Rights to Appeal
As a teacher education major, you have the right of appeal in such matters as denial of admission to various levels of the professional education program, your student teaching semester assignment, the decision to temporarily drop you from the Program because of insufficient grade point, or the process by which you may be suspended from the Teacher Education Program. Equitable due process in academic matters is provided for you in university grievance procedures for both undergraduate and graduate students. These procedures are presented in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Statement, available at http://www.uni.edu/vpess/handbook.html.
Appeals Procedures for the Teacher Education Program:
Entry to the Teacher Education Program: Admission to the Teacher Education Program is a privilege, not a right. There is no constitutional or accepted legal theory guaranteeing your right to admission regardless of your qualifications. You may appeal the decision to deny you admittance to the Teacher Education Program when the decision is based on extreme circumstances for which you have no control. Contact the Associate Director of Teacher Education to set up an appointment to begin the appeal process.
Academic Probation in the Teacher Education Program : When your required GPA’s drop below 2.50, you will have one semester to bring up your GPA. If this is not done, you may be placed on academic probation in the Teacher Education Program. You may appeal the decision when it is based on extreme circumstances for which you have no control. Contact the Associate Director of Teacher Education to set up an appointment to begin the appeal process.
Suspension from the Teacher Education Program: If you are suspended from the Teacher Education Program, you may appeal the decision process. You may, within ten school days of being notified of the Director of Teacher Education’s decision, make a written request to the Office of the Provost of the university for a review of the procedures which led to that decision. Such a request must include a statement of any perceived procedural irregularities involved in the decision. In such cases, the Provost or designee will examine the transcript of the proceedings, and all exhibits entered as evidence, and will render a decision within two weeks of their reception. The Provost or designee may either remand the decision back to the Teacher Candidate Professional Review Committee on the grounds of procedural irregularities (in which case the TCPRC is obligated to reconsider the case in the light of the specified procedural problems), or uphold the decision of the TCPRC as procedurally sound. (University procedure, as adapted by the Associate Provost, for the UNI Teacher Education Program suspension procedures, 6/09/2004)
Responsibilities
To be a professional educator today requires constant responsibility toward acquiring essential skills, knowledge, performances, and dispositions. The UNI Professional Education Faculty, administrators, and support staff look for signs of your growth in all these areas, whether it is in your course work, your relationship to all the community members involved in your field experience, or your day-to-day actions with university personnel. You have a responsibility to become knowledgeable about expectations from your professors, administrators, and support staff so that you can successfully move through the Teacher Education Program. You should not only know the expectations, but you should also keep your UNI email account open at all times so that you can receive timely updates. You should also monitor your UNITED system on MyUNIverse and keep updated on the requirements of the Teacher Education Program through the www.uni.edu/teached web site.
Progressing Through the Teacher Education Program:
Four Decision Points are established to mark your progression through the Teacher Education Program: 1) Admission to the University, 2) Admission to the Teacher Education Program, 3) Admission to Student Teaching, and 4) Recommendation for Licensure. Professional Education Faculty members, staff, and/or administrators may delay you in moving through the Decision Points if you demonstrate deficiencies in meeting course or Program Standards. To correct the deficiencies, faculty, staff, and/or administrators may file a Notification of Concern, indicating how you can remedy the deficiency. Only after the deficiencies are resolved may you expect to move forward in the Program. Therefore, you have a responsibility to respond to the Notice and to initiate contact with the person who filed the Notice within the timeframe stated in the email.
Suspension from the Teacher Education Program:
If you have multiple unresolved Notifications of Concern indicating significant deficiencies in meeting Standards for the Teacher Education Program, you be considered for suspension from the Program. Suspension from the Program is determined by the Teacher Candidate Professional Review Committee and is for a minimum of one calendar year. Only the most extreme circumstances would warrant consideration for re-admission before one calendar year has elapsed and is determined by the Council on Teacher Education. At the time of suspension, students are informed of the conditions and procedures for re-admission to the Program.
Emergency Suspension: Any student may be suspended by the Director of Teacher Education for extreme, unforeseen circumstances such as endangerment of students, disruption of schools/classes, felonious behaviors, or ethical violations. Such suspensions will be referred to University Officials and may become permanent.
Re-admission to the Teacher Education Program:
If you are suspended from the Program and wish to be re-admitted, you may seek probationary re-admission according to the following schedule: apply by February 1 for Summer and Fall probationary re-admission; apply by October 1 for Spring probationary re-admission. Applications are found at www.uni.edu/teached, Information for Students, “ University of Northern Iowa Application for Probationary Re-admission to the Teacher Education Program.”
The decision to re-admit students on a probationary status will be made by the Teacher Candidate Professional Review Committee. Conditions for probationary re-admission are determined on a case-by-case basis by the Committee and in accordance with conditions determined at the time of suspension. Upon successful completion of the probationary period, the Teacher Candidate Professional Review Committee determines conditions for full-readmission and may recommend such to the Council on Teacher Education, who makes the final decision.
Suspension for a second time is considered permanent. Only the most extreme circumstances would warrant consideration for re-admission a second time. Reconsideration is determined by the Council on Teacher Education.