Standard 1 - Institutional Infrastructure to Support Educator Preparation

Each Commission-approved institution has the infrastructure in place to operate effective educator preparation programs. Within this overall infrastructure:

1.1 The institution and education unit create and articulate a research-based vision of teaching and learning that fosters coherence among and is clearly represented in all educator preparation programs. This vision is consistent with preparing educators for California public schools and the effective implementation of California’s adopted standards and curricular frameworks.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The conceptual framework for the College of Education (COE) describes our vision, mission, philosophy, and professional dispositions. This framework both complements and reinforces the university's mission, goals, and institutional standardsOpens in new window .

Our framework is rooted in seven deep-seated and enduring values that shape the ways in which our vision and mission are articulated and implemented. These values were originally developed in 2006 through the work of faculty, administration, student groups, and community partners. Together these seven values remain at the core of who we are and what we do as members of our professional community:

  • Learning as a transformational life-long journey
  • Professional literature that guides and informs our practice
  • Responsibility to self and others
  • Diversity as enriching the whole
  • Multiple pathways to learning, including using technology
  • Critical inquiry
  • Authentic and reflective assessment

COE's vision encapsulates these seven values into a single phrase that reflects our commitment to aim high, eliminate inequity, and take responsibility for the development of educators who effectively meet all students' educational needs.

Vision

We aspire to be transformational leaders who advance the readiness of all learners to actively participate in an ever-changing, diverse, and digital world.

In support of our vision, our mission statement directly identifies our commitment to meeting our aims and aspirations as it highlights our attention to equity, inclusion, collaboration, creativity, innovation, and the roles of research, community engagement, and technology in education.

Mission

The College of Education is committed to the preparation and professional development of innovative and transformative educators who advance just, equitable, and inclusive education. As a professional community, we promote creativity, collaboration, innovation, and critical thinking as fundamental to student achievement and success in a diverse and interconnected world.

COE's philosophy is reflected in the Conceptual Framework's overarching theme - REACH. TEACH. IMPACT.

Reach, teach, impact logo

The theme "Reach. Teach. Impact." is the foundation of the COE's conceptual framework for program-specific learning outcomes that guide the operation of all initial and advanced programs in the college. These outcomes provide benchmarks to ensure that our candidates exit their programs as just, equitable and inclusive educators and leaders who possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to:

REACH the intersecting social identities of all learners through the critical examination of implicit and explicit biases and privileges in order to provide fair, respectful, non-discriminatory, equitable, inclusive, and humanizing learning environments.

TEACH through an anti-racist lens using culturally and linguistically relevant strategies, including educational technologies and community engagement, to provide equitable opportunities and supports necessary for all learners to attain high-quality outcomes.

IMPACT schools and communities through a commitment to dismantling systems of oppression by supporting students, teachers, and leaders as citizens in a highly diverse, global, interconnected, and digital world.

As a complement to the conceptual framework values and outcomes, candidates are also expected to adhere to the expressed values in the COE Professional Disposition StatementOpens in new window . The conceptual framework outcomes and disposition statement are required elements on all course syllabi PDF File Opens in new window and as such accessible to all candidates. See chart of other ways programs ensure candidates are informedPDF File Opens in new window .

ReferencesPDF File Opens in new window

NOTES:

The conceptual framework reflects a shared vision, one that is continually refined with input from faculty, candidates, school partners and in consideration of contemporary practices, needs, and aims in education. Most recently, revisions were made and approved in 2021 and used to inform revisions to the college assessment system and reporting requirements (see revision timelinePDF File Opens in new window ).

While a part of the professional education unit led by the Dean of the College of Education, the two credential programs housed in other campus colleges adhere to their specific department and college vision/mission/goals:

College of Health and Human Development, School Nurse Credential Program,

College of Communications, Speech Pathology Services Credential ProgramOpens in new window

1.2. The institution actively involves faculty, instructional personnel, and relevant stakeholders in the organization, coordination, and decision making for all educator preparation programs.

The College of Education (COE) has a long history of involving a variety of stakeholder groups in the planning, implementation, and assessment of its programs. While these internal and external groups offer different levels and kinds of guidance, all are invited to provide input on how the COE can enhance the professional preparation of educators.

The COE Governance and Organizational OverviewPDF File Opens in new window outlines leadership positions and other stakeholder groups that support the dean, departments, programs, and candidates. This document also describes the Leadership Team and seven standing committees of the COE that serve to maintain and support essential college functions and provide cohesion of practice across departments and programs. These committees include the Curriculum, Technology, Appeals, Credential Program, Secondary Education Cooperative Teacher Education Program (SECTEP), and Assessment Committees. These decision-making groups are also listed on the Unit Stakeholder ChartPDF File Opens in new window , along with other boards and committees external to the college which advise the dean and unit leadership.

Departments that oversee the credential programs also engage with stakeholder, internal and external. All departments are represented on the Leadership Team and COE standing committees as described in the governance document. In addition, each department engages in other stakeholder groups that serve to make programmatic decisions specific to their credential preparation program(s). The Program Stakeholder ChartsPDF File Opens in new window detail the groups in which stakeholders are involved at the department level.

1.3 The education unit ensures that faculty and instructional personnel regularly and systematically collaborate with colleagues in P-12 settings, college and university units and members of the broader educational community to improve educator preparation.

Examples of Faculty Service and Collaborative Activity

The education unit has developed long-standing, collaborative relationships with many school districts and community partners in the Southern California Region. Currently, our initial credential programs have partnership agreements with over 90 school districts. Districts in which our student teachers are placed, or our interns are employed, all sign partnership agreements which outline both party’s responsibilities and criteria for collaboration. Advanced program future administrators, nurses, speech pathologists, and specialists also hold agreements for placing candidates in district schools as well other service facilities. Through these partnerships, candidates are provided invaluable opportunities to practice and develop professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in direct collaboration with professional mentors. Partnership agreements by program:

For these district and community placements, roles and responsibilities are also defined in program handbooks to ensure collaboration is understood as a shared construct among all participants involved, including program supervisors and/or coaches.

Faculty are expected and required to actively and consistently engage in service activities that contribute to the improvement of the education unit, the institution, the community, and the profession. In faculty evaluation documents per department personnel standards and University Policy 210.002. Faculty document their service by providing evidence of the activities and an evaluation of the relevance, quality, and significance of the service activities. Some examples of the various types of service activities conducted by faculty are:

Service to the University, College, and Department

The education unit is strongly represented on university level committeesOpens in new window , ensuring that concerns for the colleges, departments and programs are addressed. For example, designated faculty from all unit colleges serve as members of the Academic Senate, Academic Standards, Curriculum Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Faculty Personnel Committee, Faculty Affairs, Technology Committee, Assessment Committee, Advancement Committee, and the Planning, Resources, and Budget Committee, among others. In addition, faculty from departments and programs serve on various college level committees which vary by college. Some examples include, Curriculum, Assessment, Technology, Council of Chairs, etc. At the department level, program faculty serve on committees such as Personnel, Faculty Search, Credential, and a variety of Ad Hoc committees structured for specific purposes.

Service to the P-12 Community 

Faculty service to the P-12 community is extensive. Much of this work focuses on improving teaching and learning through professional development, curriculum design, and collaborative projects designed to serve the needs of districts, schools, administrators, educators, families and students.

A review of data captured by sampling service activities listed in faculty retention, tenure, and promotion portfolios indicate that faculty collaborate with and serve the P-12 community by:

  • developing and evaluating curriculum and programs
  • providing an array of professional development to teachers
  • providing assessment and diagnostic services
  • seeking funding to promote pre-service and in-service support
  • serving on advisory, improvement, and other committees/boards
  • volunteering and teaching lessons in local schools
  • collaborating in engaged scholarship as a result of grant funding

In addition, a survey of all full and part-time credential program faculty was conducted to collect specific examples of participation and service in P-12 schools over a the most recent three-year period (2019-2022). The results show the percentage of faculty engaged in activities that keep them active and present in local schools.

Number and Percentage of Faculty by Categories of Activity
Teaching or Other Experience in PK-12 schools Full-time Part-time Total Faculty
Serving as student teacher supervisor, which includes collaborating with PK-12 cooperating teachers and principals. 19 60 79
  41% 73% 62%
Modeling, co-teaching, or teaching in PK-12 classrooms 12 34 46
  26% 41% 36%
Volunteering in PK-12 classrooms 16 17 33
  35% 21% 26%
Providing professional development for PK-12 teachers and/or administrators 36 36 72
  78% 44% 56%
Mentoring new PK-12 teachers and/or administrators 18 29 47
  39% 35% 37%
Consulting in a professional capacity with teachers, staff, and or administrators on PK-12 programs 34 35 69
  74% 43% 54%
Supervising service-learning projects that directly impact PK-12 schools/programs 12 8 20
  26% 10% 16%
Other (please describe) 6 13 19
  13% 16% 15%
Total N 46 82 128

View a detailed list of activitiesOpens in new window reported by each full and part time faculty member.

1.4 The institution provides the unit with sufficient resources for the effective operation of each educator preparation program, including, but not limited to, coordination, admission, advisement, curriculum, professional development/instruction, field-based supervision, and clinical experiences.

No additional information is required during the Common Standards submission.

1.5 The Unit Leadership has the authority and institutional support required to address the needs of all educator preparation programs and considers the interests of each program within the institution.

No additional information is required during the Common Standards submission.

1.6 Recruitment and faculty development efforts support hiring and retention of faculty who represent and support diversity and excellence

University and Unit Recruitment of Tenure-Track Faculty

In 2021, CSU, Fullerton received its fourth consecutive national Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. Our unit programs are fortunate to be housed on a university campus that is recognized for its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and offers the ultimate guidance and support to the hiring and retention of faculty who represent this commitment. The university’s strategic plan (Goal 3Opens in new window ) for elevating and infusing equity-minded practices across the campus, has resulted in academic divisions of the Provost’s Office writing  DEI professional development plansPDF File Opens in new window to maintain forward movement toward the attainment of this goal.

One example of moving the campus forward has been the development of mandatory campus-wide Faculty Recruitment ProceduresOpens in new window to facilitate equitable and inclusive searches for faculty, administrators, and staff. Some highlights include:

All unit programs follow university protocol in hiring tenure track faculty, assuring a comprehensive focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion for every search.

Current Tenure-Track Searches and Recent Hires

The following credential program faculty searches are underway, with a planned start date of fall 2023.

Note: A pool of temporary/part-time position applications for each program is held in the CHRS system. Programs can pull from this pool of applicants when in need of new hires.

Table 1: Recent Tenure-Track Hires
Hires for 2019-20 Hires for 2020-21 Hires for 2021-22 Hires for 2022-23
Mallika Scott, Ph.D. Elementary & Bilingual Education Erin Besser, Ph.D. Elementary & Bilingual Education Abigail Kayser, Ph.D. Elementary & Bilingual Education William Toledo, Ph.D. Secondary Education
Kira LeeKeenan, Ph.D. Secondary Education Rosalinda Larios, Ph.D. Special Education Michelle Soto-Pena, Ph.D. Elementary & Bilingual Education  
Josephine Pham, Ph.D. Secondary Education Madeleine Mejia, Ph.D. Reading & Literacy    
Gavin Tierney, Ph.D. Secondary Education Laura Keisler, Ph.D. Reading & Literacy    
  Dr. Julia Drouin Speech-Language Pathology    

Note: The School nurse program has not recruited for a full-time or tenure track position in the past ten years. Teaching faculty, when needed, are selected from the part-time applicant pool in CHRS.

Diversity of Professional Education Faculty Fall 22

Table 2. Unit Faculty Demographic Breakdown (2014 & 2022)
  Prof. Ed. Faculty Who Teach Only in Initial Credential Programs n (%) Prof. Ed. Faculty Who Teach Only in Advanced COE Credential Programs n (%) Prof. Ed. Faculty Who Teach in Advanced Credential Programs outside COE n (%) All Faculty in the Institution n (%)
Hispanic/Latino of any race 6 (13.6%) 8 (50.0%) 1 (6.7%) 326 (14.6%)
American Indian or Alaska Native   0   0   0   6 (0.3%)
Asian 3 (6.8%) 2 (12.5 %) 1 (6.7 %) 434 (19.8%)
Black or African American 5 (11.4%) 1 (6.3 %) 1 (6.7%) 89 (4.1%)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander   0   0   0   2 (0.1%)
White 27 (61.4%) 5 (31.3%) 9 (60.0%) 1189 (51.2%)
Two or more races 2 (4.5%) 0 1 (6.7%) 29 (1.3%)
Race/Ethnicity Unknown 1 (2.3%) 1 (6.3 %) 2 (13.3%) 76 (3.5%)
TOTAL 44 (100%) 16 (100%) 15 (100%) 2195 (100%)
Non-Binary 0 0   11 (0.5%)
Male 10 (22.7%) 8 (50.0%) 3 (20.0%) 1052 (47.9%)
Female 34 (77.3%) 8 (50.0%) 12 (80.0 %) 1132 (51.6%)
TOTAL 44 (100%) 16 (100%) 15 (100%) 2195 (100%)

*None of the initial or advanced teaching faculty on sabbatical or leaves are included.

Faculty Development and Retention Support

Both the university and unit colleges provide ongoing support for new and existing faculty. To ensure new faculty stay connected and have the time to take advantage of development opportunities in teaching, scholarship, and service, both the college and the departments of unit programs ensure budget allocations for new faculty support, which include (can vary by department):

  • Three units (credit hours) of release time each semester for each of the first two years
  • Funding each year to support professional development travel, fees,
  • Summer stipend to participate in professional development and/or scholarship
  • Mentorship – many departments pair a senior faculty member with a new faculty member for support

In addition, The Faculty Development Center offers extensive foundation and onboarding support for new faculty in the form of orientations, meet and greet with the president and other new faculty, monthly support meetings, etc.

The campus understands the importance of faculty support groups are for promoting an inclusive and diverse teaching and learning environment. As such, CSUF supports many Faculty and Staff AssociationsOpens in new window (FSAs) on campus, which include:

  • Asian American Pacific Islander Faculty & Staff Association
  • Black Faculty & Staff Association
  • Chicano/Latino Faculty & Staff Association
  • Pride Alliance
  • Critical Educators (RACE) Undocumented Allies Faculty & Staff Association Veterans Staff & Faculty Association

Unit colleges and departments understand the importance of continual professional development for faculty working with diverse candidates, colleagues, schools, and community partners. The following are a few examples of professional development opportunities as well as opportunities for ongoing dialogue on issues of diversity:

  • The College of Education’s commitment to just, equitable and inclusive education (JEIE) is highlighted in a Summary ReportOpens in new window that outlines progress made toward meeting several initiatives; including but not limited to, faculty and staff professional development, recruitment of underrepresented faculty and staff of color, and retention of underrepresented faculty of color. 
  • For the last several years, faculty retreats have included a focus on JEIE issues and offered time for conversation and work groups to move the college and programs forward in our commitment to putting principles to practice:
    • Fall 2019Opens in new window – Keynote speaker Bree Picower shared her latest work on confronting racism in teacher education.
    • Fall 2020Opens in new window – The JEIE Committee presented a call to action for COE faculty and staff to examine their role in dismantling systems of racism which resulted in the creation of individual equity action plans.
    • Fall 2021Opens in new window – The JEIE committee led break out groups to reflect and share progress made and impact results of the individual equity action plans.
    • Fall 2022Opens in new window – This past year the COE chose to reflect on the past several years and the outcomes from our work and commitment to JEIE. A poster walk was used as a springboard for faculty and staff to discuss accomplishments and to think about the foci of our next strategic plan.
  • Monetary Incentives are provided for faculty to take advantage of non-mandatory professional development opportunities. For example, faculty can earn $125.00 for completing two course modules designed to provide a deeper understanding of the unit’s commitment to JEIE:
  • The COE offers a series of roundtable presentations/discussions sponsored by the Center for Research on Educational Access and Leadership (C-REAL). These "Hot-Topic RoundtableOpens in new window " events are open to all unit faculty, community members, staff, and students. Two sessions per semester are offered. Many focus on issues supporting JEIE work of the unit. The 21-22 sessions were:
    • Holistic Support and Trends During Covid
    • An Anti-Racist Pedagogy: The Conversation Continues
    • Going Beyond the Rainbow: Transgender and Gender Non-conforming Experience Trends
    • Bilingual Teacher’s Experience During COVID: What Worked What, What Didn’t
  • One Book-One CollegeOpens in new window -Book: The Hate you give (201920) – A program started in 20219 to bring together students, faculty, and staff around a common book to inspire conversation and share perspectives around the reading of a chosen book. The Dean uses social media avenues to encourage participation through discussions, activities, events and prizes. The university picked up this idea and began offering One-Book- One CSUF in 2020-21. The university events have expanded to include bringing authors to campus to speak. Featured books and author events have been:

1.7 The institution employs, assigns, and retains only qualified persons to teach courses, provide professional development, and supervise field -based and clinical experiences. Qualifications of faculty and other instructional personnel must include, but are not limited to: a) current knowledge of the content; b) knowledge of the current context of public schooling including the California adopted P -12 content standards, frameworks, and accountability systems; c) knowledge of diversity in society, including diverse abilities, culture, language, ethnicity, and gender orientation; and d) demonstration of effective professional practices in teaching and learning, scholarship, and service.

The quality of the unit is strengthened by the caliber of the faculty we hire. All tenured and tenure track faculty hold a doctorate degree, and all hold or have held professional P-12 credentials or licenses. Full and part-time lectures hold master's degrees, and some also hold a terminal degree. All education faculty have worked in P-12 settings for a minimum of three years (a hiring requirement) and California law mandates that any faculty who teach methods courses must document evidence of active participation in P-12 settings at least once every three years.

Departments have position announcements that list qualifications and responsibilities required of any interested applicant.

Position Announcements for all Tenure-Track Positions

Position Announcements for all Part-Time-Lecturer-Supervisor Pools

Once hired, retainment expectations of faculty in all positions are clearly outlined in department personnel standards for tenure-track faculty and in the university policy for evaluation of temporary faculty (full and part-time lecturers).

Department Personnel Standards Tenure-Track Faculty

Lecturer/Part-time Faculty (all programs)

The university conducts systematic and comprehensive evaluations of faculty to ensure these standards are being met. The timetable for evaluation is dependent on position and rank and is detailed according to university retention, tenure, promotion procedures (RTP). Tenure track faculty are reviewed annually, with either a full or abbreviated review based on year of service. Tenured faculty are evaluated every five years, and full and part-time lecturers are evaluated annually on teaching only.

As a unit dedicated to the preparation of effective educators, quality of instruction is highly valued in evaluation of teaching faculty. Criteria for evaluation include quality of course syllabi, teaching methods, professional development experiences, and candidate evaluations through Student Opinion Questionnaires (SOQs). Field supervisors (clinical faculty) are also evaluated by candidates using SOQs. The questionnaires vary by department and type of position. Teaching faculty evaluations address faculty content knowledge, the variety of teaching strategies used, and integration of diversity and technology in faculty instruction; clinical faculty evaluations address criteria such as, providing adequate support, knowledge of the field, and quality of feedback provided. Faculty use the feedback they receive from student opinion data, as well as peer, chair, and dean reviews of their teaching performance to strengthen their teaching.

Department Student Opinion Questionnaires for Lecture and Clinical Practice (SOQs)

In support of faculty retainment efforts, the university and the education unit offer a wide array of professional development activities to support faculty growth and development. Each department in the COE provides frequent professional development for its faculty. Relevant and timely professional development for faculty is provided by the unit and departments, and the FDC offers workshops and mentoring activities in all areas of the RTP process. Professional development activities such as these promote engagement and enrichment in the areas of teaching and learning, scholarly and creative activities, service and professional endeavors, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. For example, COE retreats, workshops and presentations have focused on cultivating a culture of just and equitable educational practices, and the FDC delivers programs for university faculty that focus on designing curriculum, writing grants, developing research projects, and teaching with technology.

Unit Programs Professional Development Support

Faculty RTP Professional Development Support

  • FDC Tenure Track Mentoring 
  • FDC Teaching Support
  • FDC Scholarly and Creative Activity Support
  • FDC University, Professional, Community Service Support
  • FDC Diversity & Inclusion Support

The FDC also offers competitive funding opportunities to support travel to conferences and also funds Faculty Enhancement and Instructional Grants (FEID). The university supports a variety of intramural grants and supports faculty in search of external funding. In addition, faculty are encouraged to apply for sabbaticals refresh and take advantage of time for professional development or scholarly work.

A summary of faculty grant submissions and awards demonstrate faculty efforts in applying and success in receiving grants to bolster their work toward meeting RTP standards.

Table of a summary of faculty grant submissions
Year Total Proposed Number Amount ($) Total Annual Award Number Amount ($)
2017-18 27 $ 9,779,455 14 $ 1,794,065
2018-19 31 $ 6,802,365 16 $ 1,387,465
2019-20 22 $ 9,195,134 10 $ 1,684,132
2020-21 13 $ 6,010,472 10 $ 1,754,729
2021-22 11 $ 5,514,500 6 $  589,207
Total 104 $ 37,301,926 56 $ 7,209,598

In sum, unit faculty are held to high standards, supported in their attainment of expectations, and evaluated through rigorous measures. As a result, we are fortunate to have hired and retained highly qualified teacher-scholars who regularly serve as leaders at the university and in their departments and are actively engaged in schools and the community at large.

Each year, the university celebrates faculty who have continued to meet RTP standards and have served the university from 5 years to 40+ years. Each person is personally recognized by the president and presented with a gift.

University Service AwardsOpens in new window

1.8 The education unit monitors a credential recommendation process that ensures that candidates recommended for a credential have met all requirements.

All credential programs have assigned faculty (e.g., program coordinators, block leaders, student support specialists) who support and monitor candidate progress through program transition points. Candidate progress files are maintained and held by the program. Prior to credential recommendation, faculty in charge conduct a final check of candidate files and candidates receive notice of their status, including any requirements that are outstanding.

At program completion, a list of candidates that have completed all program requirements is sent to the college Credential Preparation Center (CPC).Opens in new window As candidates credential and/or authorization applications are received by the CPC, a credential analyst will apply for their credential and/or authorization with the Credential Center. A credential analyst will complete a final evaluation and confirm that all program and state requirements have been met prior to credential recommendation. The CPC sends all verified applications to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). The CTC reviews applications and makes all final credentialing decisions.

Monitoring Checklists by ProgramOpens in new window