Front Lobby Photo
 

College of Education

College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Dean Mary Kalantzis

From Dean Kalantzis

August 25, 2006

Hello and welcome back to a new year – and for many, including myself, a first year – at Illinois.

It is a distinct privilege to introduce myself to you as new Dean of the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The opportunity to lead a College with such a legacy of excellence and with such a tremendous pool of faculty and students is exceedingly rare

and one I accepted without hesitation. The College and University have played important historical roles in shaping educational ideas and developing influential thinkers and practitioners in the field of education. It is a great professional and personal honor to have the chance to lead our College forward in the coming years.

Throughout my term as Dean, it is my intention that you know where we’re headed as a College and how well we’re doing in achieving the goals we set out together. This online newsletter, which I’ll update monthly, will be just one of the tools that I hope will let you know what’s happening in your College. As the year progresses, I plan to use this column to talk about our budgets, about key campus and University initiatives, and to highlight achievements, publications and awards for our students, staff and faculty. I hope you’ll take a few minutes each month to read a little about the state of the College, and maybe to learn something new about our colleagues.

If, as you read, you notice something we’ve missed, please let us know and we’ll make a correction or we’ll include it in next month’s note. You can send this information directly to Chris Harris.

Around the College This Month

My Vision for the College (at least as it stands after 22 days)

I’ve now been in my position for just about three weeks (the same amount of time I’ve been in the country as well). I was told that August was a good time to start as things were traditionally a bit slow during this time. Looking at my calendar for the past 10 days, I can only say that you here at Illinois have a very different idea of what constitutes “slow.” The sheer amount of activity and building excitement over the last couple of weeks have been, for me, both exhausting and inspiring. I am beginning to fully understand the passion for excellence and the unflinching demand for quality that is so deeply ingrained in the faculty, staff and students of the College. This is why I threw my hat in the ring for this position. And it is most definitely what lead me to leave my home, my family and my colleagues in Australia when offered the opportunity to be a part of the University of Illinois.

I want to know everything about how the College works – about how we teach, whom we teach, where our research strengths lie, how we use our resources, where we fit into the Campus and University and who all of you are that make up this unique institution. I realize that my learning curve is steep and this will take some time. I also realize that you don’t want or need a Dean who spends her time catching up to speed. But, I will get there and I will be (and as many of you can attest, have already been) asking for help from all of you in the College.  

Many of you have asked me already, “What’s your vision for the College?” I cannot obviously give a detailed response to this, as I’m only now getting the overall picture of the College now. But, I will tell you, in the simplest form, my vision for the College of Education is to make an impact on our world – from our local community to the state to the US to the other side of the globe.

If we’re going to have that global impact, then I believe it is first necessary to make sure we’re thinking, acting and planning as a College – as a team. This requires a commitment on my part to share information, to communicate my vision and, most importantly, to listen to the faculty, staff and students who make up this outstanding institution.

Everyone in the College has a picture of where we should be going and opinions on the best practices to take us forward. Everyone has voice that deserves to be heard. It is my responsibility to bring these voices together – to find the common ground where our diverse skills, knowledge, perspectives and personal philosophies come together in a way that can truly transform the way our world teaches and learns.

I realize this is broad and ambitious. I understand that the road from talking about grand plans to successfully implementing them is one that will be challenging. I am aware that there are risks both to the College and to our own careers. But, I know that, together, we will get there. That’s why you’ve come to the College, whether as a student or as a professor. And it is certainly why I have joined you.

We’re going to accomplish some great things together in the coming years. Thank you for letting me be a part of it.

Provost Katehi to Visit the College on October 31

Provost Linda Kathei will be in the College for the afternoon on October 31. She wants to use this visit to get a better understanding of how we function, where our strengths lie and a sense of our identity and philosophy. While we are still working with her office to settle agendas and details, I just wanted to let you know well in advance about this opportunity for engagement. Doris Snyder will be contacting many of you in the next few weeks and asking you to participate in some part of the visit. 

Chancellor’s Academy Continues to Strengthen Partnerships with Local Schools

The College, with funding from the Office of the Chancellor, coordinated the second annual Chancellor’s Academy for Teachers. The two week professional development seminar brought 85 teachers and administrators from the Champaign and Urbana school districts into the College. The theme of the 2006 Academy was literacy development but with a math and science focus. Faculty coordinators for the teacher strand were Bonnie Armbruster and Violet Harris (Curriculum and Instruction) with Barry Swanson (Educational Organization and Leadership) organizing the administrator track. Brenda Clevenger, Kathy Stalter and Cindy Reiter (Student Academic Affairs Office) managed the logistics for the event. Katherine Ryan (Educational Psychology) is again coordinating the evaluation portion of the Academy.

The Chancellor’s Academy has been an extremely important step forward in our efforts to become more involved in the local schools. The Academy has demonstrated the value of involving the schools as full partners in the planning and execution of professional development activities for teachers. If we are going to be successful in working with the schools and educators in our community, we must prove that they can trust the College and the University to understand their needs and to recognize their own expertise. The Chancellor’s Academy, for two years running, has played a crucial role in building that relationship.

College Management Retreat on September 5 to Start Charting College Directions

On September 5, the College will be slightly quieter than usual, as the academic department chairs, associate and assistant deans and I will be spending the day at Allerton Conference Center. This retreat is what I consider to be the first major step along the road I mentioned above to take us from grand ideas to great practice. Together, we will begin to outline our teaching, service and research goals for this year, and begin to develop a new process for managing our fiscal resources that is more transparent and more participative across the College.

Resources are scarce on this campus and there is little indication that this will change in the near future. At the same time, the demands on us to perform as a College are greater than ever. We must continue to prepare the best teachers while we also prepare the next generation of faculty. We must bring in more research dollars from outside sources while we continue to provide crucial services to our local and state constituents. These challenges are simply too large to be left to me, alone. Our future is one that depends our success as an entire College – and one that will be shaped by the entire College.

Awards, Honors and Events of Note

  • Lydia Buki (Assistant Professor, Educational Psychology) received the Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement from the Office of the Chancellor. This award recognize outstanding work by faculty members, academic professionals, staff employees, and students who engage the public to address critical societal issues.
     
  • Timothy Cain (Assistant Professor, EOL) received the Stanley E. and Ruth B. Dimond Best Dissertation Award from the School of Education University of Michigan.  This annual award recognizes the premiere doctoral dissertation completed in the school.
  • Michelle Crockett (Assistant Professor, C & I) was named a 2006-07 College of Education Faculty Fellow.
  • Andrea Ellinger, (Assistant Professor, HRE) received the prestigious Richard A. Swanson Research Excellence Award from the Academy of Human Resource Development in 2006.
  • Bob Henderson (Professor Emeritus, Special Education), with financial support from the Charles Dunn Hardie endowment, led three special education graduate students, Laura Hedin, Sara Goldshack and RahKyung Kim, on a Korean Special Education Study Tour in June 2006. This tour was part of an exchange scholar program with Inje University which began here in the summer of 2005. Visits were made to the Korea National Institute for Special Education, two National Special Education Schools, rehabilitation units, and the Paradise Welfare Foundation, which develops teaching materials for students with disabilities as well as special education instructor support.
  • K. Peter Kuchinke, (Associate Professor, HRE) spent three weeks this summer as a visiting professor in the Department of Management and Economics of Gerhard-Mercator University in Duisburg/Germany. He provided lectures and seminars on topics related to workplace learning, human resource development, and workforce training. During his visit, he renewed and expanded the Study Abroad program between Duisburg and UIUC. Each year a number UIUC undergraduate students from various departments spend a six-week summer term at Gerhard-Mercator University to learn about European issues related to business, economics, education, and social issues. In return, German student attend UIUC courses during the regular semester.  
  • Scott D. Johnson, (Professor and Head, HRE) was elected to a two-year terms as President of the University Council for Workforce and Human Resource Education. The Council represents the leading doctoral granting programs in career and technical education (CTE) and human resource development (HRD).
  • Sarah Lubienski, (Associate Professor, C & I) was chosen as a College Scholar in recognition of her significant academic career achievements.
  • Karla Moller, (Assistant Professor, C & I) was named a 2006-07 College of Education Faculty Fellow.
  • Cris Mayo, (Associate Professor, EPS) was named a 2006-07 College of Education Faculty Fellow.
  • Phyllis Vanlandingham (Student Academic Affairs) was named the new Director of Secondary Education Programs for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She will take on new leadership responsibilities for LAS while continuing to function as coordinator and academic advisor for secondary education students in the College of Education. She will also be the LAS representative on the Council on Teacher Education (CTE).

Are there awards or recognitions we’ve missed? Please let Chris Harris know about them.

Faculty and Staff Arrivals, Departures and Transitions
(Click on links to visit Faculty/Staff Directory and find research profiles (not yet available for everyone)

  • New Faculty and Staff:

Jean Bettridge, Assistant to the Head, Educational Organization and Leadership
Timothy Cain, Assistant Professor, Educational Organization and Leadership
William Cope, Research Professor, Education Policy Studies
Anne Dyson, Professor, Curriculum and Instruction
Jeffrey Flesher, Visiting Assistant Professor, Human Resource Education
Holly Foster - Secretary IV - Bureau of Educational Research.  (Beginning August 28).
Rod Githens, Online Programs Coordinator, HRE Online
Christopher Higgins, Assistant Professor, Educational Policy Studies
Richard Justice, Clinical Assistant Professor, Educational Organization and Leadership
Janet Marquissee, Program Coordinator, Educational Psychology
Lisa O'Dell, Research Scientist, Bureau of Educational Research
David Richman, Associate Professor, Special Education
Tabitha Smith - Account Technician I - Curriculum & Instruction.  

  • Departures

Susan Adler, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Adler took a faculty position with the University of Hawaii at West Oahu.

Tom Anderson, Professor, Educational Psychology. Dr. Anderson retired from the College.

Angela Benson, Assistant Professor, Human Resource Education. Dr. Benson took a faculty position with the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Cheri Carlson, Student Academic Affairs. Cheri retired from the College.

Wendy Harris, Educational Psychology. Wendy took a position with the Department of Mathematics.

Kay Stahl, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Stahl took a faculty position with New York University.

  • Transitions – Familiar faces in some new locations

Heather Johnson Baseler, Technical Information Specialist, Student Academic Affairs Office

Adam Fein, Director, Online Education and Outreach for the Office of Academic Outreach. Adam remains housed in the College through a partnership with Academic Outreach. 

Kathy Stalter, Administrative Assistant in Student Academic Affairs Office

People we’ve missed? Please let Chris Harris know about them.

Getting Around: A Few Meetings of Interest This Month

As I mentioned earlier, my calendar has been booked nearly solid with meetings and events since my arrival. A few of them, I think, are worth highlighting.

  • Individual meetings with Department Executives. Obviously, the most important set of people I need to speak with are those of you here in the College. I’ve met with all of the academic and administrative department executives at least once over the past weeks. I’ve also had the opportunity to sit in on a few meetings with a number of other staff and faculty in that time. I know I need to meet you all. You aren’t looking for a Dean who doesn’t leave her office or who doesn’t spend time in the College. There are over 300 faculty and staff members spread over 5 locations – and I am going to get to all of you. I want to see where you work. I want to see where your students spend their time. These conversations are just the beginning. I ask for your patience just a little longer. And, if you see me in the hall, please, come up and introduce yourself first.
  • Chancellor Herman and Howard Gobstein (VP Research and Science Policy, National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges) to discuss a proposed Science and Mathematics Teacher Education Initiative. The NASULGC plans to launch a significant national effort to stimulate and assist individual institutions and states reach the ambitious goal of preparing 10 thousand additional science and math teachers annually. This meeting was to discuss potential members of an initial planning and later a managing commission to implement this ambitious agenda. Dr. Gobstein was also able to meet with a number of our Mathematics and Science faculty on the second day of his visit.
  • Visit by Sirrapat Attapit, Education Aide for Senator Richard Durbin to Curriculum and Instruction (arranged by the Office of the Provost and the University of Illinois Legislative Affairs Office). Curriculum and Instruction faculty and staff in the Science, Technology and Mathematics met with Senator Durbin’s education senior staffer to talk about issues around math and science education, both in terms of teacher preparation and in related research issues. This was primarily a fact-finding meeting for Senator Durbin’s staff and we hope it will be the beginning of an ongoing series of discussions with his office and other members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation. Professor and Department Head Marilyn Johnston-Parsons and Shirley Berbaum organized the session. Participants included Fouad Abd El Khalick, Sheila Ashbrook, David Brown, Art Baroody, Barbara Hug from Curriculum and Instruction as well as Nick Burbules from EPS and George Reese from the Office of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education.
  • Ed Start New Student Reception
    Thanks to the new and returning student reception (Ed Start) organized by the Student Academic Affairs Office, I had the opportunity to see what our undergraduate teacher preparation class is going to look like. An estimated 200 hundred students came through the event and I had the pleasure of addressing them and speaking with a few of them. I want to thank the SAAO staff for their efforts in organizing and executing this reception. It strikes me a wonderful introduction to the College for these young men and women who will spend so much time with us in the next couple of years. I also want to thank the members of the faculty and staff throughout the College who could find the time to drop by and enjoy part of the afternoon with us.

The Last Word:

As I noted at the beginning of this column – my first weeks have been hectic, overwhelming and, without doubt, among the most exciting in my life. I want to thank all of you who have dropped by to say hello, who have sent cards of welcome or just smiled at me in the hallways. You have all made the transition for my husband Bill and myself so much easier.

I’m still learning names and faces, so please, please, continue to introduce yourselves to me when you have the chance. And, if you have questions or concerns about the College, share them with me. Send me an e-mail. Stop me in the hall. Write a letter. Do not hesitate to let me hear them. We are going to move forward in the College. There will be changes. But, I will not do this alone. I cannot do it by myself. You all have an investment in this College. Whether you are an undergraduate in our teacher education program or a senior professor or an administrative assistant, you have a voice in this institution and you must not hesitate to raise it.

If, years ago, when I first earned my doctorate, someone told me that I was going to live in the United States and be chosen as Dean of the College of Education at the University of Illinois, I surely would have laughed.

And now, as I sit here in Champaign, in an office that has my name on the door, right under the word, “Dean,” there is still a little bit of disbelief. Only 12 individuals have held this position before me in the past 100 years. It is indeed a true privilege for me to lead this institution.  There is a great history here in the College of Education and, a tremendous future. I look forward to the years ahead. It is going to be exciting.