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Description of innovative element Every
semester that a student is in the doctoral program, he or she is
required to attend a three credit hour professional seminar. During
this seminar, students are exposed to faculty from a wide range of
disciplines within in the college of education. The visiting faculty
members spend at least five weeks with the students describing their
research, assigning reading of key studies within the faculty members
particular concentration, and relating that research to the education
and treatment of students with disabilities. In
addition to exposure to various research approaches, students are
required to participate in professional conferences and present
original work. This occurs at least once if not more per semester.
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Details of the element The seminar series occurs for duration of the students doctoral program. Special
education faculty is responsible for coordinating the seminar series.
Individual guest faculty members are responsible for designing and
delivering work in his or her area. The students are responsible for
all readings and active participation in the series. The seminar series is required for all students. The
seminar series was created as a method to expose students to the
maximum amount of faculty and research avenues possible without having
to take additional coursework. It was also created as a way to build
community among the cohorts. It
was instituted with the inception of the United States Department of
Education Leadership Preparation Grant here at Arizona State University
in 1998.
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What educational purpose does this element serve? As
stated previously, the goals of this element of our program are to
increase student awareness of research within the field and to build
community.
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What data or evidence tells us that this works? Year
after year the course evaluations of the seminar series have been
favorable. Students report feeling connected and informed. Each
semester, all students present at local, national, and/or international
conferences. Evidence of this can be found in their individual vitae.
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Reflection from a faculty member I
believe that the seminar series has built a sense of professional
community among the students and the over 18 different faculty members
that have participated. Robert B. Rutherford, Professor, Special Education Program
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