sd1510s

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE

FACULTY SENATE

Senate Document Number 1510S

Date of Senate Approval 01/21/10

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 2: Elimination of B-K Licensure Program

Effective Date: Fall 2010

1. Delete: On p. 120, under First Areas of Licensure, the first bulleted item:

Birth-Kindergarten (B-K);

2. Delete: On p. 120, under Areas of Major, the last sentence in the paragraph:

B-K students must major in psychology.

3. Delete: On p. 121, the entire entry for Birth-Kindergarten Licensure (B-K)

4. Delete: On p. 124, the entire entry for EDUC 321, Early Childhood Development

5. Delete: On p. 124, the entire entry for EDUC 331, Models of Early Childhood Education

6. Delete: On p. 125, the entire for EDUC 341, Birth-Kindergarten Assessment and Teaching Strategies

7. Delete: On p. 125, the entire entry for EDUC 351, Social Diversity in B-K Education

8. Delete: On p. 125, the entire entry for EDUC 361, Emergent Literacy and Language Development

9. Delete: On p. 126, the entire entry for EDUC 386, Infant-Toddler Internship and Seminar

10. Delete: On p. 127, the title for EDUC 396:

Research Methods in Education, BK-12 (1)

Add: On p. 127, in place of deleted entry:

Research Methods in Education, K-12 (1)

11. Delete: On p. 127, the title for EDUC 496:

Directed Research in Education, BK-12 (2)

Add: On p. 127, in place of deleted entry:

Directed Research in Education, K-12 (2)

12. Delete: On p. 245, under Psychology with Teacher Licensure:

Psychology majors who are also completing B-K, 6-9, or K-12 teacher licensure should enroll in PSYC 318 instead of either PSYC 317 or PSYC 332. PSYC 318 fulfills the department’s laboratory course requirement for these teacher licensure students. K-6 licensure students may choose either PSYC 317, 318 or 332 to complete the laboratory course requirement. B-K licensure students should complete PSYC 200, 225, 312, and 345 as part of their required curriculum. See the Education Department section for additional licensure requirements.

Add: On p. 245, in place of deleted entry:

Psychology majors who are also completing 6-9 teacher licensures should enroll in PSYC 318 instead of either PSYC 317 or PSYC 332. PSYC 318 fulfills the department’s laboratory course requirement for these teacher licensure students. K-6 licensure students may choose either PSYC 317, 318 or 332 to complete the laboratory course requirement. See the Education Department section for additional licensure requirements.

Impact:

Because of very low enrollment, the elimination of the Birth-Kindergarten Licensure Program will have minimal impact on the Education Department and the Psychology Department. B-K Program completers have averaged one-two per year over the last five years. The department will ensure that any candidates who have been formally admitted to the B-K program can complete this licensure program through independent studies or alternative courses that meet the competencies required for this area of licensure. We have sent letters to any potential licensure candidate, of whom we are aware, and we have requested that they meet with the B-K coordinator to ensure that they are advised and to determine if they can be formally admitted to the program. Formal admission requires that a candidate have completed EDUC 310 and taken Praxis I if required. In addition we must submit the names of all candidates in the pipeline to NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) by the end of the fall semester. Once NCDPI receives this list of candidates we will be unable to recommend additional students for licensure.

Rationale:

Although the demand for licensed, degreed early childhood teachers remains high, enrollment and consistent course attendance in the B-K licensure program has been low since its beginning in 2004. Even though we have tried to offer one course in this program each semester, enrollment has been so low that we have usually had to cancel the class. Instead the instructor has had to offer courses as independent studies every semester. In some cases, students have had to take courses at other institutions and transfer them back to UNC Asheville.

Despite the BK licensure coordinator’s sustained efforts to publicize and recruit candidates to the BK program, enrollment has not increased substantially in the past five years. This may be due in part to the “mis-match” between the community college program for B-K students and our undergraduate liberal arts program. Efforts to follow through on an articulation agreement with our local community college have not been successful. Therefore, due to low enrollment and our inability to offer courses with 2-4 students, we have made the decision to no longer offer B-K licensure.