ANNUAL REPORT TO THE CHANCELLOR, 2005-06
Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership
Reich College of Education
I Program Data
The big event of the year was the NCATE/DPI visit. The doctoral program passed through the DPI accreditation process without a hitch which makes the effort worthwhile. In preparation for the visit the program developed its first conceptual framework which is now published on its website.
Another big event was being able to finally take the advice of the Advisory Committee and schedule the doctoral program off campus beginning in 2007. We will offer required courses in Hickory as the most central location and accept only ASU EDS graduates, eliminating the need for elective courses to be offered off campus. All students will work with faculty committees on campus to complete their qualifying exams, prospectus’ and dissertations.
The Doctoral Program sponsored the first of what we intend to make an annual Qualitative Research Round Table for faculty and students on campus. The Round Table was held on September 30, 2005 at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center. Co-sponsors were LES, RCOE, Hubbard Center and Graduate Studies. A second QRRT is already scheduled for September 29, 2006.
The Program Policy Committee voted to convert the program newsletter, Speerings, into a research journal for students and faculty A committee headed by Kelly Clark-Keefe and Alecia Jackson will begin work on this project in the fall of 2006. News and events will continue to be publicized on the program website.
II Student Report
Fifteen candidates were chosen for Cohort 14 in early Spring; 8 women, 7 men; 1 African American; 8 public school; 7 community college/higher education. The program now has 55 graduates and 66 students, 6 of whom are inactive. Four doctoral students were graduated: Dr. William S. Peacock, continues to work part time for ASU; Dr. Lynn Swann, is now Executive Director of Caldwell Opportunities, Inc.; and Dr. Michael Schramm, is Director of Curriculum in an American School in Chile.
Current students have also earned promotions: Eric Miller is an instructional technologist at Portland Community College in Oregon; Angie Wright accepted a position at Duke University as an assistant to the Head Development Officer. Ab Senbel accepted a position at the University of Miami at Ohio to develop an ESL program there. Four doctoral students were named to present a panel discussion on the doctoral program at a campus Phi Delta Kappa meeting. These students were Trudi Adams Wiggans, Kay Campany, Bill Peacock, and Trish Johnson.
Dr. Cheryl Pritchard, 2005 graduate, published a children’s book several months before committing suicide in 2006. The faculty is considering ways to have her dissertation, Now that the doors are open, an inquiry into the full inclusion of a student with spinal muscular atrophy in a public middle school general education program, reach publication.
III Director and staff
Director Alice Naylor and Dr. Suzanne Irwin, adjunct professor in the program, have been accepted to present a paper at Oxford University Round Table on Education in early August, 2006. Dr. Naylor also presented at the Hawaii International Conference on Education and the NCARE state conference with two former doctoral students, Dr. Joanne Wray and Dr. Lisa Runner.
II Issues and Trends
Two initiatives will mark the future of the program: one is the efforts of Research Assistant Caimen Ruff to create a data base for the program beginning with its inception. This effort has already begun. The second is to remodel the space allotted to the program so that it can accommodate cohorts with fifteen students, probably for at least five years before we can plan for a new RCOE building.
The greatest unresolved need is for an additional doctoral faculty member who can serve as student advisor, maintain the student data base and teach in the program. In addition, in 2007 when two doctoral cohorts will be enrolled simultaneously, there will be a potential need for twice as many faculty. Five additional faculty have already agreed to teach in the doctoral program if their departments are able to release them.
The department chairs in the RCOE have recommended that “doctoral faculty status” be established so that those faculty who contribute to the program in substantial ways are recognized. The idea has been approved by the PPC and will be presented to the graduate school in the coming year.
We have more full-time students receiving stipends in exchange for providing research assistance to faculty. We have asked for the allotment for stipends to be doubled. This summer an alumni event will be held in conjunction with Appalachian Summer, which may enlist graduates to help support and promote the program. We are also in search of grant opportunities.
