WELCOME TO ECEE
Meet Our Interim Chair
Susan Auslander
Susan Swars Auslander, a faculty member in the College of Education & Human Development’s Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, has been appointed interim department chair effective July 1, 2022. A professor of mathematics education and former elementary school teacher, Swars Auslander focuses on the development of elementary mathematics specialists, specifically their content knowledge for teaching and responsive classroom instruction in culturally and linguistically diverse settings.
The Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education (ECEE) prepares teachers, scholars, and community and school leaders in early childhood and elementary education. Our programs aim to develop highly knowledgeable and competent students, agentic and caring within the complexity and diversity of educational settings. Equity and access are through threads of program experiences, focusing on leveraging children’s varying academic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds and connecting to their lived experiences and communities. Partnerships with local school districts and community organizations are central to the work of the department and programs.
ECEE offers a variety of programs for exploration on our website, so be sure to check them out. We have programs that lead to initial teacher certification for individuals pursuing a bachelor’s degree and those who already hold a bachelor’s degree and are career changers. We have master’s degree programs for those seeking advanced study and graduate-level endorsement programs that provide specialized preparation in mathematics, dual language immersion, coaching and reading. We also offer a doctoral program for those looking to develop their understandings and capabilities as researchers and teacher educators. Be sure to also learn about our department’s innovative centers and initiatives: Urban Child Study Center, Child Development Program, Best Practices Training and Reading Recovery. If you want more information about any of ECEE’s programs, please reach out at [email protected].
About Us
Our MISSION
We are a community of early childhood educators committed to equity, collaboration and excellence in field-based teacher education, research and service.
Our VISION
As a community of early childhood educators we are striving to be: diverse, research-oriented, innovative, collaborative, recognized leaders in the field while maintaining our field based focus.
Our VALUES
We value competence, diversity, well being of child, collaboration, reflection, trailblazing innovation, commitment, inquiry, caring trust, humor and initiative.
Explore Our Department
ECEE Strategic Plan Goals
|
Focus |
Research |
Advocacy |
Innovations |
Global/Diverse/Just Perspectives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | Promote research and scholarship |
Become critically informed and inform others of issues pertinent to early childhood education Advocate for policies, practices, and legislation that is in the best interest for families, children, the teaching profession |
Incubate and promote educational innovations Integrate technology advances |
Engage internationally Integrate global perspectives Provide evidence of commitment to global/diverse/just perspectives Empower change agents for social justice |
| Strategic Plan Alignment | GSU: Goal CEHD: Goals 1.3, 4 |
GSU: Goals 3, 4 CEHD: Goals 3, 4.3, 4.4 |
GSU: All Goals CEHD: All Goals |
GSU: Goals 1, 3, 5 CEHD: Goals 3, 5 |