The PTEU serves an analogous function to the academic department in that it is the group of faculty who oversees specific programs and operations. The PTEU operates on a much larger scale than a department and serves as a university-wide vehicle for faculty to meet regularly to collaborate, communicate, and coordinate concerns that affect all teacher education programs across the 11 departments, four colleges, and one school that are responsible for administering KSU s teacher education degree programs, support services and students. The PTEU also organizes and sponsors collaborative faculty development programs related to teacher education and issues of teaching and learning in the schools. The PTEU s other standing committees have specific purposes related to the monitoring of accreditation and professional standards, operation of teacher education, and preparation for accreditation visits and reflect the collaborative model, as well. Faculty and deans from units across the university are represented on the committees along with students, alumni, and practicing professionals.
Collaboration exists beyond the university as well.
It became apparent after reorganization that the mission of teacher education could be better served by uniting the talents of the field-based professionals with University pedagogy and content specialists. From the beginning, everyone envisioned this relationship to be more than advisory. Other examples of important university-school collaboration are numerous. KSU s programs incorporate many field-based experiences that require extensive and effective collaborations with numerous public schools in nine different schools systems. Extensive partnership school collaborations have been formed at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels.