Contents of This Chapter
"Education" is published as several files. Use the following links to go to any
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Manuel J. Justiz
PhD
Dean
Alba A. Ortiz
PhD
Associate Dean
Michael P. Thomas Jr.
PhD
Associate Dean
Marilyn C. Kameen
EdD
Associate Dean
The University of Texas at Austin, through the College of Education, is
committed to the training of teachers and other educators who are dedicated to
the employment and advancement of education for all people. In pursuing this
mission, the College of Education performs several functions.
First, it is a professional school offering two degrees: the Bachelor of
Science in Applied Learning and Development and the Bachelor of Science in
Kinesiology. Both degree programs offer majors that lead to teacher
certification, one for elementary school teachers, the other for secondary
school and all-level kinesiology teachers.
Second, the college provides the professional sequence of education courses and
serves as the selection and advising agent for all students pursuing
certification to teach in Texas, whether they are enrolled in the College of
Education or in another division of the University.
Third, the college offers degree programs that do not lead to teacher
certification. These programs, in youth and community studies, health promotion
and fitness, and kinesiology, are designed to meet the professional needs of
public and private educational and community service agencies.
Fourth, as a unit of the Graduate School, the College of Education offers
courses and curricula leading to advanced professional certificates and to
master's degrees and doctoral degrees in education. It also provides in-service
training and consulting services for those engaged in the educational
professions.
Fifth, departments in the college offer courses in general education as well as
in various specialties suitable for students pursuing vocational objectives
other than teaching.
The college is also a center for research, experimentation, and a wide variety
of direct services to school systems and other educational enterprises.
The instructional and research programs of the College of Education are carried
out in four buildings. The primary facility, the George I. Sanchez Building,
contains classrooms, extensive computer facilities, electronic media resources,
observation rooms, a learning technology center, and faculty offices. Bellmont
Hall, the primary facility for the Department of Kinesiology and Health
Education, houses classrooms, research laboratories, gymnasium and locker
facilities, racquetsport courts, and faculty offices. College of Education
faculty members and programs are also housed in Anna Hiss Gymnasium and the Lee
and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
Scholarships as well as graduate fellowships and assistantships are available
to students in the College of Education. Application for undergraduate awards
should be made to the Office of the Dean, George I. Sanchez Building 216;
graduate students should inquire in their departmental offices. Generally,
applications are accepted in March for the following academic year.
The Office of the Dean of the College of Education provides a variety of
student services, including maintenance of student records, academic
counseling, certification counseling, and official evaluations of the student's
academic standing and progress toward a degree. Students are encouraged to
contact the office whenever they have questions about degree requirements,
academic standing, teacher certification, general University regulations, or
registration. The office is also a good source of general information and
referral that students are urged to use when they have questions or problems of
any nature.
The Education Council is the official channel for student participation in
policy formulation and evaluation and in development of student activities in
the college. Voluntary organizations in the college include the Kinesiology
Club, Mu Iota Epsilon (Society of Minorities in Education), the Student Council
for Exceptional Children, and the Texas Student Education Association. Pi
Lambda Theta, Phi Delta Kappa, and Kappa Delta Pi are honorary organizations
for men and women.
The University operates the Education Placement Service to provide a liaison
between University students and prospective employers. All candidates for
teacher certification must register with the Education Placement Service,
George I. Sanchez Building 294, at the beginning of their student-teaching
semester.
As a complement to the assistance available from the college, the University
Career Center provides comprehensive career services to all students. The
center offers professional assistance to students in choosing or changing their
majors or careers, seeking an internship, and planning for the job search or
for graduate study.
The University makes no promise to secure employment for each graduate.
Admission and readmission of all students to the University is the
responsibility of the director of admissions. Information about admission to
the University is given in
General Information.
To enter the professional development sequence of courses, students seeking
teacher certification must
- Pass each part of a competence examination in reading, writing, and
mathematics. This examination, the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test,
is administered by National Evaluation Systems; it is an assessment of basic
college-level skills for all students as well as a part of the teacher
certification process.
- Complete at least seventy-two semester hours of college coursework with an
acceptable grade point average. A University grade point average of at least
2.50 is required for consideration. Applicants with a University grade point
average of 2.50 to 3.00 are considered individually. Those with a University
grade point average of 3.00 or higher are eligible for priority selection.
Transfer students must also present a grade point average of at least 2.50 on
all college work taken elsewhere to be eligible for consideration.
- Complete a minimum amount of prerequisite coursework. Those interested in
elementary certification must complete nine semester hours in applied learning
and development, Kinesiology 314, and Mathematics 316L; those interested in
secondary certification must complete six semester hours in applied learning
and development and at least six semester hours in each field for which
certification is sought.
- Receive the approval of the Professional Education Admissions Committee.
The student must submit an application for admission to professional education
courses by March 1 for entrance in the fall semester or by October 1 for
entrance in the spring semester. Application forms are available in the Office
of the Dean, George I. Sanchez Building 216. The application process allows the
student to outline his or her background and motivation to enter the teaching
profession as well as any special circumstances affecting his or her
situation.
The committee's decision is based on the applicant's completion
of the academic eligibility requirements and suitability for the teaching
profession as demonstrated by the application, essay, and, in some cases, an
admission interview. For secondary school certification applicants, the
committee considers University grades in the teaching fields as well as the
cumulative University grade point average; to qualify for student teaching,
these applicants must have a University grade point average of at least 2.50 in
each teaching field in which they seek certification, as well as a cumulative
University grade point average of at least 2.50.
Each student who submits an application by the deadline and meets the minimum
academic eligibility criteria will receive full consideration by the committee;
however, fulfillment of these minimum requirements does not ensure committee
approval. Applicants with a University grade point average of 3.00 or higher
receive priority in selection.
General Information gives information about registration, adding and
dropping courses, transfer from one division of the University to another, and
auditing a course. The
Course Schedule, published before registration
each semester and summer session, includes registration instructions, advising
locations, and the times, places, and instructors of classes. The Course
Schedule and General Information are sold at campus-area bookstores.
They are also published on the World Wide Web and are accessible through the
registrar's Web site, http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/.
The College of Education requires all students seeking a Bachelor of Science in
Kinesiology to have their schedules approved by a faculty adviser each time
they register. Those seeking elementary teaching certification and a Bachelor
of Science in Applied Learning and Development may self-advise when they
register but are urged to see an adviser if any question arises. Information
about specific advising locations is available in departmental offices as well
as in the Office of the Dean. Students are also encouraged to see their
advisers at least once a year at some time other than registration to discuss
their programs in an unhurried manner.
As part of the advising process, the College of Education publishes Teacher
Education: A Student Handbook. The handbook outlines degree programs,
testing requirements, application deadlines, and other pertinent matters. It
serves as a detailed advising guide for most academic questions within the
College of Education and is available in the Office of the Dean, George I.
Sanchez Building 216.
Information about legal requirements for certification to teach is available
from the teacher certification officer, George I. Sanchez Building 216, or from
the Texas Education Agency, 1701 North Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701.
Application for the certificate should be made at the Certification Office,
George I. Sanchez Building 216.
In accordance with Article 6252-13C, Texas Civil Statutes, the
commissioner of education may suspend or revoke a teaching certificate or
refuse to issue a teaching certificate for a person who has been convicted of a
felony or misdemeanor for a crime that directly relates to the duties and
responsibilities of the teaching profession.
Students who have completed all necessary academic requirements for
certification are also required to achieve a satisfactory level of performance
on the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET). In
addition, students seeking certification to teach French or Spanish in
elementary or secondary school must earn a passing score at the advanced level
on the Texas Oral Proficiency Test (TOPT) in the appropriate language.
The designation University Honors, awarded at the end of each long-session
semester, gives official recognition and commendation to students whose grades
for the semester indicate distinguished academic accomplishment. Both the
quality and the quantity of work done are considered. Criteria for University
Honors are given in chapter 1.
Students who, upon graduation, have demonstrated outstanding academic
achievement are eligible to graduate with University Honors. Criteria for
graduation with University Honors are given in chapter 1.
All students must fulfill the general requirements for graduation given in
chapter 1. Students in the College of Education must also fulfill the following
requirements.
- The University requires that the student complete at least two long-session
semesters, or an equivalent period, in residence. To receive a degree from the
College of Education, the student must have been registered in the college for
at least two long-session semesters or the equivalent.
- A candidate for a degree must be registered in the College of Education
either in residence or in absentia the semester or summer session the degree is
to be awarded and must apply to the dean for the degree no later than the date
specified in the
official academic calendar.
Each student seeking a degree from the College of Education should apply for a
degree audit upon completing seventy-five semester hours of coursework. The
application for the degree audit is filed in the student dean's office, George
I. Sanchez Building 216. The degree audit is essential to ensure that the
student meets all degree requirements. The student is responsible for meeting
degree requirements, but the dean's office will assist in preventing errors if
given the opportunity.
An applicant for a degree must be registered in the college for the semester or
summer session at the end of which the degree is to be granted.
In the final semester or summer session, a candidate for graduation must apply
for the degree by the deadline given in the
official academic calendar, and
should have had a degree audit.
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28 August 1996. Registrar's Web Team
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