Program Description

The University Faculty Preparation Program was established in Fall 2008 as a mechanism to strengthen doctoral students preparation for the broader range of responsibilities encompassed by jobs in the academy, in particular teaching. While doctoral students are typically prepared to conduct independent research, many, perhaps most, received little opportunity to familiarize themselves with educational theory or engage in supervised practical experience in teaching.

This certificate program is designed to make OSU doctoral students more competitive for tenure-track faculty positions. It involves formal and informal instruction in pedagogy through select coursework, observations of exemplary instruction and practical experience in developing materials for and conducting a course in the students discipline. Program participants will complete a set of core courses to develop their understanding of human learning, instructional design, and how teaching, research, and service are interrelated and balanced in the professional lives of faculty. They will then participate in an apprenticeship in which they will observe and will receive guidance from a qualified mentor in their discipline. Finally during the teaching practicum, they will teach a course in their discipline under the supervision of their mentor. Students will leave the program with a professional portfolio, a statement of teaching philosophy, a core knowledge base, and practical experience in college teaching.

The objectives of the proposed certificate program are:

• To provide doctoral students and holders of earned doctorates a foundation in core concepts of college teaching;
• To give participants knowledge of discipline-specific teaching techniques and effective classroom practices;
• To enhance the competitiveness of OSU graduates in obtaining faculty positions;
• To promote and disseminate effective educational practices through training the next generation of faculty

Expected student outcomes include that graduates will have

• formed teaching philosophies that exemplify their knowledge of fundamentally sound educational techniques grounded in educational psychology.
• produced professional portfolios that provide evidence of competitive accomplishments in the areas of teaching, research, and service suitable for applications for entry level faculty positions
• developed curricular material for undergraduate level courses that reflect best practices in their disciplines.
• taught a class within their discipline, successfully, using techniques modeled by accomplished practitioners of teaching.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission into the certificate program, each student must

• Be currently enrolled as doctoral student at the university in good academic standing
  OR have an earned doctorate.
• Have completed a minimum of 24 hours of credit towards a graduate degree¹.
• Complete the on-line application to the graduate school and submit the $25 fee.
• make a supplemental application to the program, which includes
  • a statement of career goals
  • a recommendation by an approved mentor² willing to teach and supervise the student in GRAD 6913 and GRAD 6921.

¹ Students who have completed fewer hours may be admitted provisionally.
² Mentors who have not been approved previously can submit a request for approval concurrently. Students may be granted provisional status depending on mentor status.

Financial Aid

Assistantships are commonly available to doctoral students through the department in which they are enrolled and receive tuition waivers (details) which can be used for core courses. In addition, the graduate college will pay the tuition for GRAD 6913 and GRAD 6921 for students enrolled in the program.

Curriculum

1	Educational Psychology (one of the following 3 hr courses)
	a.	EPSY5463	Psychology of Learning
	b.	EPSY6613	Instructional Systems Design
	c.	other approved by program coordinator
2	Higher education leadership or management (one of the following 3 hr courses)
	a.	EDLE6713	Effective Teaching in Colleges and Universities
	b.	EDLE6583	Impact of College on Students and Society
	c.	other approved by program coordinator
3	Professional Development (2 hours)
	a.	GRAD5992	Succeeding in the Professoriate

Mentored Teaching Field Experiences (4 hours, minimum, as specified)

1	GRAD6913		College Teaching Apprenticeship
	a.	Departments or colleges may, at their discretion, substitute (an) approved course(s) totaling three or more hours for GRAD6913. (e.g. ZOOL 5033 Teaching Zoology)
2	GRAD6921		College Teaching Practicum
3	Departments or colleges may, at their discretion, require students to take additional credit hours in their department or college to teach discipline-specific topics.

Suggested Timeline

Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring
GRAD5992	EPSY or EDLE	EPSY or EDLE	GRAD6913	GRAD6921

Advisory Board

Dr. Bruce Ackerson
Professor
Department of Physics
PS 145
Stillwater, OK 74075
Phone: 405-744-5819
Email Address: bruce.ackerson@okstate.edu

Dr. Blayne Mayfield
Director
Institute of Teaching and Learning Excellence
100 Telecommunication Center
Stillwater, OK 74078-6060
Phone: 405-744-3471
Email Address: blayne.mayfield@okstate.edu

Dr. Bob Nolan
Professor Emeritus
Educational Studies
210 WILLARD
Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone: 405-744-9190
Email Address: bob.nolan@okstate.edu

Graduate Faculty List

Faculty members are mentors and supervisors for GRAD 6913 and GRAD 6921, the discipline-specific teaching apprenticeship and practicum. These faculty members serve only if a doctoral student in their discipline enters the certificate program. Faculty mentors must be members of the graduate faculty and approved by the program’s advisory committee based on evidenced knowledge and ability in teaching through such accomplishments as:

• scholarly publication in education
• obtaining external funding through competitive proposals, or
• undergoing in-depth training in effective pedagogical techniques in their discipline.

Mentors may be previously approved or can be approved based on materials presented at the time of the student’s application for admission to the program (see the application materials under admission requirements). Currently approved members include:

College	Name/Rank	Department
Arts & Sciences	Bruce Ackerson, Professor	Physics
	Donald French, Professor	Zoology
	John Gelder, Professor	Chemistry
Education	Gary Conti, Professor	Adult Learning
	John Lowery, Assoc. Professor	Higher Education
	Bob Nolan, Professor	Adult Learning
	Stephen Wanger, Assist. Professor	Higher Education
Engineering	Karen High, Assoc. Professor	Chemical Engineering
	Alan Cheville, Assoc. Professor	Electrical and Computer Engineering
	Charles Bunting, Assoc. Professor	Electrical and Computer Engineering
Human Environmental Sciences	Nancy Betts, Professor	Nutritional Sciences

Please contact the program coordinator (See the Contact Information) for more information about selecting a mentor.

Those wishing to apply mentors can submit an application to the program coordinator at any time.

Contact Information

Dr. Donald P. French
Coordinator, University Faculty Preparation Program
207 LSW
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078-3052
Phone: (405) 744-9690
Fax: (405) 744-7824
Email: dfrench@okstate.edu