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What
is a cohort?
Students in the UNI Principalship cohort programs progress together
through an articulated sequence of courses and clinical experiences
for three (3) academic years and two (2) summers. Students enrolled
in the UEN Leadership Academy Cohort pursue an accelerated, two
(2) academic years and one (1) summer program. Students will be
scheduled for classes the same night during the fall and spring
semesters throughout the two or three-year program to assist students
in planning their personal and professional lives while they are
completing their program of study. Students finish the program receiving
a Master's degree or an Advanced Studies Certificate (ASC). A team
of campus faculty, field professors, and field administrators/mentors
work together to integrate theory, internship/clinical experiences,
and reflective practice into every course in the program. Since
long-distance learning is utilized, students seeking a Master's
degree, an ASC in the Principalship, or the UEN Leadership Academy
are required to spend the first summer of the program on the UNI
campus to facilitate the development of a learning community. This
is normally a six-week session which usually starts the first
week of June and ends in late July. By this time the students have
shared the ICN (Iowa Communications Network) classes for two semesters,
and relationships have started to develop with the students at other
ICN sites. The continuation of relationship-building is encouraged
in interactive summer classes and out-of class activities during
the summer term.
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What
is the purpose of a cohort?
The purpose of the Educational Leadership Cohort is to develop
a learning community among the students, university faculty, field
faculty, and field administrators where all interact to create the
optimal learning experiences for students. The learning community
fosters the skills of relationship-building, networking, teamwork,
cooperative inquiry and study, reflective practice, and continuous
improvement. As the result of their participation in a learning
community for two or three years, students will learn the transformational
leadership skills so necessary for implementing the change process,
school improvement initiatives, and shared decision-making. In addition,
the learning community becomes a safe and supportive environment
where students can learn to trust others, be open with others, appreciate
differences and diversity and grow into more mature human beings.
Academically, the learning community is a more stimulating, interactive
environment that fosters in-depth discussion, challenges the students
to a higher level of thinking and creates an environment where reflection
becomes the norm. Cohort members become powerful motivators for
each other as they become an interdependent group who share both
the good and bad times. They learn together, laugh together, have
fun together, and most importantly they encourage each other to
higher levels of performance and achievement.
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What
are the expectations for students selected to participate in the
UEN-UNI Leadership Development Academy?
It is an honor to be selected by your UEN school district to participate
in this special Leadership Development Academy designed especially
for students aspiring to be principals in the urban school setting.
The UEN Leadership Development Academy is a non-traditional accelerated
program that requires students to be self-directed, self-motivated,
independent and well-organized to meet the challenges of the program.
Students will complete 36 hours of coursework for PK-12 Principal
licensure in approximately 22 months. This principalship preparation
program is totally performance-based. Students will be evaluated
on demonstrations of performance rather than on traditional test-taking
measures. Students will be expected to tackle complex problems in
their home districts utilizing problem-solving skills and critical
thinking skills to improve student achievement for all students
through school improvement initiatives utilizing action research.
Courses will require students to complete an in-depth internship
to apply and practice the learning and content presented in the
class sessions. Mentors with leadership expertise will be selected
by your urban school district to mentor and coach you with the internship.
Program delivery is dependent on technology utilizing the ICN and
the Internet. You will need to be technology proficient or be willing
to rapidly learn the necessary technologies during the first semester
of the program.
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Describe
the Internship
All students in both cohorts develop a two or three-year internship
plan with a field administrator/mentor of their choice. For the
Master's and ASC in the Principalship students, the internship plan
is integrated into every instructional course of the program and
students are expected to complete a minimum of 200 hours of internship
experiences as part of coursework. An additional 225 hours of internship
will be determined by the student, field administrator/mentor, and
designated UNI faculty field supervisor. All students enrolled in
the Principalship program (M.A.E. and ASC) will complete a minimum
of 425 hours.
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How are the
ICN sites selected?
ICN sites are selected by the determination that there is a critical
mass (a minimum of five students) in the area to make an ICN site
feasible. The University of Northern Iowa wants to not only provide
ICN sites within a convenient driving distance from the student's
home, but also to provide an instructional environment with field
professors at the ICN site and enough students at the site to build
an interactive learning community. UNI views education as an interactive
process, not a spectator activity where one sits in a room for three
hours by him/herself.
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How
are students assigned to cohorts?
When you are accepted and admitted into the Educational Leadership
Program you are assigned to the cohort group starting the following
fall semester for students in the principalship program. Superintendency
students begin their program the spring semester.
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If I am a
middle school teacher, do I seek elementary or secondary principalship
endorsement?
All students who complete the Educational Leadership program will
be awarded a PK-12 Principal license if the person has taught three
years. This is a foundational requirement that is required by the
Iowa Department of Education. The University of Northern Iowa provides
the prescribed program of study necessary for the principalship
certification and certifies to the Department of Education the successful
completion of that course of study. However, it is the Iowa Department
of Education or your local school district that must verify your
years of teaching experience before you are awarded the principalship
certification. If you have further questions, you can call the Licensure
Bureau of the Iowa Department of Education [515] 281-3245.
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What
are the research scholarly requirements of the Master's Degree and
the ASC in Educational Leadership?
Students have the option to complete a Master's thesis or a non-thesis
program. The majority of Master's students in the Principalship
program choose the non-thesis option. Currently, there are no culminating
research requirements for the ASC (Principalship) students. However,
students seeking a Doctoral Degree (Ed.D.) are required to do extensive
research during their course of study that culminates with the completion
of a dissertation.
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How do I qualify
for Financial Aid?
To qualify for financial assistance you must be degree seeking
(accepted in a program) and enrolled at least half-time (5 semester
hours in the fall or spring semesters or 4 semester hours in the
summer). File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
form, either the paper copy or on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov
, as soon as possible after January 1. This application covers summer,
fall, spring semesters (in that order). If you are eligible for
loans you must complete, sign and return one copy of the promissory
note and award letter to the Financial Aid Office. Entrance counseling
is required of all first time borrowers at UNI. If you have any
questions on financial assistance, feel free to contact the Financial
Aid Office at 1-800-772-2736 or 319-273-2700 - FAX 319-273-6959,
www.uni.edu/finaid.
Scholarship Opportunities:
College
of Education Scholarships
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If I received
my undergraduate degree from UNI, will I need to request those transcripts?
No. The Registrar's office will forward UNI transcripts to the
Educational Leadership office once application has been made.
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Why must I have completed
two years of teaching in Iowa in order to be accepted for the Principalship
program?
Students must be recommended for a Standard license by their district
in order to begin our MAE program.
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The University of Northern Iowa is an inclusive academic community,
hospitable to all. UNI is an equal opportunity educator and employer
with a comprehensive plan for affirmative action. |
