GRADUATE EDUCATION
Program Information
1
Graduate Education Students:
Welcome to Avila’s Graduate Teacher Education Program!
The guiding philosophy for Avila’s School of Education is the worth and potential of all students. We are committed to educating innovative, adaptable, and involved professional educators who will provide excellent learning opportunities for a diverse and ever-changing student population. We embrace the values of Avila in fostering the intellectual, spiritual and social growth of its members. Through value-based learning and authentic experiences, our graduates will be qualified, ethical, and responsible contributors to the greater society.
Graduate students are expected to exemplify outstanding professional and academic skills. It is also necessary for the professional educator to be able to work independently, be adaptable, and solve problems. This guide was prepared to assist students in making a long range academic plan, to answer frequently asked questions and to acquaint students with the graduate teacher education programs. Please read it carefully and refer to the information as questions arise.
Sincerely,
Stacy Keith Ed.D
Director of Graduate Education
This guide contains information for students in the Graduate Initial Certification program and the Master of Arts in Education programs.
Table of Contents
Policies and General Information 4
Graduate Initial Teacher Certification Program 9
Master of Arts in Education 13
Graduate Education Policies and General Information
Evening classes in the graduate education programs are offered in an innovative, intensive study format. For each course you should expect a minimum of 15 hours per week of outside work. You will need to be organized and able to work independently to be successful. It is expected that graduate students will be competent in their demonstration of cognitive, personal and social skills, and in the demonstration of their depth and breadth of knowledge. Students are expected to demonstrate these skills through written and oral communication and in participation in course activities.
Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average in all education coursework with no grade below a C. Only one grade of C is allowed in the graduate program. A student who receives a grade of “F” or who does not maintain the required cumulative grade point averages will be dismissed from the program.
Students in the Graduate Initial Certification Program must also maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in certification content courses and an overall grade point average of 2.75.
Graduate Courses
Course descriptions and schedules can be found on the Avila website. All courses with descriptions are listed in the Avila Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs. Course schedules may be accessed through MyAU by selecting course schedules and identifying the appropriate semester. Graduate teacher education courses are listed in the traditional semesters.
Classroom Decorum
Academic integrity and a professional demeanor are expected at all times. If a graduate student engages in cheating, plagiarism, or falsification of documents, the student may receive a grade of F for the course where the infraction occurred.
Students are expected to follow the Avila University Student Code of Conduct. Students are expected to respect the instructor and peers, interact appropriately with classmates, participate fully in activities, refrain from chit chatting and off-task behaviors, display a positive attitude, and come to class alert and prepared. The professor reserves the right to ask students who are not following the decorum policy to leave the classroom. Additionally, in courtesy to your peers and the instructor, no cell phones should be heard in class. Your phone should be off. Absolutely no text messaging is permitted during class. Students who are unable to demonstrate a professional demeanor in the classroom may be required to withdraw from the program.
All students have an Avila email account. Information about access to your Avila email is provided when you first register for classes. Students must check their Avila email on a regular basis as this is the primary source for communication with students. You can have email sent directly to your phone or other device. If you need assistance, please contact the Information Technology Helpdesk. The helpdesk is located in the Hooley-Bundschu Library, or you may call
816-501-2900.
Course Guides
For each intensive study course there is a course guide which will provide you with course materials and information. Once you have registered for a class it is your responsibility to access the course guide prior to the beginning of class. Course guides can be accessed through Canvas. Canvas is Avila’s online course management system. Click on the “syllabus” tab to access the guide in Canvas.
You will have assignments due on the first night of class. Directions for the assignments are found in the course guide. It is suggested that you read the entire guide before attending class. Students who do not have their assignments prepared for the first class will be required to drop the course. Course guides are generally available three weeks prior to the first class meeting.
Attendance
Attendance at every course session is mandatory. Due to the fact that classes meet in blocked sessions, each session consists of intensive study. If you know you will be unable to attend a class session, do not register for the class. Missing a class may result in a grade of F.
If you are registered for a course and are unable to attend, it is your responsibility to drop or withdraw from the course. You should contact your advisor for a drop slip. To avoid financial penalty, you will need to drop a course before it begins.
Attendance at all course sessions is a minimum requirement. Students are also expected to participate and maintain a professional demeanor. If you have concerns or need assistance, please make an advising appointment with the Director of Graduate Education. To schedule an appointment, email or call (816) 501-2464.
Assignments
For courses offered in an accelerated format, students must complete all assignments, for instructional meeting one, prior to the first night of class. Directions for these assignments are located in the course guide. Students who do not have their assignments completed at the beginning of session one may be required to withdraw from the course.
All assignments must be completed for a passing course grade to be assigned. Late assignments are unacceptable. If you are unable to complete an assignment by the required class session, you should withdraw from the course to avoid receiving a grade of F. If you have an extreme and verified emergency, please contact your instructor.
Observations
Many of the graduate education courses require observations and participation in classrooms throughout the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Observation requirements range from full days to several hours, depending on the course. Please check the course description to determine if you will need to plan for this requirement. Avila students are expected to dress professionally and demonstrate a professional demeanor while observing in area schools.
Inclement Weather
If Avila is closing due to severe weather conditions, announcements will be made on the Avila website and local television stations. Students may sign up for text alerts through the Avila website. Decisions for day classes are generally made by 6:00 a.m. Decisions for evening classes are generally made by 3:30 p.m. Students are asked to consider their own personal safety and to use their best judgment about course attendance during severe weather situations.
If the campus is closed, students should report to the next scheduled class session. If a student misses a class due to severe weather when the campus is not closed, it is his or her responsibility to contact the instructor immediately.
Library Services
Students in the graduate education programs have full access to the library services. The Hooley-Bundschu Library is the information resource center for the campus. A curriculum library, children’s literature collection, computer lab and study rooms are available for student use. The Library is a member of MOBIUS, a statewide consortium of over 50 academic libraries with a shared on-line catalog. Students can access library services from their home computers.
Campus Safety Information
Avila University is committed to assisting all members of the Avila community in providing for their own safety and security. The annual security compliance document is available on the Avila University Web site at http://www.avila.edu/reslife/crimestats.asp. The web site contains information on campus security and personal safety, including crime prevention, university police law-enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures, and other important matters about security on campus. It also contains statistics for the three previous calendar years on reported crimes that occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings, property owned or controlled by Avila University, and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.
If you would like to receive a booklet, which contains this information, you can stop by the Campus Safety Office in the Marian Center Building any weekday between 8 AM and 3 PM or you can request that a copy be mailed to you by calling (816) 501-2466.
Student Consumer Information
Student Consumer Information regarding tuition, financial aid, FERPA, University information, Drug and Alcohol Policies and University contacts may be accessed at the following website: http://www.avila.edu/admission/consumerInfo.htm.
Graduate Education Refund Policy
If for any reason you will not be attending a course, you must withdraw before the course begins to avoid financial penalty. To withdraw from a course you must sign a withdrawal form which can be obtained in the Graduate Education office.
Students who do not officially withdraw from a course will receive a final grade of “F”. A withdraw will only be issued if it is requested before the fourth meeting of a five-week or eight-week class.
Students who withdraw from five-week or eight-week classes are eligible for refunds under the following schedule:
-complete refund* if the withdrawal takes place before the start of the course.
-75% refund* if the withdrawal takes place after the first meeting of the class.
-50% refund* if the withdrawal takes place after the second meeting of the class and before the third meeting.
* All schedule changes/withdrawals will result in a fee if the student completes the change before the class begins. Complete withdrawals of more than one course, will also result in a fee. All administrative withdrawals will result in an administrative cancellation fee. Course fees denoted as non-refundable will not be returned.
All other courses, including Weekend Intensive and Saturday only classes, will be assessed the appropriate fee(s) as prescribed in the University catalog.
Avila’s learning management system is called Canvas. You can access Canvas through the Avila website. Once you have entered your username and password, you will have access to information about each of your courses. When you select a course, you will find the course guide and pre-assignment instructions by clicking on the syllabus tab. Course guides are generally available three weeks prior to the first class meeting
Canvas is more than a learning management system. It comes with social learning features and there are iPhone, iPad, and Android apps that you can download for free to stay connected with your course activities when you are mobile.
First Things First in Canvas includes an integrated dashboard students can use to track requirements posted by instructors. It includes activities, calendar, and more. Students and faculty can register email addresses, text services, and other social service plus set notifications on how you want to be notified for certain kinds of events. Read First Things First for information on how to setup your preferences and notifications. Contact the IT Services help desk if you have any questions or need assistance.
Graduate Initial Teacher Certification Program
Steps to Certification
There are several crucial steps you will want to complete to progress toward certification in a timely manner. If you do not complete each step, you may find that your Final Clinical Experience/Student Teaching experience is delayed a minimum of one semester. You may want to use the following as a checklist to insure a smooth transition through each stage of your program. Further information about each topic may be found in the Student Handbook. You may access this manual online from the School of Education’s homepage by clicking on forms and selecting the Student Handbook.
Before you begin taking classes, complete the following steps:
- Attend an Information Session or Individual Advising Meeting
- Admission to Avila University.
To be admitted to Avila University, you will need to complete all parts of the graduate application and send official transcripts from all colleges you have attended. Once you have completed this step, you will receive an admissions status letter and an official copy of your transcript evaluation. If you have questions concerning your admission, please call (816) 501-2464, or email . You must have an overall GPA of 2.75 to be admitted.
Students whose primary language is not English are required to submit official score reports of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam. The examination results should not be more than two years old. The minimum TOEFL score required is 550 on the written test or the equivalent on computer, based, internet, iBT, or IELTS.
- If you plan to take student loans, contact the Financial Aid Office through the Avila website, or call (816) 501-3600.
If you are interested in applying for student loans, you will want to contact the Financial Aid office as soon as possible. You may begin the loan application process before you are officially accepted to Avila; however, you must be admitted before your coursework begins.
To begin the process for financial aid there are two applications required. Each student will need to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov, and the Avila University Financial Assistance Data Sheet. Students who are certificate seeking are eligible for 5th year undergraduate loans. You will want to carefully monitor the funds that will be available to you each semester so that you will be able to adequately plan for your entire program.
- Make an appointment with your advisor.
When you are ready to register for classes, you will need to make an appointment with your advisor. It is your responsibility to register for classes each semester. You must make an appointment each time you want to register for classes. Your advisor will attempt to alert you to class rotations and general advising issues. It is suggested that you make a long-range plan for completion of required coursework. Bring this plan with you to your advising appointments. Generally, advising begins in October for the spring semester and in March for the summer and fall semesters. If you are not currently taking classes, please call (816) 501-2464 or email for advising schedules. Registration is not automatic. Classes fill quickly, so you will want to register early. If you wait too long to make an advising appointment, you may find that completion of your coursework will be delayed.
- Maintain your program of study.
When you are accepted to Avila, you will receive a transcript evaluation and an acceptance letter. The transcript evaluation is your program of study. You will want to keep this document and update it as you complete courses. It is your responsibility to make a long-range plan for the completion of required courses. If you need assistance with your program of study, please make an appointment with your advisor. It is recommended that you bring your program of study with you each time you have an advising appointment. All required courses must be completed prior to Final Clinical Experience/Student Teaching.
- Complete the application process to be formally admitted to the School of Education.
After you have completed 6 semester hours of professional education courses at Avila, including ED 585-Practicum, you should apply to be formally admitted to the School of Education. This is an important step in your certification program.
It is advised that you take ED 585- Practicum at the beginning of all coursework. In this course you will be given more information about the process of being admitted to the School of Education. Do not delay this application, or it will result in the delay of your Final Clinical Experience/Student Teaching experience.
- Take and pass the Pearson Content exam.
To be certified to teach, you must pass the Pearson Content Exam. You may take the exam at any testing location; however, you must have your scores reported to Avila. It is recommended that secondary and middle school certification students take the exam as soon as possible. The exam for elementary and special education includes all content areas and pedagogy. It is suggested that elementary and special education teachers take the exam the semester before they complete their coursework. All students must pass the Pearson Content Exam prior to Final Clinical Experience/Student Teaching.