TRU here in Kamloops is a new university--as of 2005. As one would expect, many faculty see this as a mandate with an increased opportunity to expand "research" in the traditional sense. As research activity expands, our challenge is maintain a focus on our primary mission--high quality undergraduate education.
An advantage we have is that "scholarly activity"--research in a very broad context, is recognized in the collective agreement. Therefore, scholarly work in any of Ernest Boyer's four scholarships will theoretically be recognized equally in promotion and tenure--this has not been put to the test yet.
Gary Hunt
Posts made by Gary Hunt
Some people object to "teaching excellence" because it suggests an elite--top 5 or 10 %. Really, what we want are effective teachers--something we can all strive for.
For the first week (March 2-8) the focus will be on the desired outcomes of a national system of training and credentialing. Here are some questions that we could address. What benefits do national systems have that are not possible with regional or institutional systems? How much of a benefit is portability of a credential? Is the quality of teacher training better under a national framework compared to that in separate institutions?
For week two (March 9-15) the focus will be on the attributes of a good teacher-training framework. What are the critical components of a training programme? Should the framework be different for training graduate students compared to junior faculty or professional development for senior faculty? What can other countries take from the UK experience?
For week three (March 16-22) the focus will be on required resources. What are the personnel and financial resources required to develop, implement, and maintain a national system? What are examples of appropriate national bodies that have the ability to oversee and run a national initiative?