The significant contributions made to the College in recent years of service deal directly with the growth, sustainment, maintenance, and visioning of the Educator Preparation Program. There are multiple areas of service that extend beyond the normal scope of a non-administrative faculty member who holds no position or title in leadership roles. Those areas include serving as the Partnership Coordinator, Screening Coordinator, Assessment Co-Director, edTPA Co-Director, and State Review Coordinator. In the 7 or 8 years after the 2011 TN State Review of the Program (2011-2018, prior to the hiring of current Director of EPP, Dr. Cynthia Gardner), Dr. Orren and I were thrust into roles that we did not want, ask for, nor for which we were prepared.

I was granted tenure in 2008. I have had two five-year reviews (2013 and 2018). With each formal review, I received some pertinent feedback related to course performance, but mostly I left each review sensing that there was a lack of understanding at the highest levels of the institution regarding the true rigors and demands of what was required of me as an EPP faculty member. The work hours spent teaching and advising candidates, while the most important and enjoyable roles I performed, paled in comparison to the work load related to screening responsibilities, candidate assessment, program assessment, recruitment of high-quality candidates, understanding changes in Academic Standards and Evaluation Models, keeping up with TN DOE and BOE policies related to licensure, and the list goes on and on.

In January 2013, Dr. Traci Haydu was named Chair of the Division of Education, replacing Dr. Terry Simpson (who retained his title of Director of the EPP (at that time the Teacher Education Program). For most of the years that Dr. Haydu served as the Division Chair, there were regular conversations, meetings, and strategies developed that focused on maintaining the integrity of the program. Bonnie West, administrative assistant, Dr. Alesia Orren, and I witnessed an accelerated and concerning decline in Dr. Simpson's ability to contribute to the essential programming tasks required to keep our program competitive and state-approved. Our conversations as the EPP team were fraught with fear, anxiety, and concern as we searched for temporary solutions that would address our program needs related to covering courses, assuming roles with TN DOE, developing more efficient data practices, and other tasks related to keeping the program afloat while we supported a beloved colleague.

My significant contribution to the College can be defined by those tasks and sacrifices. In 18 years as a faculty member, I have not applied for nor was I encouraged to apply for a professional sabbatical--with a specialized program and only 3 faculty members, it didn't seem like a possibility. Over the last nine years, all professional development activities have been dictated by ever-changing policies and responsibilities defined by the TN DOE/BOE. It is with great anticipation that I will be able to witness and influence the next iteration of the MC Educator Preparation Program. While we are not fully staffed in the program, we have grown and there has been some much needed relief and task re-distribution. The addition of a fully contributing Director/Chair, a qualified edTPA Coordinator, and a multi-talented adjunct has offered great relief and the ability to enjoy forward-thinking progress. I look forward to the next era of educator preparation at Maryville College!

Below is a sampling of the significant tasks and contributions made in ultimate Service to the College.