From the President: Dear AILACTE Friends and
Colleagues:
It’s hard to believe that our annual meeting is only a
few months away. Please mark your calendars for February 7 and
plan to join us for the 2008 annual meeting. This year, we’re
delighted to announce that Xavier University, a marvelous independent
HBCU in New Orleans, will host our meeting.
The theme of this year’s meeting, “Framing the Outcomes
Question,” is designed to focus our attention on a critical
issue – the impact that we are having, not only on our
candidates, but also on the schools, communities, learners,
and the larger policy arena. The program will give us the opportunity
to learn about the various ways our institutions are assessing
their work and demonstrating that we – in higher education
– have a valuable and critical role to play in transforming
the learning and life chances of young people.
This year’s annual meeting will also offer another opportunity
for state representatives to meet and craft an action agenda
for AILACTE and for their work. We are keenly aware that the
next year – with the focus on the 2008 elections –
will be a time of deep conversation about a number of important
policy issues, and our state representatives will be planning
ways that we can keep a focus on issues that are important to
our faculty, our institutions and to the educators and children
whose interests ultimately define our work.
I – and my colleagues on the Executive Committee –
hope that you will be able to be with us in “the Big Easy”
as we celebrate our accomplishments and plan for the opportunities
and challenges of the next few years.
Most sincerely,
Lynn Beck, University of the Pacific (CA)- President
Transitions: The American Association of Colleges
of Teacher Education (AACTE) recognizes three dean-alike groups
in their organizational and governance structure. These three
groups are the research one universities, the state colleges
and universities, and the private, independent colleges. Our
organization AILACTE is recognized as the official convening
group of the privates and we have equal representation on the
AACTE Board of Directors. Our representatives on the Board at
this time is Carleen Vande Zande from Marion College of Fond
du Lac and Andrew Brulle from Wheaton College. According to
our by-laws, in order to represent us, the person who represents
us must be from an AILACTE member institution. The by-laws also
states the same for elected officers to the AILACTE Executive
Board.
This summer, I was offered a job as the Associate
Dean of the Teacher Education Program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau
Claire. This being a state institution, it was in a different
deans-alike group; therefore, I would no longer be eligible
to serve as President-elect of AILACTE. Before taking the job,
I asked the institution to join as an affiliate member of AILACTE.
Affiliate status is granted to any institution that is willing
to embrace the values of the liberal arts and the AILACTE mission.
By becoming an affiliate member, I was able to maintain the
President-elect position and continue to serve an organization
that has been an integral part of my professional development.
I am honored to have this opportunity to continue to serve.
My best,
Dwight C. Watson (President-elect)
Western Regional News: Thank
you to our three Western Regional State Representatives who
offered valuable insight regarding challenges facing education
preparation programs. Nancy Sorenson from Saint Mary’s
College, CA, Charlotte Mendoza from Colorado College, and Karen
Eifler from Linfield College, OR each shared issues in their
states. The State Representatives position allows AILACTE members
to connect at the annual meeting, and to offer insight and ideas
from their respective state perspective. If you would like to
serve as a Western State Representative from Idaho, Alaska,
Arizona, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Kansas, or Texas,
please contact me at bsanders@whitworth.edu. I look forward
to conversations with you about our shared challenges in preparing
effective and caring educators.
Sincerely,
Barbara Sanders (Western Regional Representative)
AILACTE Scholar Award: The application
deadline for the AILACTE Scholar award is November 1, 2007.
Please encourage faculty who are in their first five years of
teaching to apply for this $2500 award to further their research
efforts. The application and qualifications can be found on
the AILACTE website at: http://www.ailacte.org/scholaraward.shtml.
Applications can be sent to Barbara Sanders, Western Regional
Representative.
Congratulations to our 2007 AILACTE Scholar Stephen
Woolworth of Pacific Lutheran University. Stephen’s research
proposal was titled “Charting a Different Course: The Infusion
of Social Policy and Community Studies Curricula into Teacher
Education.” Look for Stephen’s presentation of his
results at the 2008 AILACTE annual meeting in New Orleans.
Sincerely,
Barbara Sanders (Western Regional Representative)
