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Department of Educational Specialties

Mission Statement and Goals

Vision

The Department of Educational Specialties will be nationally recognized as a leader in preparing professionals who create the educational organizations of tomorrow. These educational organizations will meet the needs of diverse students in reaching their potential as lifelong learners. The Department of Educational Specialties will offer the most student-focused teacher preparation programs in the region for pre-K through 12th grade.

Our Goals in Educational Specialties are to:

Be recognized within the state, nation, and internationally for its well-coordinated and clearly articulated curricula in bilingual/multicultural education, special education, educational technology, and career and technical education.

Provide a variety of teacher education programs that address the needs of our southwestern communities including campus-based, field-based and outreach programs;

Contribute to the current body of knowledge relating to special education, bilingual/multicultural education, second language learners, educational technology, and career and technical education;

Graduates of our programs will be:

Prepared to meet the unique needs of students in our increasingly diverse society; Knowledgeable in the areas of child development, inclusive practices for students with

disabilities, parental involvement and interaction, and the linguistic and socio-cultural context of communities and schools;

Technology literate, and able to integrate technology into learning environments;

Able to create positive learning environments that encourage critical thinking and problem solving; and.

Active and life-long learners

Brief Overview of the Department of Educational Specialties

The Department of Educational Specialties (ESP) is one of four academic units in the College of Education. The department offers course in four unique curriculum areas of bilingual/multicultural education, career and technical education, educational technology, and

Department of Educational Specialties OverviewPage 1

special education. Faculty members in the Department of Educational Specialties teach undergraduate courses that support elementary education programs, dual major programs in elementary and special education, and a B.S.Ed. in Career and Technical Education. Master’s level coursework and programs in the department support advanced training in critical educational need areas. The Department of Educational Specialties offers two bachelor’s degree programs, seven master’s degree programs, and three graduate certificate programs.

Bachelor’s Degrees Master’s Degree Programs Graduate CertificatesB.S. Ed. in Special and Elementary Education

M.Ed. in Bilingual Multicultural Education

Autism Spectrum Disorders

B.S. Ed. in Career and Technical Education: Occupational Education*

M.Ed. in Career and Technical Education*

M.Ed. in Educational Technology

M.Ed. in Early Childhood Special Education

M.Ed. in Special Education: Cross-Categorical

M.Ed. in Special Education: Low Incidence

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Special EducationEnglish as a Second Language CertificateEducational Technology

M.Ed. in Special Education (non-special education certified)*

*Programs targeted for this review

The master’s program in Bilingual Multicultural Education is an advanced program designed to assist teachers become highly qualified to provide appropriate instruction for students who are English language learners (ELL) or bilingual learners as well as students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. In addition, candidates who complete this program are eligible for the ESL or Bilingual endorsement to their teaching certificate. The bachelor’s and masters’ degree programs in Career and Technical Education address the need for CTE teachers and occupational trainers with the knowledge and skills related to the latest instructional teaching and occupational training practices. The M.Ed. in Educational Technology and the Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology provide candidates with the skills and abilities to design, model and implement technology in any learning environment. Candidates in the M.Ed. in Special Education programs are prepared for initial licensure in early childhood special


education, cross-categorical (mild-moderate) special education, and low incidence/severe disabilities and serve individuals who are seeking additional teaching certifications or second career professionals who want to enter the teaching force. Each program leads to an institutional recommendation for certification in Arizona. The M.Ed. in Special Education (non-special education certified) was developed to address the needs of individuals who want advanced training in special education or who intend to work in private or human service agencies working with individuals with disabilities. The ESP department also co-operates the Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with the Department of Teaching and Learning. The graduate certificate programs are designed to provide advanced training in high need areas. Each certificate is a stand-alone program but can also be embedded in other master’s degree programs.

Department of Educational Specialties Enrollment Trends

Along with most of the rest of the programs in the College of Education, the Educational Specialties graduate programs have lost considerable enrollment in the last years. Many factors are likely to have influenced this trend, but the most salient of these are (1) the national and state economic downturn; (2) elimination of the need to hold a graduate degree for recertification in the state of Arizona; (3) educational budget cuts; (4) increases in university tuition; and (5) increased competition from for-profit universities. Fortunately, spring 2012 saw an upward trend in enrollment that is similar to the number of students enrolled in the department’s programs four years ago. This is due, in part, to the new bachelor’s degree programs offered at different sites, including Tucson, Signal Peak, and Phoenix that offset the loss of students in the graduate programs.


Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008 Fall 2009 Fall 2010 Fall 2011 Fall 20120

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Previous Program Review

The Northern Arizona University College of Education was last reviewed in Fall 2002. This review encompassed the four departments in the College of Education: Educational Leadership, Educational Specialties, Teaching and Learning, and Educational Psychology. Since this last review, the Department of Educational Psychology has undergone a program review in 2010. This section will briefly describe the overall findings for the College of Education, and then focus on the findings for the targeted programs in the Department of Educational Specialties relevant to the current review.

Findings and Progress on Recommendations for the College of Education since 2002:

Strengths of College of Education

Dedicated faculty and staff Commitment to Statewide access Student-centered programs Sophistication of faculty and staff in using technology to teach in statewide programs Partnerships with schools, districts, community colleges, and other agencies Optimism for the future Facilities at the Mountain campus


2002 Recommendations Increase COE budget to recognize the administrative and faculty loads associated with

statewide programs. Initiate serious discussions about national accreditation Develop and implement a plan to define program standards for students and means by

which they are assessed. Consider methods by which the CoE and the Graduate College assure the quality of

doctoral programs. Examine and address the personnel needs of the College Clarify the institutional mission and commitment for statewide programs. Continue ongoing discussions in the College regarding strategic planning Continue discussions in the college about the location of the administrative leadership

program on the main mountain campus. Continue seeking creative means to reward faculty productivity regarding teaching and

scholarship.

Current Program Review

This Self Study was completing using data from the university’s Office of Planning and Institutional Research (PAIR). The standard report includes data for Program Personnel, Enrollment and Course Information, Main Class Size, Degrees Awarded-Unduplicated, and Degree Seeking Headcount. However, in completing this report, references to data maintained in Business Objects, ESP department records, COE budget and faculty contract records, and other sources were needed to develop a complete review of the department and relevant programs.

Full-time faculty members from the Department of Educational Specialties assumed primary responsibility for compiling data from previous reports, records, full-time faculty, part-time instructors, current students, alumni, and employers. For the M.Ed. and B.S. Ed. in Career and Technical Education programs, Ms. Nicole Hampton assisted with data collection and summarization. Ms. Hampton teaches courses in both programs and serves as the primary advisor for the bachelor’s program. She is resides off campus, teaching in Extended Campuses, as well as in online instructional modalities. The program report for the M.Ed. in Special Education (non-certified) was reviewed by faculty members from the department.

Department of Educational Specialties Findings and Progress on Recommendations since 2002

The Department of Educational Specialties offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as service courses in bilingual/multicultural education (specifically Structured English Immersion and ESL), educational technology, and special education, all supporting the


various teacher education programs in the College of Education and secondary programs located in other academic units.

Increase the CoE budget to recognize the administrative and faculty loads associated with statewide programs. With the addition of the statewide cohort programs in Tucson and Phoenix, the ESP department was able to add two non-tenure track faculty members to coordinate the bachelor’s programs in the Tucson and Signal Peak areas (one faculty), as well as in the East Valley area. These additional positions allowed the department to consider expanding their programs to work in high-need areas of the state. Additional faculty positions in BME, ETC, and CTE are funded through Proposition 301 TRIF (Technology Research Initiative Funds) support. This support is used to increase access to BME and ETC degrees through distance education and to support the CTE programs that are already being delivered online. The funding from non-college/department funding sources has allowed the ESP department to maintain efforts in key program areas during the economic downturn.

Initiate serious discussions about national accreditation. Since the previous program review in 2002-2003, six programs in the ESP department have become accredited by NCATE/CAEP. The master’s degree in BME is nationally recognized and is listed as an exemplary program by NCATE/CAEP. The M.Ed. in ETC and the Graduate Certificate Program in ETC are nationally recognized by ISTE and NCATE/CAEP. Both the B.S.Ed. in Special and Elementary Education and the M.Ed. in Special Education with certification are nationally recognized by the CEC and NCATE/CAEP. Furthermore, the master’s programs in low incidence and early childhood special education are State Board of Education approved teacher preparation programs. Both are preparing to submit program reports to NCATE/CAEP in the upcoming review cycle in 2014.

Consider the methods by which the COE and the Graduate College assure the quality of doctoral programs. In FY 02, the Departments of Educational Specialties and Teaching & Learning co-administered a doctoral program in Curriculum and Instruction at the Flagstaff campus. To assure quality in the C&I doctoral program, the faculty instituted two advisory committees. The Doctoral Steering Committee (DSC) is composed of faculty from the departments of Teaching & Learning and ESP. The DSC is responsible for reviewing policies, procedures, and program data to assure the quality of all curriculum and course offerings, admissions and retention policies, faculty members instructing doctoral courses, and admissions policies. The second committee, the Doctoral Admissions Committee, was formed to assure the quality of candidates being admitted to the C&I doctoral program.

Examine and address personnel needs of the College of Education. The number of EPS tenure-track faculty has increased by 2.0 FTE through new appointments in ESE (low incidence) and the conversion of one non-tenure track line in ETC. Both tenure track positions have provided additional capacity to offer coursework to students both on the Flagstaff campus and for those


residing in distance locations. In 2003, the ESP department was composed of 15.5 FTE of tenure track faculty and also employed 9.0 FTE of non-tenure track faculty members. Currently, the department has 17.5 FTE of tenure track faculty members and 9.5 FTE of non-tenure track faculty members.

Continue seeking creative means to reward faculty productivity regarding teaching and scholarship. The majority of faculty members in the ESP department teach a 3/3 course load. In addition to the funding available from the Dean’s Research, Dean’s Travel, and Provost’s Travel awards, the ESP department provides additional support for tenure and non-tenure track faculty members. The department uses over attainment funds generated during summer sessions to provide faculty members with funds that can be used to support scholarship activities, offset costs related to disseminating research or practice findings at professional conferences or meetings, and to enhance their scholarship or teaching through professional development activities. In the most recent academic year, the department allocated $19,300.00 to faculty members to support these activities.

Curriculum Areas, Programs, and Courses

Curriculum Areas

The department is organized into four program areas: Bilingual/Multicultural Education (BME), Career and Technical Education (CTE), Educational Technology, and Special Education, each of which are governed by program committees of faculty member in the respective content area. Committees meet monthly to oversee curricular decisions, professional standards, and assess evidence of students’ progress and learning. All ESP faculty support and advise student in the M.Ed. programs; the Office of Student Services provides advisement for candidates in the bachelor’s degree programs. Faculty in the department also teach and supervise undergraduate and graduate courses that support teacher preparation, as well as “service” courses used in other degree programs. For example, faculty members in the BME program area teach courses in Structured English Immersion, a state mandated course preparing teachers to work with English Language Learners (ELLs).

Several curriculum initiatives have been initiated in the ESP department. First, in 2009 and 2010, the department initiated two B.S.Ed. dual major (elementary and special education) programs in statewide locations, each program with a newly funded non-tenure track faculty member paid for through the Extended Campuses. In Tucson, the department worked with the Flowing Wells Unified School district to launch a program on the campus of a local elementary school. The second program was launched the following year situated on the campus of Central Arizona Community College in Signal Peak, AZ. Second, the Career and Technical Education faculty recently streamlined their occupational education degree program to become


a 90/30 program to address an emerging need in occupational training areas. The streamlined program will make it easier for those individuals seeking advanced training in their career area or wanting to become eligible to train others in a technical area to achieve their bachelor’s degree from NAU. Third, the ETC program recently completed a comprehensive curriculum review that resulted in a 30 hour streamlined program of study (reduced from 36 hours) to allow students to achieve their degree in a more time efficient manner. Lastly, the department is working with the NAU Yuma branch campus to administer two grant funded personnel preparation grants. The first of these, the PRIME program (formerly PRISE) is a grow your own bachelor’s degree program where students living in Yuma and surrounding areas attend classes and complete applied fieldwork and student teaching experiences culminating in a B.S.Ed. in Special and Elementary Education degree. The second grant, CREST, is an advanced training degree in special education with a focus on infusing STEM topics and on preparing educations to work with culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional learners.

As a result of the additions of the statewide cohort programs, the ESP department was able to add two non-tenure track faculty members to coordinate the bachelor’s programs in the Tucson and Signal Peak areas. These additional positions allowed the department to consider expanding their programs to work in high-need areas of the state. In recent years, the number of ESP tenure-track faculty has increased by 2.0 FTE through new appointments in ESE (low incidence) and the conversion of one non-tenure track line in ETC. Currently, ESP has 17.5 tenured/ tenure-track FTE appointments in Flagstaff and 9.5 clinical, non-tenure track positions.

In response to the previous program review recommendation to pursue national accreditation for the College of Education, the ESP department participated in two assessment and program planning activities that ultimately resulted in a number of programs becoming nationally recognized and accredited. In 2006, the certification-related programs in special education and career and technical education engaged in a curriculum alignment and assessment planning process for the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Program Review process that resulted in State Board of Education program approval and the ability to issue an institutional recommendation for certification for each program. The following year, the College of Education embarked on an effort to achieve NCATE/CAEP accreditation. Throughout the 2007-2009 period, the programs in bilingual/multicultural education, career and technical education, educational technology, and special education engaged in curriculum mapping to national standards of their respective specialized professional associations (SPAs) or other professional associations. Curricular changes were implemented to align courses, learning outcomes, and program assessment activities to TESOL, CEC, ISTE, and CTE professional standards. Programs in each area submitted their program reports in 2009. The BME and ETC programs were each nationally recognized in the initial round of reviews. The ESE programs were recognized with conditions, which were addressed in the 2009 reports after which they, too, received national


recognition. Furthermore, the BME and ETC reports were notified that their program reports and assessment systems were recognized as exemplary programs by their respective SPAs.

Since 2002, the percentage of part-time faculty teaching in the program has decreased. However, this is due to an increase in online classes taught by full-time faculty (tenured, tenure-track, and clinical) as well as a decrease in enrollment in the program, especially in statewide sites. The faculty engage in discussions about the quality of class delivery from various perspectives (e.g., statewide vs. on-campus, online vs. in-person, and part-time vs. full-time faculty). Formal ways to effectively evaluate web delivery have recently been suggested, though specific data have not yet been collected or analyzed. This is a goal for the coming year. The NAU Academic Chairs Council has recently advocated for increasing per credit hour salaries for part-time instructors in order to recruit and retain highly qualified faculty to teach courses. This resulted in salary increases effective in the spring 2013. Advisement for the undergraduate dual-major program is handled by advisors at Student Services in the Flagstaff Mountain campus and by Centralized Advisement, an office of Extended Campuses, at statewide locations. These advisors also work with students from various programs in the College and University. Ongoing training and updates are provided to these advisors about changes in programs and procedures. On the other hand, advisement for graduate programs in ESP (with the exception of some Special Education programs that lead to certification, which are managed by Student Services) are handled by full time faculty in the Flagstaff Mountain campus.

Courses

Percentage of Courses Taught By Faculty Type:

Faculty type FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10 FY 11Tenure/Tenure-track

24.9% 22.2% 20.1% 22.6% 32.7% 33.5% 32.2%

32.9%

Non-tenure track 24.6% 28.1% 23.7% 23.3% 17.8% 20.2% 21.0%

19.0%

Part-time faculty 50.6% 49.7% 56.2% 54.2% 49.5% 46.2% 46.8%

48.1%

While the percentage of classes taught by full-time tenured, tenure-track faculty decreased slightly between 2004 and 2007, the percentage increased and remained stable during the 2008-2011 academic years. There has been a decrease in the percentage of courses taught by non-tenure track faculty members during this same time period. Throughout the review period, approximately 50% of the courses in the ESP department have been taught by part-time instructors. This is primarily due to the number of courses taught in programs that have degree offerings in the extended campus system. Until recently, the ESP department has not had faculty positions (tenure track or non-tenure track) located in the extended campus system.


Thus, all course offerings outside the Flagstaff campus were instructed by part-time temporary faculty members. Even with the recent hires of non-tenure track faculty to oversee bachelor’s degree programs in Tucson and Phoenix, the number of courses taught by part-time, temporary faculty members is of concern.

Class Sizes

Undergraduate -

Average Time to Degree FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10 FY 11 Bachelors 4.79 4.44 3.94 4.44 4.14 3.83 3.85 4.31

Class Type Fall 03 Fall 04 Fall 05 Fall 06 Fall 07 Fall 08 Fall 09 Fall 10Flagstaff Average 23 20 20 19 19 19 25 23Flagstaff 300 level 24 25 22 25 23 24 28 25Flagstaff 400 level 22 19 19 18 17 17 23 21Community Campuses Average

15 13 11 14 14 13 15 14

Community Campuses 300 level

16 13 10 10 12 12 17 14


14 13 11 15 14 13 13 13

Yuma Average 17 23 16 18 18 18 24 20Yuma 300 level 13 31 19Yuma 400 level 18 16 16 18 18 18 19 21

Graduate -

Average Time Degree FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10 FY 11 Masters 2.61 2.51 2.61 2.73 2.64 2.83 3 2.94

Class Type Fall 03 Fall 04 Fall 05 Fall 06 Fall 07 Fall 08 Fall 09 Fall 10Flagstaff Average 8 9 12 15 8 13 14 8Flagstaff 500 level 9 10 13 18 10 13 14 7Flagstaff 600 level 6 9 11 12 5 9Community Campuses Average

11 9 12 11 10 12 10 10


10 9 13 9 11 8 7 8


13 9 10 13 10 16 13 12

Yuma Average 25 2 15 11 8 18 9 8Yuma 500 level 20 2 15 16 8 18 10 8Yuma 600 level 34 2 2 7 4


While there was an increase in average graduate level class sizes for the Department of Educational Specialties in 2008 and 2009, the average level dropped back to those in 2003. In general, the size of the ESP graduate classes is similar to somewhat lower than the NAU average of 13 students per class.

Findings and Recommendations by Targeted Program

M.Ed. in Special Education Cross-Categorical (non-certified): This program is designed for individuals pursuing a career serving individuals with disabilities in private settings, through human service agencies, or for those who want to increase and enhance their knowledge and skills in serving individuals with disabilities in school settings. The program focuses on developing advanced knowledge about individuals with mild-moderate disabilities (high-incidence) such as learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders, mild-moderate intellectual disabilities, as well as orthopedic and health impairments. This degree program does not lead to teaching certification. The original program had been in existence since the mid-1990s with only minor adjustments until recently. The enrollment trends over the past 2-3 years showed a steep decline in program candidates. In the 2011-12 academic year, the faculty members revised the program of study to embed graduate certificate programs coursework in the program of study and eliminated certification-related coursework to prevent students from using the degree as a pathway to certification (a problem noted across the years). The new program provides for seven different pathways or specializations within the special education area. While this is a strength of the program in terms of providing choices for students, it is also a weakness as the focus of the program is diluted into too many emphases. It is recommended that this program is revised again with a specific focus or curriculum target according to present needs in the schools.

M.Ed. in Career and Technical Education : While not accredited under the NCATE/CAEP or State Board of Education because the program does not lead to certification, this program is aligned with professional standards in career and technical education and aligned to training and development needs in secondary and post-secondary settings. Since NAU has a strong mission of access and affordability, the program provides opportunities for students to enroll in and complete the degree from any location within Arizona and across the nation. During this review cycle, the program was converted to an online program to increase access and address the needs of potential candidates living outside the Flagstaff area.

The B.S .Ed. in Career and Technical Education program is also not accredited under NCATE/CAEP accreditation nor the Arizona Department of Education. The program moved to a statewide model of degree access: utilizing satellite campuses, interactive television (ITV) classrooms (when available), and online delivery methods. The program was one of the initial adopters of online education at NAU. In 2003 the Occupational Emphasis became a completely


online program, maintaining the Phoenix-based cohort program for law enforcement professional only. Today, the program is moving towards a national student audience through targeted marketing and online course delivery.

In general departmental terms, it is recommended that (1) more resources are invested in marketing programs within the department; (2) seek new partnerships mainly for graduate programs; (3) conduct a market analysis survey to review the relevance of the department’s programs within the education and business communities; and (4) provide more academic resources to enhance and strengthen undergraduate and graduate programs.

Faculty and Staff Members

Department Faculty and Staff

At the time of the last program review in 2002, the Department of Educational Specialties had 15 full-time, tenure-track faculty members. The department also had 12.0 FTE non-tenure track faculty positions for a total of 27 FTE of instructional faculty for degree programs. Since the last program review, the number of full-time faculty members has increased slightly with additional tenure track hires in 2007 and 2009. However, the non-tenure track faculty for the department has decreased over the same period of time. For FY 12, the Department of Educational Specialties has 27 FTE faculty members including a total of 17.5 full-time tenure track and 9.5 FTE of non-tenure track faculty members. Partially offsetting this reduction in non tenure track faculty, two full-time non tenure track faculty were hired in Phoenix (2009) and Tucson (2010 to manage bachelor’s programs offered in Extended Campuses locations. Currently, 61% of the ESP faculty are Full Professors, 22% are Associate Professors, 17% are Assistant Professors. Thirty-five percent (35%) of the faculty members of the department are non-tenure track. A concern is the lack of new tenure-track faculty who can advance into critical teaching, scholarship, and service roles with the department and college in the future.

Staff positions for the department have remained stable across the review period.

FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10 FY 11Tenure-Track FTE Faculty

14 14.3 17.1 16.5 18.1 19 16.5 16.5

Clinical FTE Faculty

6.5 4.5 4.1 3.5 5.0 4.6 4.5 4.5

Total FTE Faculty

20.5 18.8 21.2 20 23.1 23.6 21 21

Staff FTE 1 1 1.5 1 1 1 1 1Yuma budget*


Full-time Faculty by Gender and Ethnicity

Gender FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10 FY 11Female 7.3 6.7 7.1 7.5 8.1 9.5 8.5 9.5Male 6.8 7.6 10 9 10 9.6 8 7TOTAL 14 14.3 17 16.5 18.1 19.1 16.5 16.5

Ethnicity (duplicated)

FY 04 FY 05 FY 061 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10 FY 11

Minority 0.8 1 3 2 1.6 2 2 2International 1 1 1 1 0Unspecified 2 3.2 2 2 4 4 4 4White 10.2 9.1 14.1 11.1 12.5 12.5 10.5 10.5

Gender representation on faculty has remained relatively stable during this review period. In 2004, 52% of the faculty members were female; 48% were male. Currently, 58% of the tenure track faculty members are female; 42% are male. Thirty-six percent (36%) of the ESP faculty members are White-Non Hispanic. One faculty member is identified as American Indian/Alaska Native, one is Asian, and four are designated as non-specified. During the last seven years, the number of faculty identifying themselves as White-Non Hispanic has decreased (in 2004 73% of the faculty were identified as White-Non Hispanic). This may be attributed to retirements, new faculty from diverse backgrounds, and a shift in how faculty members are designating their ethnicity (an increase in the designation of unspecified). A continued focus on recruiting faculty members from diverse backgrounds is an area of need for the department.

Full-time Tenure/Tenure Track Faculty

At the beginning of FY 2004, ESP department had 15.5 tenure-track faculty members including the department chair. While retirements, reductions in force, and resignations have changed the mix of individual faculty members across the curriculum areas of the department, the FTE of tenure track faculty has remained stable, increasing by 2.0 FTE during that period. In addition, the relative proportion of tenure track has remained consistent during this time. The table below portrays the relative distribution of tenure track faculty members in FY 2004 compared to FY 12 by curriculum area.

FY 04 FY 12Curriculum Area Tenure-

Track FTEPercentage of Overall TT FTE

Curriculum Area Tenure Track FTE

Percentage of Overall TT FTE

BME 4 26% BME 4 26%CTE 1 6% CTE 1 6%ETC 3 19% ETC 4 26%ESE 7.5 48% ESE 7.5 48%


The following table describes the Department of Educational Specialties full-time Tenured/Tenure Track faculty from the last program review until the present:

Faculty Name Rank Area Location Current Position AppointDate

End Date

J’Anne Affeld Professor Special Education- cross categorical

Flagstaff Faculty 1988 N/A

Shadow Armfield Assistant Professor

Educational Technology


Karen Applequist Professor Early Childhood Special Education


J. Michael Blocher Professor Educational Technology


Roberto Carrasco Professor Emeritus

Bilingual/Multicultural Education

Flagstaff Retired 2007

Baylor Del Rosario Assistant Professor

Special Education – Low incidence

Flagstaff Resigned 2007 2008

Norbert Francis Professor Bilingual/Multicultural Education


Lawrence Gallagher

Associate Professor

Special Education – Low incidence

Flagstaff Associate Dean

2006 N/A

Willard Gilbert Professor Bilingual/Multicultural Education


Mariella Herold Associate Professor



Jennifer Kurth Assistant Professor

Special Education – Low Incidence


Steven Lapan Professor Emeritus

Special Education – Gifted Education

Flagstaff Deceased 1986 2011

Susan Unok Marks Professor Special Education – Low Incidence


Catherine Medina Professor Special Education – Cross Categorical


Patricia Peterson Professor Special Education – Cross categorical

Flagstaff/Yuma

Faculty 1991 N/A

Gregory Prater Professor Special Education – Cross categorical


Jon Reyhner Professor Bilingual/Multicultural Education


Michael Roberts Associate Professor

Career and Technical Education

Phoenix Faculty 1993 N/A

Karen Sealander Professor Special Education – Cross categorical


Laura Sujo-Montes

Associate Professor


Flagstaff Department Chair

1999 N/A

Chih Hsiung-Tu Professor Educational Technology



Mongkol Tungmala

Assistant Professor


Flagstaff Deceased 2007 2010

Becky Willis Associate Professor


Flagstaff Retired 1997 2008

In 2005, the department added one full-time tenure track faculty line in Educational Technology (ETC), hiring Dr. Chih Hisung-Tu. Dr. Tu’s experience and research background provided the ETC area with much needed expertise and allowed the curriculum area to expand course offerings and grow the program enrollment. The Bilingual/Multicultural Education (BME) area was coordinated by Dr. Willard Gilbert who also served as the department chair during this academic year. Dr. Becky Willis coordinated the Educational Technology curriculum area. This area was expanded by hiring Dr. Chih Hsiung-Tu. Dr. Roberts served as the lead faculty and program coordinator for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) area. Drs. Greg Prater and Susan Marks co-coordinated the Special Education (ESE) curriculum area. Dr. Karen Applequist held a joint appointment of .50 FTE to ESP and .50 FTE to the Institute for Human Development.

In 2006, Dr. Roberto Carrasco, long-time professor in Bilingual/Multicultural Education (BME), took a medical leave of absence, ultimately retiring the following academic year. His teaching responsibilities were handled by hiring highly qualified part-time (course-by-course) instructors. Program coordination duties and tenure track FTE allocations remained stable during this academic year. Carmen Martinjako, the 0. 5 FTE administrative assistant responsible for the department finances, accepted a position in a different department on campus. She was replaced by Robyn Herre. Josie Allred, the 1.0 FTE department administrative assistant responsible for department operations, retired during the spring term. Her position was filled by a temporary employee for the remainder of the academic year.

In FY 2007, the department saw an expansion of capacity through additional tenure track hires. In the BME area, Dr. Carrasco’s line was replaced by hiring Dr. Mongkol Tungmala. Dr. Tungmala assumed teaching responsibilities related to assessment and Structured English Immersion. Dr. Gilbert relinquished his role as department chair, returning to faculty status in the BME area and taking a one year sabbatical leave. Two new faculty lines were added in the ESE area. Dr. Baylor Del Rosario was hired as an assistant professor in the special education low incidence/severe area. Dr. Lawrence Gallagher was hired as an associate professor to serve as the department chair. The BME area was coordinated by Dr. Lawrence Gallagher as part of his responsibilities as department chair. Dr. Laura Sujo-Montes assumed program coordination duties for the ETC program area. Program coordination in the ESE area was assumed by Dr. Catherine Medina. Steven Colson was hired as a 1.0 FTE administrative assistant for the department.


In FY 2008, Dr. Baylor Del Rosario resigned his position, returning to New Mexico to accept a position in a local educational agency. He continued to teach for the department on an as needed basis as a part-time temporary employee. . Dr. Becky Willis, a faculty member in the ETC curriculum area, relocated to New Mexico and retired. A search for a tenure track line in ETC to replace her was initiated. Dr. Shadow Armfield, currently serving the area as a non-tenure track faculty member, was hired as a tenure track faculty member for the 2008-09 academic year. Program coordination in the ESE area changed with Dr. Patricia Peterson taking over for Dr. Catherine Medina. Dr. Laura Sujo-Montes served as the assistant chair with responsibilities in scheduling, curriculum management, and departmental reporting.

In FY 2009, in addition to Dr. Shadow Armfield’s hire in the ETC area, the department added faculty lines in BME (Dr. Mariella Herold) and ESE (Dr. Jennifer Kurth). Dr. Herold replaced Dr. Tungmala (on indefinite medical leave) in the BME area. Dr. Kurth added capacity in the special education/low incidence area, replacing Dr. Del Rosario. The program coordination in the BME area transitioned to Dr. Louise Lockard. Dr. J’Anne Affeld replaced Dr. Patricia Peterson in the special education coordinator role. Laura Cook was hired as a 1.0 FTE administrative assistant to replace Steven Colson, who relocated to Michigan for another position.

In 2010 and 2011, the composition of the tenure track faculty for the department decreased slightly. Dr. Lawrence Gallagher, ESP associate professor, continued to serve as chair during the FY 2010 year, but was appointed as COE Associate Dean in FY 2011. Dr. Gallagher was replaced by Dr. Jennifer Prior from the Department of Teaching and Learning in November, 2010. Dr. Prior served in this role until January 2011 when she was replaced by Dr. Laura Sujo-Montes. Dr. Mongkol Tungmala, on indefinite medical leave, passed away in the fall 2010 term. Dr. Stephen Lapan retired from his faculty position in the ESE area. Neither Dr. Tungmala’s nor Dr. Lapan’s positions were filled. Program coordination of the curriculum areas remained stable with the exception of the ESE area where Dr. Medina again assumed this role.

Non-Tenure Track Full-Time Faculty

At the beginning of FY 2004, ESP department had 9.0 non-tenure-track faculty members. Similar to the pattern observed with tenure track faculty allocations, retirements, reductions in force, and resignations have changed the mix of individual non-tenure track faculty members across the curriculum areas of the department, but the overall FTE of non-tenure track faculty has increased very slightly during the review period. The relative allocation of non-tenure track has remained consistent during this time across curriculum areas with a slight decrease in the ETC area offset by an increase in the ESE area. However, it should be noted that of the current 9.5 FTE of non-tenure track faculty members in the department, 3.5 FTE are funded through Proposition 301 funds and an additional 2.0 FTE are funded by our Extended Campuses to support specific programs in statewide locations.


The table below portrays the relative distribution of tenure track faculty members in FY 2004 compared to FY 12 by curriculum area.

FY 04 FY 12Curriculum Area Tenure-

Track FTEPercentage of Overall TT FTE

Curriculum Area Tenure Track FTE

Percentage of Overall TT FTE

BME 3 33% BME 3 32%CTE 1 11% CTE 1 11%ETC 1 11% ETC 0.5 5%ESE 4 45% ESE 5 53%

The following table describes the Department of Educational Specialties full-time Non-Tenure Track faculty from the last program review until the present:

Faculty Name Rank Area Location Current Position

Appointment Date

End Date

Shadow Armfield

Clinical Instructor Educational Technology

Flagstaff Converted to Tenure Track

2000 2009

Norm Bishop Assistant Clinical Professor

Special Education

Tucson Waiver - replaced

2009 2011

April Brady Lecturer, Senior Special Education


Linda Carey Visiting Assistant Professor

Special Education

Flagstaff Retired 2002 2005

Jennie DeGroat Lecturer, Senior/301

Bilingual Multicultural Education


Nicole Hampton Assistant Clinical Professor

Career and Technical Education

Casa Grande

Faculty 1992 N/A

Gary Karcz Lecturer Special Education

Flagstaff Resigned/RIF 1996 2011

Mary Lane-Kelso

Assistant Clinical Professor/301



Chris Lanterman Lecturer, Senior Special Education


Judy LeFevre Assistant Clinical Professor

Special Education

Tucson/Signal Peak

Faculty 2012 N/A

Louise Lockard Associate Clinical Professor/301

Bilingual Multicultural Education


Eileen Romer-McGrath

Lecturer Special Education

Tucson RIF 2009 2010


Suzanne O’Keeffe

Assistant Clinical Professor

Special Education

Phoenix Faculty 2012 N/A

Jeff Popko Clinical Instructor Bilingual Multicultural Education


Jane Pryne Assistant Clinical Professor

Special Education

Tucson Resigned 2009 2010

Claudia Sturgis Lecturer/301 Bilingual Multicultural Education


Jamie Whelan Lecturer, Senior Special Education


Sally Zawyer-Jones

Assistant Clinical Professor

Special Education

Phoenix Resigned 2009 2010

In 2005, Dr. Linda Carey, a Visiting Faculty member in special education who taught in and directed the Praxis partnership program, retired. Her position in the Praxis program was reassigned to Dr. Karen Sealander. Drs. Hong Zahn (0.5), Cynthia Conn (0.5) and Mary Lane-Kelso (1.0) were hired to augment the ETC program area.

In 2006, Dr. Jeff Popko and Ms. Jamie Whelan were hired in the ESE curriculum area. Dr. Popko was hired to teach courses in the master’s program in special education/cross-categorical. Ms. Whelan was hired to teach in the bachelor’s program in the same content area.

In 2007, Dr. Popko resigned his position in the special education curriculum area. His position was not refilled. The instructional load for his position was reassigned to other tenure track and non-tenure track faculty in the department.

In 2008, Dr. Hong Zahn’s 0.5 FTE position was eliminated due to budget reductions. She continued to teach for the ETC curriculum area on a part-time temporary basis throughout the year. Dr. Eileen Romer-McGrath was hired as a lecturer in the early childhood special education curriculum area. Dr. Romer-McGrath taught coursework in foundations of early childhood special education, primarily in an online format.

In 2009, the BME curriculum area hired Ms. Claudia Sturgis to replace Dr. Mongkol Tungmala (on indefinite medical leave). Ms. Sturgis was assigned to teach foundations of multicultural education and introductory Structured English Immersion courses. Dr. Shadow Armfield’s position was converted to a tenure-track position in the ETC curriculum area. The non-tenure track position was not maintained. Two new non-tenure track positions were hired to begin bachelor’s degree dual major (special and elementary education) program in statewide locations. Dr. Jane Pryne was hired to develop and implement a cohort program in Tucson. Ms. Sally Zawyer-Jones was hired to continue a similar program in the metropolitan Phoenix area.


In 2010, relatively few changes occurred in the non-tenure track ranks of the department. Mr. Norm Bishop replaced Dr. Jane Pryne in Tucson on a waiver of recruitment contract. Dr. Pryne accepted a superintendent position in Washington state.

In 2011, Dr. Mary Lane-Kelso accepted a tenure track faculty position in Dubai and resigned her non-tenure track appointment in the ETC curriculum area. Due to enrollment declines in the department and ETC program area, the line was not replaced. Dr. Gary Karcz relocated to northern California but continued to teach online in the ESE and ETC areas.

Part-Time Faculty

Faculty Name Rank Area Location Current Position

Appointment Date

End Date

Cynthia Conn Assistant Clinical Professor/301



Hong Zahn Clinical Instructor/301


Flagstaff RIF 2005 2008

Cynthia Conn has continued to serve in her part-time faculty role in the ETC curriculum area since her hire in 2004. However, during the review period, Dr. Conn served briefly as an assistant chair in 2009 and most recently in the role assisting the Assistant Vice Provost on NCATE/CAEP accreditation efforts.

Hong Zahn served as a clinical instructor in the M.Ed. in Educational Technology program on the Flagstaff campus for several years. She was first appointed to an academic position at NAU in 2005. Her position was eliminated in the budget cuts of 2008, but she continued to teach in the program on a contingent basis (course-by-course, part time) for an additional year.

Other Part-Time Faculty

Part-time instructors in the department of Educational Specialties contribute to instruction of students both on Flagstaff Mountain campus and at various Extended Campus sites. In particular, many of the courses in the areas of bilingual/multicultural education, career and technical education, and some selected special education programs are taught by part-time faculty. The number of part-time faculty has slowly decreased over the past six years, primarily in response to fewer in-person courses offered in statewide locations, lower graduate enrollment statewide, and a rapid increase in the number of online courses. The lower enrollment trend is evident in all program areas.

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

FY08

FY09

FY10

FY11

FY12

Number of 6 8 6 6 4 6 9 9 9


Part-time faculty

Findings and Recommendations for Faculty and Instructional Resources

In general, the department has a good ratio of tenure-track and tenured faculty. At the same time, some tenured faculty members tend to adhere to methodologies and beliefs for a long time and, thus, preventing the programs to embrace the newest ideas and trends in the field. It is recommended that faculty members are provided opportunities to visit other universities both in the nation and in international settings to observe and study innovative methodologies and strategies so they can be implemented in the ESP department’s programs. It is also recommended that faculty members are brought up-to-date in technology integration in teaching and learning through professional development opportunities that are tailored to their specific content areas and needs. Then, they should be required to integrate technology in a significant way in their courses. Since teachers tend to teach the way they were taught, it is important that candidates observe the best teaching practices which should include extensive use of technology in the classroom.

Educational Specialties Department Budget

The operations budget allocated to the department of Educational Specialties enables the program to sufficiently achieve its goals and objectives. The budget is supplemented by over attainment money earned during the summer. These funds are primarily used for faculty professional development. The budget has continually increased over the past six years. The increases have primarily supported faculty wages. Hires in the past two years have been one to three year clinical, non-tenure track positions and part-time instructors. The last tenure-track position was hired in 2005.

FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10 FY 11Total State

$979,2598

$1,092,834 $1,148,575 $1,308,708 $1,357, 688 $1,520,271 $1,377,100 $1,292,274

Total Wages

$948,067 $1,062,167 $1,118,950 $1,277,968 $1,324,783 $1,487,266 $1,360,241 $1,275,415

Total Non-Personnel

$31,192 $30,667 $29,625 $30,722 $32,905 $33,005 $16,859 $16,859

Total Budget/Total TT FTE

$1,950 $1,804 $1,743 $1,617 $1,936 $1,823 $883 $1,022

Total Budget/Total Faculty

$1,155 $1,136 $1,139 $1,097 $1,266 $1,429 $714 $803


FTE

Graduate Assistants

The NAU Graduate College allocates funding for graduate assistantships. All graduate assistants working 20 hours per week (i.e., full-time for a graduate assistant) receive a tuition waiver and health care coverage. The tuition waiver was raised to 50% in 2007, increased again to 75% in 2008, and finally increased to cover the full tuition expense in 2011. Masters degree graduate assistants receive an annual stipend of $9,174, and doctoral graduate assistants receive $10,222. Departmental graduate assistants support the field based Praxis partnership program, serve as teaching assistants for selected courses, assist with various program administrative tasks, and participate in faculty guided research projects.

Funding for assistantships has reminded relatively consistent over this time period. Additionally, several additional in-state and out-of-state tuition waivers have been provided through the Graduate College. Generally, three out-of state waivers and seven in-state waivers are provided every academic year.

Graduate Assistant FTE

Fall 03 Fall 04 Fall 05 Fall 06 Fall 07 Fall 08 Fall 09 Fall 10 F all 11

FTE 7 6 7 6 6 9 6 5 5

Physical Facilities: In Flagstaff, full-time faculty are allocated individual, furnished office space in COE. Students with graduate assistantships share office space and are provided with computer access. Private conference space is available through reservation. Part-time faculty are provided with shared office space upon request, support from the faculty service center, and access to university support resources (e.g., Cline Library, e-learning). In addition, the college operates a Curriculum and Test Lab. The curriculum lab is staffed by one part-time staff member and student workers and includes a variety of instructional resources, curriculum guides and audio visual resources.

Extended Campuses full-time faculty members are also provided with individual, furnished office space at locations in Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma. Part-time instructors teaching courses in Flagstaff or in the Extended Campuses are provided with basic clerical support and shared office space as needed. Most part-time faculty teach only one or two courses per semester and tend to offer office hours immediately before or after classes.


While some classes at Extended Campuses sites are taught at NAU buildings (e.g., two buildings in Tucson, I-17 and Greenway in Phoenix), many classes are scheduled in local high schools, elementary schools, community colleges, or other classroom spaces in the community. The available equipment and resources in these classrooms varies greatly. Courses taught online are supported 24 hours per day, 7 days per week by the NAU e-learning office. Faculty and students can call for technical support.

The NAU Cline Library supports all Department of Educational Specialties programs. The Appendix file has a document that describes the library’s support to the programs in this review.

Findings and Recommendations for Budget and University Resources

University resources provided to faculty, especially faculty located at the Flagstaff Mountain campus, are plentiful. Offices at the College of Education are in good physical condition as are furniture and technology equipment. Classrooms on the second floor are spacious and comfortable. All of this contrasts with the conditions in which some ESP courses are taught in Extended Campus locations. As mentioned before, high school facilities are rented to deliver classes and, in common instances, these facilities are not technologically up to date or do not have the appropriate furniture to comfortably seat students for five hours of classes. It is recommended that facilities are better scrutinized before they are rented or that central locations in different areas of the Phoenix metro area are established and fitted as satellite campuses.

In terms of departmental budget, it is recommended that the percentage of revenue returning to the department for summer over-attainment enrollment is reviewed and increased.


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