the financial rewards of teaching are modest.

Unfortunately, some teachers leave the education profession after only a few years, primarily due to low pay. For new teachers in particular, student debt can be burdensome. We must do all we can to make teaching a viable career option by providing scholarship support to more deserving students.

Currently, only about one-fourth of our students receive scholarships, and the average award pays less than 15 percent of annual college costs for a Missouri undergraduate. Additional support is vital if we are to make substantial strides toward reducing student debt.

We also must increase support for graduate students. Increasingly, teachers and administrators are expected to pursue more advanced levels of schooling. Education graduate students represent the second highest number of master’s degree and doctoral degree-seeking students in the University, or 24 percent of the total graduate enrollment. Additional scholarships would be greatly beneficial to this group of dedicated professionals as they advance their careers.

Faculty

Our faculty are scholars, authors, mentors and researchers who are dedicated to increasing research-based, professional practice that enables learners to achieve their highest potential.

In particular, our faculty are at the forefront of addressing the central challenges confronting schools in nearly every community: poor performance in mathematics and science; weak connections between schools and higher education; educators unprepared to address the problems common in today’s schools; and outdated notions of student assessment. The college’s curricula is designed to help solve these issues, often working in concert with other academic disciplines and local schools.

Targeted efforts also include an emphasis on mathematics education, science education and learning technologies; a continual search for new ways to link the K-12 and higher education systems; a drive to create and implement programs that prepare educators as inquiring and reflective professionals; and extensive research on learning and performance-based assessment.

A number of our faculty have received national awards from professional organizations and educational entities, including the UCEA Culbertson Young Scholarship Award, Spencer Post-Doctorate Awards and the Gruhn-Long Award, sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals to recognize distinguished service and leadership in improving middle-level education.

Another important measure of quality is the faculty’s success in securing research grants. In 2002, the faculty received more than $15 million in grants, an average of $134,940 per full-time faculty member. Also in 2002, the College of Education faculty ranked third in research dollars among peer institutions, including the universities of Florida, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan State, Iowa, Indiana and California-Davis.

To maintain our margin of excellence and to be competitive with the nation’s foremost public universities, we must retain our excellent faculty and hire outstanding candidates.

One key to attracting and keeping exceptional professors is to expand the number of endowed professorships and chairs, which provide competitive salaries and funding for expenses for faculty. To secure the college’s future, we seek to endow a professorship in each of our academic units: early childhood and elementary education; educational leadership and policy analysis; educational, school and counseling psychology; learning, teaching and curriculum; information science and learning technologies; and teacher development.

We also seek to endow chairs in the areas of administrative/supervision, higher education administration, policy studies and educational psychology. Funds raised during the campaign will ensure that we accomplish these worthy goals.

Programs

The programs at the College of Education are far-reaching and provide significant services to school districts throughout the state and nation, providing a link between the college and local communities. Below are examples of our outstanding programs, which provide limitless avenues for answering the complex questions that educators across America face today.

The Teacher Development Program is a national model for the education profession. It combines course work; a full-semester internship in partner schools that include both rural and urban settings; and support for new graduates through their second year of teaching. As a result, program graduates are well-prepared and highly recruited.

The MU Partnership for Educational Renewal Teaching Fellowship Program allows participants to teach full time while taking graduate courses. The program pairs graduate students with experienced teachers in local school districts, where they develop the skills necessary to succeed in any situation. The program began in 1995, and a full 90 percent of the participants are still teaching.

The Southwestern Bell Science Education Center brings together science educators, school-based colleagues and MU scientists in fields such as chemistry, physics and biological sciences to improve k-16 teaching and learning. Participants focus on developing inquiry-based science instruction. As a result, schoolchildren not only learn facts, but they also learn how scientists arrive at their findings, including some of the latest discoveries from MU research labs.

The Globalization Initiative was established in 2001 with Fu-Hsing School in Taipei, Taiwan, to promote literacy education. College of Education faculty members developed a literature-based English curriculum and then taught the method to Fu-Hsing faculty. Other Taipei schools have since adopted the curriculum. The College of Education team also worked with National Taiwan University to develop video conferencing programs that enable students at Fu-Hsing School to communicate with students in Missouri.

The School of Information Science and Learning Technologies, an academic unit of the College of Education, focuses on improving learning, information organization and retrieval, and human performance through the invention, innovative application and dissemination of new technologies and processes. The school prepares graduates for careers in education, government and industry.

Facilities

Several of our alumni and friends have fond memories of the University Lab School, either as pupils or as student teachers. After the Lab School closed in the 1970s, the University continued using Townsend Hall and its child-sized fixtures for college classes.

As time went on, technology needs also outgrew the accommodations. The electrical wiring in Townsend Hall was not adequate to serve computers, video monitors and other technology. So, in 2001, the building was completely renovated to support teacher training for the next century. The exterior was preserved in stately school building style. The interior, however, was transformed into an open floor plan that features the latest in space usage and some of the most advanced technology on campus.

The centerpiece of Townsend Hall is called The Reflector. This three-level laboratory combines print and electronic resources for teacher development. Students have access to instructional materials and 110 computer workstations in surroundings designed to enhance cooperative learning, inquiry and reflection for students, faculty and teachers of grades preschool through 12.

The Reflector also houses the Verizon Children’s Literacy Center, which provides an extensive array of technology for staff and students. Now, we must ensure that Townsend Hall keeps pace with technology. Upgrades are necessary on an annual basis to stay current. Naming opportunities exist for those who wish to support technology and ensure that the facility continues to provide an outstanding educational experience.

During the renovation of Townsend Hall, the auditorium that was located in the center of the building was removed. Today there is a need for a state-of-the-art auditorium that will seat 250 people and provide a meeting place for large classes and educational conferences. This modern education hall will be known as the Center for Advancement of Teaching and Learning.

We also seek to improve faculty offices and research space in Hill Hall, the main administrative facility for the College of Education. Originally, Hill Hall was a classroom building for education students, but, like Townsend Hall, its use has changed over the years.

The building currently houses the Dean’s Office; the Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology; the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis; Student Advising; and the Teacher Development Program. Renovations will enable the college to tailor the space for current purposes, including student advising.