MISSION STATEMENT

 

5. THE PROGRAM'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE MISSIONS OF THE COLLEGE
   AND THE UNIVERSITY

The mission of both the University and the College of Education guides the OSFE Division in planning, implementing and evaluating its program.

University Mission Statement

The University of Northern Iowa is a comprehensive institution committed to providing a diverse, dynamic learning environment, founded on a strong liberal arts curriculum and characterized by excellence in teaching, research and service.

College of Education Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Northern Iowa College of Education is three-fold. First, the College exists to prepare educational and human service professionals for a variety of direct service and leadership roles in schools and non-school settings. Second, faculty members in the College conduct applied and basic research in the area of teaching and learning, human behavior, human growth and development, and educational policy.  Third, the College of Education provides service on the local, state, regional, national, and international levels. By so doing, the College of Education effectively serves the profession by assuming a leadership role for the improvement of education and human services.

OSFE Mission Statement

The Office of Student Field Experiences mission is: Developing 21 st Century educators with collaborative exemplary supervision in diverse environments.

OSFE Vision:The Office of Student Field Experience is dedicated to providing an exemplary capstone field experience (student teaching) via collaborative partnerships with school districts that can offer students extended access to experienced teachers and administrators capable of modeling educational excellence, community engagement, and leadership. Students who can render acquired knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to engage in caring, reflective, and effective teaching practices will integrate and demonstrate the utilization of theory and practice in diverse educational settings with high quality, personalized supervision and professional guidance. The Office of Student Field Experience is committed to graduating educational leaders who are characterized by their ability to engage in effective practices with caring, collaborative, and ethical conduct.

Supporting Information: OSFE coordinators have strong backgrounds in liberal arts curricula and among them have academic preparation in curriculum and instruction, school administration, elementary and secondary teaching, school improvement, and a variety of disciplines.  Clinical and adjunct supervisors are selected for their exemplary achievements as teachers.  Students have extended access to district teachers and administrators who model educational excellence and leadership.  Field experience placements for day-to-day work in accredited public schools-or in private/parochial if requested by students-enable students to confront current, challenging issues and to observe a variety of educational practices in today's P-12 classrooms.

Students in the teacher education program at the University of Northern Iowa have a diverse choice of locations for field experiences with personalized supervision.  They may select to complete field experiences in several student teaching centers in Iowa, in Omaha, Nebraska, or in any number of other out-of-state sites.  To further support the University's mission to increase international opportunities for students and faculty, OSFE has many opportunities for international experiences.  Student teachers can elect international student teaching sites, and UNI faculty have been involved in their supervision at those sites.  In the past, a section of Human Relations was taught in London, England, during the summer.  These offerings involved UNI students from all majors and from all colleges as well as UNI faculty and cooperating teachers.