Goal 1
The CEHD will support success for all learners as they enter or advance in their professions.
The CEHD will build upon its legacy of developing highly qualified professionals for careers that are informed by research and reflective practice. We will prepare our graduates to serve as agents of change, committed to, and respectful of all learners and their families, schools, and communities. We will continue to innovate in current programs while exploring interdisciplinary collaborations. All programs will maintain significant interactions with students in a diverse range of contexts including classrooms, clinics, and community institutions. CEHD will prepare a diverse body of exemplary education and human service professionals who meet both high certification and academic standards while enacting research-based, culturally relevant, effective practices for their respective disciplines.
Initiative 1.1. Assure a diverse and high-achieving student body.
The CEHD remains committed to the national recruitment, enrollment, and retention of diverse high-achieving undergraduates and graduate students. The CEHD will, therefore, focus on improving responsiveness to the changing demographics of our communities, and increasing the need for teachers and human service professionals who reflect these growing populations. As we continue our efforts in communities that traditionally enroll in our programs, additional efforts will be concentrated on recruiting in the growing Latin American and Asian populations. Towards this end we will collaborate with community organizations to recruit into education and human service professions; place programs in the community, e.g., Speech-language clinic; and conduct applied research in communities.
Further efforts will focus on coordinating outreach to the Georgia State’s “mega-major” program to increase contact with undergraduate students and to promote the value of careers offered through the CEHD. Also, the CEHD will continue its collaboration with recruiting organizations in high schools to develop a professional pipeline. The CEHD will promote student organizations to encourage new member participation and demonstrate the diverse communities in which our graduates and faculty serve.
Initiative 1.1.1. Recruit new student populations: business, non-profits.
The CEHD will expend effort and resources to recruit students into programs designed to meet the needs of business and non-profit entities.
Initiative 1.1.2. Develop additional forms of student financial support.
Financial support will be developed: (a) to increase accessibility to, and the number of, merit-based scholarships for all students inclusive of persons with disabilities and those from diverse backgrounds; (b) to enable students to enroll full-time to pursue degrees with minimal student loans; and (c) to increase financial support via internal/external funded scholarships, fellowships, and graduate assistantships. The CEHD will develop common student application materials to identify skill sets and alignment with available GRA opportunities. Professional development experiences will be developed to support student access to potential funding sources and the application process.
Initiative 1.2. Assure a diverse faculty and staff.
A diverse faculty and staff will enhance recruiting a diverse student body and deliver a multi-perspective education. Faculty and staff recruitment efforts will focus on implementing current best practices and increasing outreach efforts through professional organizations and alumni to increase the diversity of applicant pools. Faculty and staff retention efforts will emphasize the provision of a variety of support mechanisms to assist in maintaining and furthering their professional goals and efforts. These procedures will ensure a variety of perspectives and work throughout the CEHD. Additionally, training will be expanded in conjunction with the office of the Provost to department chairs and to members of search committees on increasing the diversity of applicant pools.
Initiative 1.3. Implement innovative instructional delivery options that are responsive to the varying needs of current and future learners.
The CEHD will explore meeting student needs for access to a variety of learning technologies, instructional formats, internship opportunities, research and field experiences, and schedule flexibility. The CEHD will continue to explore and implement strategies for professional development and credit earning through new mechanisms such as badging, to provide individualized credentialing, and credit-building opportunities that lead to enrolling in degree programs. The CEHD will embark on an action plan to promote current certificates, create new ones and increase the number of students enrolled. Further, the College will develop and promote ongoing efforts to provide training and support for faculty and staff to learn about new technologies that can be used in their research, teaching, and other work.
Initiative 1.4. Create additional innovative and interdisciplinary programs that address emerging fields and societal needs.
The CEHD will identify specific interdisciplinary program opportunities and establish incentives for the creation of programs that meet the professional interests of prospective students and engage with evolving societal problems. Programs will be developed using the work conducted by CEHD faculty, infusing these programs with cutting-edge research and innovative teaching.
Initiative 1.5. Increase supportive infrastructure to assure instructional effectiveness.
An infrastructure of faculty and staff development around instructional effectiveness will be enhanced and expanded. A program of faculty development will be created annually. The Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Partnerships and a faculty committee will sponsor it.
Initiative 1.5.1. Support PTIs and GTA’s instructional effectiveness of PTIs and GTAs.
As a significant portion of the instruction in the College is conducted by PTIs and GTAs, a program of systematic professional development and evaluation will be established for these instructors.