By Leslie Mason and Phil Williams
In 1996, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education formed a unique partnership--the Deans' Forum--to promote the improvement of teaching and learning at the university.
"It's time for us to think about scholarship from a broader perspective," says Russell Yeany, dean of education. "In the past, individuals from the two colleges have worked together, but never at the institutional level. The Deans' Forum provides a mechanism for that."
Yeany and Wyatt Anderson, dean of arts and sciences, were introduced to the intra-institutional model two years ago when they attended a National Science Foundation meeting in Washington, D.C. According to Yeany, there is growing support for implementing "institutional change strategies" among research-university leadership.
The Deans' Forum is co-administered by Anderson and Yeany. They oversee a variety of collaborative projects that explore issues such as course and curriculum design, the nature and quality of instruction in university courses, learning theories relevant to college-age learners, the role of the university in teacher preparation, and the university's role in the P-16 Initiative--a statewide, community-based approach to reforming preschool through secondary education that was introduced by Gov. Zell Miller in 1995.
With the support of the office of the vice president for academic affairs, Forum activities are jointly funded by grants from the two colleges. Projects must be collaborative and include at least one faculty participant from each college. These projects will provide the bases for future research and institutional change.
"The arrangement is already paying off," says Anderson. "It has been especially fulfilling for me to work with Russ Yeany in this continuing dialogue. This closer interaction gives the two colleges a greater sense of shared purpose."
The connection will also promote a closer correlation between core curriculum and teacher education, according to William F. Prokasy, vice president for academic affairs.
"The Forum is an excellent starting point for longer-term program development designed to assure that students planning to become primary and secondary teachers have the necessary disciplinary and pedagogical skills required to do it well," he says.
