The Teacher Education Department includes nineteen full-time faculty positions. The dean and associate hold faculty appointments in the department. Fifteen of the nineteen faculty hold terminal degrees and ten faculty are tenured. Faculty members have teaching experience in public schools. All faculty in teacher education have experience working in elementary, middle, or secondary schools. Sixteen faculty members spend time in public and/ or parochial schools in and around Evansville on a regular basis, supervising education students in field experiences, teaching university courses in partnership schools or collaborating with teachers in arranging and managing education students’ work with children in conjunction with required courses.

The Teacher Education Department also relies on the services of adjunct faculty, who bring to the university classroom the perspective of day-to-day teaching in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Adjunct faculty hold graduate degrees and administrative experience. Faculties who work with our program are on the “front lines” of leadership positions with area school corporations. Faculties are involved in the Indiana Association of Teacher Education, as well as other state-specific principal and superintendent organizations.

   Dr. Vella Goebel (left), faculty member in the Teacher Education Department, serves as director of graduate programs in education and also serves as the Teacher Education Department‘s representative to the university’s Graduate Council. The Graduate Council is the university committee that oversees graduate programs. Dr. Peggy Harrel, director of graduate studies and sponsored research, chairs the Graduate Council. Dr. Goebel chaired the committee that planned the program in educational leadership. She and Dr. John R. Cochren administer the program. Dr. Cochren assists in program admission, coordinates the program, and chairs the program evaluation committee.

New graduate programs and courses, as well as changes in graduate programs and courses, are approved at the department level, school level, and then by the Graduate Council. For new programs, the university’s Academic Planning Council must also grant approval. Faculty and administrators have ample opportunity for participation in planning and approving new programs. University funds for academic programs come from student tuition and state allocations. Supplies and expense budgets also include funds for faculty travel to professional meetings and for supervision of candidates in the internship.