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Show Page 2 STRONG ASSETS - FACULTY, FACILITIES. SUPPORT (continued from page 1) Regents Study M.Ed. “One of the first things the board committee did was to identify significant questions they felt needed to be answered by WSC as well as other universities,” said President Bishop. ‘‘These questions were to be answered in relationship to concern for need, cost, quality, role and impact on other institutions.’’ ‘“‘These criteria then become the ultimate measuring sticks for judging the worth of proposed graduate work at WSC,” he said. ‘‘We are greatly encouraged by the Board of Regents study. They have been very objective and their analysis has _ A Master of Education program at WSC would compliment the undergraduate education curriculum. Strong support from other academic departments on campus as well as from the public schools will greatly aid its implementation. A well-qualified faculty and excellent facilities are other assets which would aid in initiating a graduate program should such a role for WSC be approved by the Board of Regents. ‘It is the plan of WSC to develop a graduate program based upon the competencies, skills and knowledge which individual teachers need to carry out their classroom functions, not sy | derg. strat estak ue Pay~ fered,’ said Dr. Blaine Parkin _— colle ; ‘ appr necessarily what we as univers. gy professors have son, dean Education. of traditionally of the School @ oper: baset = One basic assumption of th Master of Education programi that the specific requirements fo the degree be desig ‘the ment cooperative Skills developed with WSC, the publi school teachers, professionl associations, public school at ministrators, Utah State and th In | °C! Achie presi Asso eac! the public schools, national trent as and recent surveys, it is apparel 4, ch that modes of instruction musth) ~ fee flexible and tailored to meet! individual and group needs( teachers,’’ Dr. Parkinson said. WSC survey data indicates) ~— com © equc: ment: struction centered on such aré ~ achie — other conte curricular methodology, management skill — dards dividualization, and curre problems and concerns suché economic education, met education and environment education. Dr. . plime qualit ment: facult Research will be of an appli | nature and will serve the role) contrast to the traditional phasis on developing mn _ ViSabl he sai Aca’ nature. ae ad (continued on page Sue a ~ 4,685 when the college first offered upper division classes in 1962 to the 1976-77 enrollment, day and evening of 10,218. Available data indicates that WSC is now the largest four-year baccalaureate degree-granting institution in the nation which does not offer a graduate program.” “WSC has a_ nationally recognized, innovative Teacher Education program that provides an excellent basis for a graduate program. The School of Education boasts an exceptional record in placement of graduates due to the quality of the program,” said Dr. Burton. While program quality and successful placement of graduates is to the credit of the School of Education, the national accrediting team that evaluated the — WSC Teacher Education Program last year indicated that a significant impediment to the operation of the program was its lack of graduate work. Dr. Blair Low, director professional laboratory ex- periences and bers, stated program committee memthat graduate and/or in-service training is a natural and necessary follow-up to enable teachers to become competent in their profession. Since the need for in-service training is now recognized to be as great as the need for pre-service training, school districts and professional organizations would like to work with WSC in designing an inservice Master of Education program that would meet current needs and not be bound by traditional approaches _ to graduate education. He also pointed out that although other state institutions have attempted to meet the needs in the Ogden area through extension classes, extension graduate work cannot begin to offer the flexibility, nor begin to satisfy the demand that a resident graduate program at WSC could offer. “Ogden area teachers find it very difficult to plan for them- acade —_ Petent coan ¢@ knowledge of a more theoret¢ Stately Education Building on WSC campus offers new and adequate facilities that could be immediately used for a M.Ed. program. achie needs of exceptional children, improving instruction. This is) | tpg py 3 vary. strong desire of teachers andtht administrators to have if as teact We Board of Education. “Based upon experience wil been thorough,” said President Bishop. To respond to questions being asked by the Regents a task force was appointed by the WSC administration. This committee, comprised of Gary L. Carson, Rodger S. Lawson, W. Blair Low, Blaine P. Parkinson and Thomas R. Burton, is compiling information and conducting research as needed by the Board of Regents. Dr. Burton, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs and chairman of this committee, said WSC serves the educational needs of the North Wasatch Front, including Weber, Morgan, North Davis and South Box Elder Counties. This area possesses a population of 251,800 persons, or one-fifth of the state’s residents. “Considering the size of the population and its attendant earning capacity, WSC is located in the center of a billion dollar trading area,” he said. Dr. Burton pointed out that suburban communities of Ogden City are growing rapidly. Some, like North Ogden, Pleasant View and Riverdale, have experienced a population growth of over 100 percent between census dates. According to recent projections, the population in North Wasatch Front communities will continue to grow. “For example, the number of persons residing in the fourcounty region by 1990 will be 52.6 percent greater than in 1970. Those persons ages 25-34 will increase 107 percent with school age children increasing 27.2 percent, suggesting a need for trained teachers in the area,’’ Dr. Burton said. ‘‘The institution has grown in its capacity to serve as_ the population has_ increased. Enrollment has spiraled from (con (contin selves a viable graduate prog because they do not know wh discov Seldom courses will be offered, whenth ©Xtensi will be offered, or how offey At courses will fit into an integ program of graduate study. » Th (continued on page = _ volved WSC ¢ Reicra and ey year. degree offered Second-class postage paid at| take Be Ogden, Utah, published five times s |ow a year in Octobe, December, @& February, April and June at Waa State College with editorial offices in the Alurmi Office, Ogden, Utah i r Counc resolut 84408. Vol 9 No. 5 June 1977. COMMENT is mailed at no charge suppor their _ to alumni of Weber State College. Gaanii Alumni Editor: Arlene Wilson. Alumni Board of Directors Master Executive Committee Douglas G. Brian, President Tim Moris, First Vice President Kent Petersen, Second Vice Presi- | Eleme Educat z | qualiti dent : Alan E. Hall, Executive Director Directors _ President Joseph 1.. Bishop Lewis Joseph) _ which \ the ar The : Barbara Skeen Heinz Bruel — uUunanir yee Linaqull cick waz Dennis DEE cen MN Counc DEORra Michael D. Lyon Stephen K. Frazier Hah N. Giles 7 F ounci. |