Manchester University Department of Education’s Teacher Preparation Programs

I:  EPP Overview

Section A:  Context and Unique Characteristics (3,000 characters)
Notes from CAEP:  This section is not meant to "sell" the provider. Descriptive information should be limited to what is essential for understanding the background against which the provider is operating. Provider context and unique characteristics

• Age, history, context, and distinguishing features
• Summary of requirements (initial and advanced), demographics about the host institution (e.g., IHE) and the provider (e.g., institutional and provider enrollment, number and ethnic composition of students, completers and faculty)
• Copies of or links to AIMS tables specific to provider characteristics and program characteristics

A1. Manchester University (EVIDENCE PACKET A1)

Situated in a rural town in northeast Indiana, Manchester University (MU) is 35 miles from Fort Wayne, the second largest city in Indiana.  MU offers more than 60 areas of undergraduate programs, a Master of Pharmacogenomics, a Master of Athletic Training and a four-year professional Doctor of Pharmacy.  In 2017-2018, MU enrolled 1,266 undergraduates, 17 graduate students, and 289 pharmacy students.  The undergraduate curriculum offers courses from broad categories such as Responsible Citizenship, Global Connections, and Ways of Knowing. This Core curriculum provides all students with breadth in understanding the liberal arts while offering opportunities to think and write critically.

MU is one of six institutions across the United States with definitive ties to the Church of the Brethren, a church recognized for its roots in peace and focused on reconciliation.  MU houses the world’s first undergraduate Peace Studies program and is the last college campus on which Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke before his assassination.  A partnership with BCA Study Abroad, offers semester- or year-long study in countries such as Ecuador, France, and Spain.  MU also offers a January session focused on intensive three-week courses at locations such as Hawaii, England, Israel, and India as well as on campus and online learning opportunities or internships.

In August 2012, the institution enrolled its first pharmacy students on a second campus in Fort Wayne, IN, and began its transition from a college to a university through the division of disciplines into four colleges: the College of Arts and Humanities; the College of Business; the College of Education and Social Sciences; and the College of Pharmacy, Natural, and Health Sciences.
 
Currently, MU is undergoing an internal audit of institutional vitality; elected faculty, staff, and administration are envisioning the future of MU, strengthening current programs, and creating new programs. The approach reflects the shared governance rooted in creating an inclusive academic environment.

Since 1964, the EPP has been NCATE accredited and has the second largest number of undergraduate majors representing disciplines in three of the four colleges; this reflects the importance of the Education Department to the institution’s vitality.  MU has over 3,654 living education alumni with a total of 5,620 graduates from the Department of Education.  Currently, the Indiana Rules for Educator Preparation and Accountability (REPA) law directly impacts candidates in teaching programs. 

MU manages an annual operating budget of approximately $43 million and is committed to maintaining financial stability.  MU's revenue from undergraduate programs has remained relatively stable; increased enrollment in graduate and professional programs has bolstered institutional revenue.  Initiatives focus on increasing undergraduate enrollment and retention as well as diversifying programs with new offerings to build on MU's strengths and meet market demands.
 
Section B:  Description of Organizational Structure (3,000 characters)
Notes from CAEP:  Provider's organizational structure:

• Institutional/organizational structure
• Copy of or link to AIMS tables specific to programs by site of operation
• The provider's place in the institution or organization
• Provider's shared values and beliefs, vision, mission, and goals
• The local, regional, or national market for completer employment and political contexts that shape the program

In 2014, MU restructured the institution to four colleges led by individual deans (5 academic deans- one graduate, 4 undergrad).  Each academic dean reports to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The EPP is housed in the College of Education and Social Sciences (CESS) which also includes the departments of Communication Studies; Economics; History and Political Science; Psychology; and Sociology, Social Work, and Criminology.  In 2017, 6% of the student population graduated from the College of Arts & Humanities, 24% graduated from the College of Business, 20% graduated from CESS, and 50% graduated from the College of Pharmacy, Natural, and Health Sciences. 

The EPP supervises MU’s 16 teacher preparation programs: elementary with ELL, mild intervention, or high ability; all-grade physical education with a concentration in health, instrumental music, choral music, and art; and secondary biology, chemistry, English, French, history, mathematics, physics, and Spanish.

The EPP is monitored by the Teacher Education Committee (TEC), assigned by the Academic Governance Council (AGC) and representing disciplines in licensure areas; the Director of Teacher Education (DTE) serves as a non-voting ex officio member.  TEC approves changes to the teaching program or curriculum prior to approval by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC).  TEC also approves candidates for admission and monitors their progress.

Since 1990, the Teacher Advisory Council (TAC) biannually evaluates and provides feedback for the EPP. TAC consists of clinical faculty, alumni, administration, and the EPP.  The Dean of CESS and the VP for Academic Affairs also attend.
 
In the past decade, the EPP has had five DTEs, and since last accreditation, a member of the EPP became DTE.  In 2014, the EPP restructured the position of Administrative Assistant into a Field Experience and Assessment Coordinator to collect data and ensure compliance. With these changes, the EPP is confident it now has mechanisms and people to ensure a proactive quality assurance system.

Since 2014, the EPP includes two tenure-track, assistant professors of education; one tenured, associate professor of education; one tenured full professor of education who receives a half teaching load to serve as Director of Teacher Education; and one Field Experience and Assessment Coordinator.  Each of the faculty teaching within the EPP has extensive classroom experience ranging from seven to twenty-two years of practical experience.  Additionally, three of the four have earned their doctorates while teaching full-time. 

Due to the size of the program, the EPP relies heavily on retired classroom teachers, administrators, and clinical faculty to evaluate teacher candidates in the field. MU evaluates its candidates using the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) standards as well as coursework aligned with Specialized Program Associations’(SPA) standards and the Indiana Professional Teacher Standards for teachers.  

Section C:  Vision, Mission, and Goals
Notes from CAEP:  These statements should be consistent with the goals, objectives, promises, and standards published in catalogs, brochures, state approved or registration reports, and websites describing projected outcomes.

MU’s Brethren roots provide a strong foundation in peace and social justice, and both are reflected in the EPP's promises to all stakeholders. Deeply committed to the development of the next generation of educators, MU's EPP created a program built on clear expectations reflecting its conceptual framework of Curriculum, Assessment, Relationships, and Environment (CARE).

First, the EPP upholds its mission statement:  "The Department of Education bridges theory and practice to prepare students for professional careers that promote individual well-being, community engagement, and social justice."  Through carefully crafted clinical experiences, candidates experience the mission statement first hand.

Second, the EPP articulates learning goals for candidates:  Graduates of the Teacher Education Program will (1) construct and deliver appropriate curriculum or organizational models for children and/or adolescents; (2) assess students’ learning and development or effectiveness of organizational programs designed for children and/or adolescents; (3) establish professional and reciprocal relationships with others invested in the emotional, physical, and cognitive well-being of children and/or adolescents; (4) create positive and caring environments for the development and academic progress of children and/or adolescents.  Every course, assignment, and learning opportunity links directly to the program's learning goals.

Third, the EPP's motto, Manchester University prepares teachers of ability and conviction, is taken directly from the University's Statement of Mission, and it reflects the broad purpose of both MU and the teacher education program.  New teachers who achieve the program goals and objectives listed above will be people of ability and conviction.

Ultimately, the liberal arts-based teacher education program at Manchester University is a student-centered program.  Relationships between faculty and students demonstrate mutual concern and respect, and students receive personalized, sensitive mentoring from the faculty.  The EPP's structured introduction and exposure to high impact practices prepares candidates for the classroom.  The course curriculum, field experiences, and opportunities - such as the Celebrate Diversity workshop- provide candidates with a carefully planned progression towards understanding learners and their diverse needs, content knowledge, instructional best practices, and ethical understanding of the teaching profession.  The EPP model appropriate interactions between educators and students.

Section D:  Shared Vision and Beliefs for Educator Preparation (4,000 characters)
Notes from CAEP:  Shared values and beliefs are the principles or standards, developed within an organization/institution, that guide the academic, social, and moral behaviors of administration, faculty, and staff. These are often referred to as core values and constitute the basis of institutional culture, operations, and external relationships.
For educator preparation programs, shared values often address beliefs and practices related to expectations for candidates and completers, such as:

• content knowledge
• pedagogical knowledge and skills
• human development and learning
• data literacy, technology, inquiry, and assessment
• diversity
• reflective practice

Deeply integrated into the culture of Manchester University, MU's mission statement reads, "Manchester University respects the infinite worth of every individual and graduates persons of ability and conviction who draw upon their education and faith to lead principled, productive, and compassionate lives that improve the human condition." In support of the mission statement, Manchester University has value statements deeply rooted in the liberal arts and the traditions of the Church of the Brethren.  These statements focus on learning, faith, service, integrity, diversity, and community.

A culture of respect and sense of responsibility for others permeates both the institution and the EPP.  With a commitment to understanding the human condition, candidates develop a sense of purpose for required content and pedagogical knowledge; the understanding of how learners develop physically, emotionally, and cognitively; the respect for diversity; and the ability to reflect deeply on their impact and their professional development.

The EPP fosters a passionate, ethical, and moral obligation to provide student-centered learning environments in preschool through grade 12.  Through dispositional rubrics, feedback from clinical faculty, and articulated checkpoints, the EPP measures these important values.  Additionally, the EPP monitors candidates' progress as professionals; course work in content and pedagogy focus on the needs of the whole child/adolescent, recognizing that all learners must develop socially, cognitively, and emotionally.  Additionally, the EPP has a commitment to creating curriculum, course sequencing, and experiences that encompass a wide range of legal and ethical issues required of educators.

With a committed focus to the liberal arts, teacher candidates possess the ability to create standards-based curriculum, employ student-centered pedagogy, and expose P-12 students to a wide variety of core academic courses such as history, science, mathematics, and the humanities.  Developmentally appropriate clinical experiences provide candidates with insight and clinical experiences.  The EPP values collaboration between clinical faculty and pre-service teachers, and it continues to work towards deepened partnerships with local community schools as well as organizations that provide services for students with gifts and talents.

The EPP has invested in the personnel and technology resources to organize, implement, and assess clinical placements to maximize candidates' experiences and learning.  In 2015, the EPP created a new position to develop and maintain clinical partnerships.  The Field Experience and Assessment Coordinator communicates program expectations, evaluates clinical locations, and places candidates in high-quality field experiences.  In 2017, the EPP secured institutional support for the implementation of the CORE Higher Education software.  Also used by the Manchester University Pharmacy Program, the software supports the clinical experiences for candidates, the EPP, and clinical faculty by recording hours, communicating dispositional and performance concerns/accolades, and evaluating clinical experiences. 

Additionally, as a result of an annual luncheon held for clinical administrators and with the participation of K-12 administrators on the Teacher Advisory Council, placement in clinical experiences with highly qualified clinical faculty has improved.  Administrators intentionally place teacher candidates with clinical role models.