From the Dean
I have the joy of leading and being a part of the Reich College of Education (RCOE), and I am delighted to share our Strategic Positioning Platform. This plan presents relevant and intentional goals to forward the work of the college in a collaborative and dynamic manner. As we know, colleges of education face many challenges, and I believe we have identified goals and actions that provide opportunities and great possibilities for growth and learning.
The information contained herein helps guide decision-making processes as well as resource development and allocation. It helps us communicate around shared goals and ideas. As we move forward, it is also my hope that our plan will help us continue to build our identity and presence within the university as well as the broader community through intentional and informed conversations and actions. It guides our work but is a work in progress - never static with the constant need for review, progress, and relevance.
-- Dr. Melba Spooner, Dean, Reich College of Education
What is a Strategic Positioning Platform?
A Strategic Positioning Platform is different from a traditional Strategic Plan, in that it is designed to be dynamic and responsive to changing needs of the College and its stakeholders. The outline below reflects our Big Goal, Key Priorities, and Subgoals under each section, and will be assessed and updated at least annually.
The Big Goal
Serve Reich College of Education faculty, staff, students, and community partners utilizing an inclusive, innovative culture and advocacy for public education and human development.
Key Priority One
Provide student-centered, innovative, relevant, and inclusive educational programs and experiences.
- Ensure cohesion and relevance within program offerings.
- Identify and develop innovative new learning opportunities.
- Ensure that candidates have a solid foundation in media and technology and their implications for practice.
- Create initiatives, resources, and supports to enhance student success before, during, and after their academic careers.
Key Priority Two
Create a united, intentionally interconnected, and proactive RCOE culture.
- Develop internal capacity and deliberate structures for collaborative, strategic, and adaptive thinking, with increased cross-collaboration between all departments, units, centers, and programs.
- Cultivate united RCOE identity and culture, ensuring inclusive integration of newly re-organized departments, structures, and across all programs that share a roadmap for future impact and expansion of the RCOE.
- Ensure inclusive integration of College Access Partnerships with RCOE.
- Support RCOE staff and faculty in the development of agile and innovative (eduprepreneurial) practices to design, facilitate, teach, and co-construct our future.
- Increase transparency in decision-making, funding, and communications through an equity framework to support innovation and flexibility.
- Enhance connections between RCOE faculty, staff, and students.
- Create and maintain a climate of inclusion and belonging.
- Ensure inclusive excellence efforts are embedded and centered within every department and level of the organization via specific outcomes, measures, and supports on an ongoing basis.
- Ensure equitable and inclusive staff, faculty, and student voice and support.
Key Priority Three
Expand access for students, and improve retention and completion rates in RCOE.
- Improve enrollment management, retention, completion rates, and learning outcomes.
- Partner with community colleges to create accessible, high-quality 2+2 programs to build expanding pipeline of future teachers.
- Expand differentiated and high-quality online programs aligned to alternative pathways (e.g. paraprofessional to teacher, 2+2, district partnerships, therapeutic virtual workshops, etc.).
Key Priority Four
Advocate through expanded leadership, voice, and outreach in the fields of public education and human development, regionally, nationally, and globally.
- Build capacity for increased research, resources, scholarly contributions, and creative activity.
- Continue to enhance partnerships with P-20 and other organizations to ensure RCOE is continuously examining and improving teaching, learning, and counseling practices.
- Ensure RCOE has visibility and voice as a respected leader in statewide and national P-20 and human development policy conversations, particularly in support of existing teacher education programs, as evidenced by activities such as speaking engagements, lab efforts, and partnerships.
- Empower RCOE students to become the next generation of leaders and advocates for the teaching, educational leadership, and human development professions.