Welcome from Dean Sarah Irvine Belson, PhD
Dear Prospective and Current Students, Faculty, Alumni, and Friends:
Throughout the last year, the School of Education, Teaching & Health has undergone a review of our programs, initiatives, and strategic plan for our future. In conjunction with American University and the College of Arts and Science, SETH has created a five-year plan in which we hope to achieve four major goals:
Goal 1: Epitomize the Scholar-Teacher Ideal:
Excellence in the Classroom and in the Field
The term "excellence" is one of the four core organizing principles of SETH. These core principles are meaningful within the context of the entire mission of the unit and provide the grounding on which we situate our curricula and activities. The concept of excellence is defined, therefore, within the connected principles of diversity, equity, and community.
In the last year, the tenured and tenure-track faculty in SETH published a total of nine articles, three book chapters and two books, and one instance of editorial book service in peer-reviewed venues related to each faculty member’s field of study. Additionally, SETH faculty were awarded $7.4M in external funding for sponsored research.
Goal 2: Provide an Unsurpassed Undergraduate Experience
SETH faculty and staff strive to guide undergraduate students to studies and experiences that will further their intellectual and professional growth, and we attempt to engage a student and faculty model representative of a diverse set of experience to enrich each other experiences.
The full time faculty supported 23 students in such types of experiences, in both EDU and HFIT courses. In addition, faculty provided the following examples of unique initiatives for undergraduate students outside the classroom. For example, Dr. Vassallo led an international service-learning experience over spring break for ten students to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. These students were awarded a fully funded spot on the team through a merit-based application process.
Goal 3: Demonstrate Distinction in Graduate, Professional, and Legal Studies
We search for meaningful ways to advance each of these different topics, through initiatives to help American University understand the field of Education and its rich history and policy, to understand and advance Educational Policy and Leadership, our professional teacher education programs, and to engage in the study and development of the field of Health Promotion.
During the last year, SETH recruited over 40 students who began an MEd program in Curriculum and Instruction in Educational Policy and Leadership, and we redesigned our MEd program in Curriculum and Instruction: Math and Science, to meet the needs of catalyst school teachers in DCPS. SETH graduate students have had the opportunity to collaborate with DCPS or Teach for America, lobby for health reform on Capitol Hill, or get hands-on experience at Kelly Miller Middle School or The Lab School of Washington.
Goal 4: Engage in Great Ideas and Issues through Research, Centers, and Institutes
Professional education and our place in the DC schools requires the involvement of SETH within the university and with outside partners.
In the Fall of 2010 we launched the American University Institute for Innovation in Education with a mission to conduct, administer, and disseminate research and research-informed professional development initiatives in service to enhanced educational opportunities for low income, first generation college students, and historically underserved populations and provides independent research-based support and technical assistance to educators, policy makers, and journalists. Along with our work in the Collaborative for Urban Education, Research, and Development, we are prepared to leverage university-wide expertise to engage in research and inquiry related to education and education policy on a large scale.
As SETH moves with full force into the future, we hope to surpass our own goals, empowering future generations of educators, teachers, and health promoters, while serving our academic community and the city of Washington, DC, to the best of our abilities.
All the best to you in this academic year.
Sarah Irvine Belson, PhD
Dean
School of Education, Teaching & Health
