School of Education

Position Description

A program director is the lead faculty/staff member who serves as a spokesperson and liaison for the program they represent. The roles/responsibilities of the program director are critical to the overall health of the education program and require effective and ongoing communication and collaboration with colleagues in and outside the program, including the Department Chair and Deans.  

Note: In order to ensure alignment with DPI regulations, the School of Education needs to be involved in determining the roles/responsibilities, the selection and the evaluation of SoE-affiliated program directors.  Five PLC/programs exist within a specific department (EC-MC/ECE, MC-EA/EME, PASHE, and SPY) and the other PLC/programs (AWLME, STEP) cross over multiple departments that house the SoE-affiliated faculty who would be eligible to serve as program directors. Some departments also have Program Coordinators who serve in a similar role but with reduced responsibilities that are described in department bylaws.

Roles/Responsibilities

1. Initiates, coordinates, and guides Professional Learning Community (PLC) monthly meetings with program faculty (set agenda, lead meeting, assure minutes are recorded and posted)
2. Conducts regular programmatic evaluations and prepares annual assessment reports for SOE/UWL/DPI (in consultation with program members)
3. Writes APR and other larger program assessment documents/sections as needed
4. Continually monitors program to ensure that it is aligned with conceptual framework and with state and national standards
5. Guides the PLC in monitoring student progress, and ensuring that students are adequately prepared for benchmark assessments and licensure standards
6. Initiates discussions about curricular issues and makes formal recommendations to the Department Chair/Dean regarding changes in programs
7. Represents program at biweekly SoE Leadership meetings (shares program updates and celebrations, voices program concerns, seeks clarification when needed - and takes this information back to PLC)
8. Represents programs with Department Chair(s) and SOE Dean; serves as the first point of contact for student concerns or publicity requests.  This may include occasional duties outside of the contract period.
9. Promotes Professional Education Programs on campus and in the community
10. Oversees Advisory Council by maintaining representative constituency, setting an agenda for regular meetings, and posting meeting minutes
11. Educator Preparation Program Directors only: Oversees edTPA support days to coordinate faculty coverage of support time for program student teachers.
12. Educator Preparation Program Directors only: Works with faculty mentor(s) to provide guidance to teacher candidates during the edTPA retake process.
13. Other duties specified by the Program as outlined in Program and/or Department bylaws.

Workload
Program directors should receive 3 credits of reassigned time per academic semester to fulfill the above roles/responsibilities. Exceptions are made in consultation with both Deans (SOE and CSH/CASSH).

Selection Process
In order to be consistent in the process, SOE will conduct a survey of the faculty associated with each aligned PLC/program to determine faculty preference for which individual should serve as the program director and the SOE Dean will consult with the nominated faculty and make the final appointment.  For the programs housed entirely within a department, the SOE Dean will provide the results to the department chair and the department/department chair will make a recommendation jointly to the SOE Dean, and to the CASSH/CSH Dean as appropriate. If the Deans are not unified in their final recommendation, the Provost will make the final appointment based on best alignment with DPI-related needs.  This process will be followed upon resignations, retirements, or the normal conclusion of the term. If a short-term appointment is needed (e.g., less than one semester) until the process can be followed, the EPC Dean can make the appointment, or in the case of a within-department program, the department may do so in consultation with the SOE Dean.

Length of Term
Program directors serve a 3 year term– renewable through the process indicated above.

Evaluation Process
Program directors will be evaluated annually by the PLC/Program membership. An electronic survey with prompts developed by SOE members (approved 2017) will be distributed by the SOE Dean’s office .

Evaluation Process 
Program Directors will also be evaluated by the SOE Dean or their designate (in consultation with Department Chair when appropriate), and a letter from the SOE Dean’s Office summarizing their review will be filed with the Provost.  This letter will also become part of the Program Director's personnel file for the purpose of retention, tenure, and promotion reviews.