A $1.8 million grant awarded last week will enable Metro State to establish a framework for the formation of a School of Education.

The five-year grant from the “Strengthening Institutions” program of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education, was awarded to Metro State to expand its capacity to serve low-income students. Metro State applied to use the funding in two primary areas: academic support services and establishing a framework for the formation of a School of Education.

“With the formation of a (stand-alone) School of Education, Metro State can establish a dedicated support structure to enhance its teacher education programs,” says Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Vicki Golich. “As one of the top producers of teachers in Colorado, this change will allow the College to respond to market demands while better addressing student needs.”

Dean of the School of Professional Studies Sandra Haynes, who is currently on a one-year American Council on Education Fellowship at Colorado State University, agrees. “The prominent position of Metro State’s Teacher Education Program in the state as the largest urban-based source of teachers calls for significant academic restructuring in support of this role,” she says. The Teacher Education Department is currently housed in SPS.

Haynes adds that the formation of a stand-alone School of Education will provide the administrative structure that the department needs to effectively manage its complex role, which involves complying with regulations from the Colorado Department of Education, the Colorado Department of Higher Education, the legislature and accrediting bodies. “We serve 10 percent of the student body at any time (in teacher education),” Haynes says. “There are at least six disciplines within the department. It’s a very complex department, and the autonomy of being a stand-alone school will help us deal with that complexity better.”

For the School of Education framework portion of the grant, the first year will be spent looking at best practices among similar schools. Subsequent years will be spent determining the most efficient allocation of resources and personnel.

Haynes said that the costs associated with restructuring in the form of a School of Education would result not only in benefits to Metro State students, but also in long-term benefits to the broader community constituency.

“I’m thrilled that we have the opportunity to begin to create a School of Education at Metro State,” she says. “It’s a long-time dream of the faculty, and we’re so happy to be moving toward realizing the dream.”

Grant “couldn’t have come at a better time”
Other administrators agree that the timing for this grant was fortuitous.

“As state higher education appropriations decline, external funding sources become increasingly important,” says Executive Director of the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs Gwendolyn Mami. “The grant process has become increasingly competitive, proposals must clearly articulate with a sound and measurable implementation strategy.”

Golich was quick to praise the grant-writing team of Haynes and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs for Curriculum and Assessment Sheila Thompson. “The grant team was diligent in identifying key needs and growth opportunities, while establishing targeted goals and objectives to move Metro State forward,” says Golich. “The College is thrilled we secured this grant, and it could not have come at a better time.”

Areas for enhanced academic support will focus on improving enrollment, retention and graduation of underserved populations. Elements within the program address systemic technology needed to more effectively track admissions and student retention through the use of new management software, which will be combined with faculty and staff training.

“Implementing these new systems will facilitate better targeted communication to groups of students, while tracking their interactions with advisors in order to identify potential risk factors,” says Thompson.

Metro State was the only public institution in Colorado awarded the grant funding under the Strengthening Institutions program. Many initial aspects of the five-year grant are focused on research and planning, but others will come to life when the Student Success Building opens in 2012.