THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE

                                                               FACULTY SENATE

Senate Document Number     7408S

Date of Senate Approval     04/24/08

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 66:                   Remove EDUC 318 and 345 from requirements for K-6 Licensure

Effective Date: Fall 2006

1.         Delete:  On page 115, under the heading Elementary School Licensure:
           
I. Required courses in Education – 40 hours, including: EDUC 310, 311, 315, 317, 318, 319, 322, 325, 340, 344, 345, 388, 396, 455, 496. 

            Add:     On page 115, in place of deleted entry:
           

• Required courses in Education – 38 hours, including: EDUC 310, 311, 315, 317, 319, 322, 325, 340, 344, 388, 396, 455, 496.    

Impact:  
The proposed change will reduce the number of hours in the K-6 program. 

Rationale: 
Changes in the licensure process at the state level make it imperative that we “re-vision” the K-6 program at UNCA. The new state guidelines include:

• A call for streamlining programs so we produce more teachers faster.
• The increasing availability of alternate routes to licensure, which allow candidates to become licensed with fewer requirements than typical teacher education programs.
• Modified program standards to ensure that teacher licensure programs are preparing candidates for teaching 21st-century schools.

The current UNCA licensure program requires 40 hours of education and 14 hours of content coursework BEYOND the ILS requirements – significantly more than a major. The number of enrolled students is dwindling as candidates find shorter programs at other universities. Deleting EDUC 318 and 345 (and integrating their content into their partner courses, EDUC 317 and EDUC 344) will reduce the program by two hours. This change, partnered with several other changes in process, will reduce the length of the program. The instructors for EDUC 317 and 344 have agreed to expand on their current coverage of children’s literature and geography.