The Professional Education Faculty (PEF), which oversees all professional education programs at Georgia State University, consists of faculty from the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences who have a significant role in professional teacher education. The PEF is charged with designing and/or approving policies and procedures related to curricular, instructional, accrediting, admissions, and other issues. The mission of the Professional Education Faculty at Georgia State University is to prepare and enhance educational professionals who function effectively within an urban context.

Membership of the Professional Education Faculty (PEF) includes representatives from four strategic groups: College of Education faculty involved in educator preparation programs; College of Arts and Sciences faculty involved in educator preparation programs; faculty and administrators from five collaborating P-12 school systems; and students in the teacher preparation programs. Formal collaboration has been on-going since 1987, with the establishment of the Initial Teacher Education Committee (ITEC) and its report in 1988, A Plan for Change. In this report, the committee called on the entire University community to make teacher preparation a priority and urged University administrators to take a leadership role in promoting this goal. The report outlined specific substantive recommendations that should guide the development of initial preparation programs.

The initial by-laws for thee Professional Education Faculty were approved in 1989. In 1991, the Professional Education Faculty was established as the governing unit over all educator preparation programs. It is at the sub-committee levels that the representatives of the four constituent groups work together on the details of program, course, and instructional issues, and that close collaboration of faculty across colleges and between the university and the public schools occurs. Sub-committees include the Curriculum Committee, the Standards and Accreditation Committee, and the Diversity Committee.

The Executive Council of the PEC reviews the work of the committees, assigns tasks to existing or ad hoc committees, and prepares the agenda for council meetings. The council chair is a one-year position and is rotated among faculty in the two colleges.

Institutional Mission and Context

Georgia State University is one of 34 institutions in Georgia that comprise the public University System of Georgia, which is governed by a 15-member Board of Regents. Georgia State's central location is downtown Atlanta. The mission of the university is to prepare students who are critical thinkers, creative problem-solvers, and responsible citizens who make ethical choices. Georgia State University also seeks to ensure that students become scientifically, technologically, and culturally literate. Georgia State is committed to serving the urban community in which it is located.

The university serves approximately 23,00 students, traditional as well as returning and working students; 53% of the university's students work full time. It also serves more African-American students than any other college or university in Georgia.

The university has six colleges and schools: Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Health and Human Services, Law and Policy Studies. The College of Education offers over 50 degree programs in six departments at the undergraduate, master's, specialist and doctoral levels, as well as certificate endorsement and add-on programs. Degree programs for secondary education majors are housed in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Georgia State has access to over 15 public school systems in the Atlanta area, thus providing rich opportunities for partnerships, field experiences, research and service. Considerable off-campus talent also is available to enrich campus programs. Active practitioners often are an integral part of educational programs.

Key Representatives

Dr. Sam Deitz, Dean, College of Education
Dr. Ahmed Abdelal, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Beverly Armento, Chair, Professional Education Council
Dr. Leon Hurley, Director of Teacher Education

For more information, contact:

Edith M. Guyton
Professor, Early Childhood Education
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 651-2957
Fax: (404) 651-1495
Email: eguyton@gsu.edu

Beverly Armento, Chair
Department of Middle/Secondary and Instructional Technology
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-651-2520
404-651-2546 (FAX)
Email: barmeto@gsu.edu

[Return to Exemplary Practices]