By-Laws for Teacher Education Council

By-Lawsfor Teacher Education Council

SUNY COLLEGE, CORTLAND

Preamble

The Teacher Education Council (hereinafter, TEC) is established asthe primary college wide body for all BA, BS, BSED, MSED, MST, and MATteacher education programs at SUNY Cortland. It is charged by this preambleto strive to promote academic, professional, scholarly and intellectualexcellence in the College’s teacher education program. It is further chargedto promote the College’s teacher education program in the wider community– regional, state and national. It is charged to work with the College’s international programs for the benefit of American and international students, faculty and staff. It is further charged to seek to advance the study ofteacher education and of education at all levels. Finally, the Councilis charged to conduct itself in an atmosphere of open, full and intellectuallyvigorous discourse. It is cautioned not to permit itself to become a topdown bureaucratic unit in the college but a vibrant bottom up forum foradvancing teacher education, the quality of education in society and thestudy of education.

Role and Function:

The role of the SUNY Cortland Teacher Education Council (TEC) isto serve as the primary college wide body for all BA, BS, BSED,MSED, MST and MAT teachereducation programs at the College. Its function is to discuss issues ofconcern related to teacher education programs, develop guidelines and policy pertaining to teacher education, and to recommend policy to appropriateadministrative and faculty bodies. It may propose and implement programsrelated to its functions, e.g., conferences, forum, workshops, publicationof occasional papers, and the like.

While it does not supersede the authority of regular departments, programs, faculty senate or senate committees, the TEC does advise on issues related to teacher education. Final decisions or recommendations relatedto curricular issues, staffing, resource allocation, college organizationand the like shall be the responsibility of the appropriate departments,programs, faculty organizations or administrative units. The TEC reportsdirectly to the Provost and Vice-President for academic affairs..

Chairs and Functions of Chairs and Unit Head for Teacher Education Programs

The TEC is chaired by and reports through the Deans of the two schools. As Co-Chairs, the Deans are responsible for representing the TEC to the Administration, for preparing the Council’s annual report and such other reports as may be required. The Deans shall be responsible for developing a budget for the TEC, for calling meetings and preparingagendas for such meetings.

The individual (or designee of that person) appointedby the President as the formal unit head for all programs at the institution designed to prepare education professionals to work in p-12 schools shall report for the TEC to the President or designee.

Membership

Membership of the whole Council shall be as follows:

Deans of the School of Arts and Sciences and the School ofProfessional Studies

The Chair or designee from each program with a program in teacher education. "Each department" is defined as each Chair ordesignee from each of those departments yoked together in a single teachereducation program (e.g., each of the Departments in the Secondary SocialStudies program).

One additional faculty from each program in teacher educationprograms per each 100 enrolled majors or fraction thereof, over the first100 majors.. The additional faculty shall be selected by procedures approved by the department, program, or unit itself.

Program coordinators/chairs from teacher education programs.

Associate Deans of the School of Arts and Sciences and theSchool of Professional Studies

Director of Field Studies or designee.

Chair or designee of the Department of Psychology

Director of Graduate Studies

Coordinator of the Center for Educational Exchange or designee

Chair of the TEC Advisory Group (or designee)

Four at-large members from each school who shall be electedby the faculty of the respective schools. These elections shall be conductedby the respective Deans or designees.

Student Membership:

Undergraduate student members should be juniors or seniors. Student members as follows:

2 undergraduates from Elementary Education

2 undergraduates from Physical Education

3 undergraduates from all secondary programs in the Schoolof Arts and Sciences

1 undergraduate from Speech Pathology and Audiology

1 undergraduate from Health Education

2 certification graduate students in Masters’ programfrom the School of Professional Studies

1 certification graduate student in Masters’ program fromthe School of Arts and Sciences

The method of election for student members shall be determined within six weeks following ratification of By-Laws.

Ex officio membership

The following shall be ex officio members and shall attend meetings of the TEC but do not have a vote:

Director (or designee) of Student Development

Coordinator (or designee) for Advisement and First Year Programs

Director (or designee) , Admissions Office

Director (or designee), Academic Support and Achievement Programs

Director (or designee), Memorial Library

Coordinator (or designee), Judicial Affairs

Coordinator (or designee), EOP

Other ex officio members may be added by a majority voteof the members of the TEC present and voting.

Meetings and Agenda

The TEC shall meet no less than two times each semester. Meetings may be called by the Co-Chairs or by a request signed by at least ten voting members of the Council. Agenda items for meetings shall be defined by the Co-Chairs and circulated at least five working days in advance ofTEC meetings. Additional items may be add by any voting member of the TECwith five days notice. . The meetings should be conducted in an atmosphereof informal and open discourse but should be governed by Roberts’ Rulesof Order.

Meetings shall be open to members of the Advisory Group and to members of the College community.

Committees:

There shall be Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees. Comittees of whatever type shall be established by a majority vote of members of the Council present and voting.

a) Standing Committees

Members of standing committees shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the Co-Chairs and vote of approval by a majorityof the TEC present and voting. Members of standing committees may be proposed from the floor by any voting member and shall be approved by a vote ofthe members of the TEC present and voting. Terms of membership should normally run for twelve months, beginning at the start of each academic year. Appointments to fill vacancies shall run until the end of the term. Members appointedto standing committees shall serve pro tem until they shall have been confirmed by the TEC. Committees should designate their respective chairs and should report to the TEC and the Co-Chairs. Individuals who are not members ofthe TEC (e.g., faculty, staff, representatives of the external educationalcommunity) may be appointed as non-voting members to standing committees.

Standing committee shall be as follows:

Policy
Operations and Personnel
Unit Assessment
Global Education

Curriculum
Faculty.
Grants and Sponsored Programs
Conferences, Lectures and Programming
External Affairs (e.g., NCATE, SED, professional organizations, public and private N-12 schools, colleges and universities, teacher unions, etc.)
Conceptual Framework
Students & Advisement b) Ad Hoc Committees

Members of ad hoc committees shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the Co-Chairs and vote of approval by a majority of the TEC present and voting. Members of ad hoc committees may also be proposed from the floor by any voting member and shall be approved by a vote ofmembers of the TEC present and voting. Terms of membership should run untilthe committee has discharged the assignment it was charged to perform.Appointments to fill vacancies shall run until the conclusion of the committee’sassignment. Members appointed to ad hoc committees shall serve pro temuntil they shall have been confirmed by the TEC. Committees should designatetheir respective chairs and should report to the TEC and the Co-Chairs.Individuals who are not members of the TEC (e.g., faculty, staff, representativesof the external educational community) may be appointed as non-voting membersto ad hoc committees.

Advisory Group to the Teacher Education Council

The Advisory Group to the TEC shall be established bya vote of the TEC and shall be composed of members of the educational community outside the college.

The following broad guidelines shall guide the establishment of the Advisory Group.

Members should serve staggered terms for a maximum ofthree years.

The Chair of the Advisory Group should be elected by themembership and shall serve as a voting member of the TEC

Co-chairs of the TEC serve in an ex officio capacity.

The Advisory Group shall develop its own by-laws. It shouldmeet no less than twice a year.

The function, role and responsibilities will be defined bythe TEC following completion (January 2001) of the Formation Survey.

Ratification and Amendment

These By-Laws shall be amended by a vote of a majority theMembers of the TEC present and voting. Mail ballots may be utilized for amendments upon a vote of a majority of members present and voting on aresolution to submit amendments to a vote. Amendments shall be submittedto the President of the College for her or his approval and shall comeinto force upon receiving the President’s approval.

These By-Laws shall be ratified by a vote of a majority ofthe Members of record –- as of February 1, 2001 –- of the TEC present andvoting. A mail ballot may be utilized upon a vote of a majority of memberspresent and voting on a resolution to submit these By-Laws to a mail ballot.These By-Laws shall be submitted to the President of the College for heror his approval and shall come into force upon receiving the President’s approval.