AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa Board of Regents today granted approval to establish a School of Education to operate within the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University.
The new school will combine the resources of Iowa State's departments of curriculum and instruction, educational leadership and policy studies, and University Teacher Education Program. It is projected to become operational in July 2012.
The board proposal indicates those divisions will be dissolved, but their offerings, faculty, and staff will come together as the School of Education. Organizers plan to create a world-class school that sets ISU's overall education program apart from those at its sister institutions.
"The term 'School of Education' is commonly used at a university to describe an academic division that focuses on the disciplines of teaching, learning, and school leadership from pre-kindergarten through doctoral and adult education levels -- and that's how we're framing it," said Pamela White, dean of the ISU College of Human Sciences. "Establishing the school demonstrates the strong pool of expertise and commonalities across education programs.
"With the noted emphasis on leadership and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, the School of Education is positioned to advance educational opportunities for people of all ages," she continued.
According to a report to Iowa's Board of Regents, ISU's new School of Education will better address the challenges facing education in Iowa and nationally by demonstrating collaboration across teacher and administrator preparation, focusing on areas of content expertise and partnerships with multiple partners beyond the university setting. It will also create a greater sense of unity, cohesion and shared mission across existing education programs at ISU.
The consolidation of administrative offices and positions from the three departments into one school will also produce greater efficiencies -- resulting in a projected $200,000 in savings that will be used to hire additional faculty and staff.
Currently, one in eight teachers and one quarter of all principals and superintendents employed in Iowa schools have graduated from Iowa State.
White has organized a search committee and a national search will commence immediately to find a director for ISU's School of Education. Inquiries regarding the vacancy can be directed to Carla Peterson, associate dean for research and graduate education in the College of Human Science, at carlapet@iastate.edu, or 515-294-7804.
Additional information on the School of Education is available
at: www.education.iastate.edu.