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TexasTechUniversity

Educator PreparationDiversity Plan

Approved by Stakeholders, 2/1/06

The following guidelinesdirect Educator Preparation Programs at TexasTechUniversity (TTU) in achieving and maintaining accreditation and institutional standards on diversity.

“Diversity” as defined by NCATE: Differences among groups of people and individuals based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion,sexual orientation, and geographical area.

Educator Preparation Programs at TTU will:

  • follow professionally responsible guidelines in respect to issues of diversity;
  • implement good-faith efforts to increase or maintain candidate (TTU students), faculty and staff diversity;
  • develop curriculum and devise experiences (based on identified knowledge, skills and dispositions) that address diversity issues so that candidates, faculty and staff will become more culturally responsive educators; and
  • monitor and review efforts to address diversity issues on a regular basis to determine the success of the endeavors.
  1. Follow professionally responsible guidelines in respect to issues of diversity
  2. Educator preparation programs are housed within several colleges/schools within the Unit. Diversity efforts are guided by strategic goals found at the following locations.
  3. Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
  4. College of Arts and Sciences
  5. College of Education
  6. College of Human Sciences
  7. College of Mass Communication
  8. College of Visual and Performing Arts
  9. Graduate School
  10. Educator preparation programs and/or the university are accredited by numerous bodies, all of which have guidelines addressing issues of diversity.
  11. Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired(AER)
  12. Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
  13. National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
  14. National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
  15. National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)
  16. National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
  17. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) (Accreditation of the University)
  18. A variety of Specialized Professional Associations (SPA’s)
  19. Educator preparation programs are guided by a “Statement of Philosophy Regarding Diversity” found at
  20. Educator preparation programs are based on a conceptual framework ( which provides a foundation for consideration of issues of diversity. This is further captured by the conceptual framework theme, “Professional Educators Opening Doors to the Future” as follows:

Professional Educators

Opening Doors to the Future

The term “professional educators,” refers both to the professional education faculty and staff of TexasTechUniversity as well as to our graduates who become professional educators in their own right. Our graduates are professional educators who demonstrate appropriate knowledge, skills and dispositions; integrate theory and practice; respect and value all individuals; and remain life-long learners.

It is essential to use “opening doors to the future” in a concrete manner to guide educator preparation at TTU. One way to do so is to consider the “knowledge,” “skills” and “dispositions” that enable the doors to be opened. We as “professional educators” at Texas Tech share knowledge, develop skills and model dispositions with our studentsenabling them to open doors to their futures. In turn, our graduates, as professional educators share knowledge, develop skills and model dispositions with their students allowing those individuals to open doors to their futures.

In addition, our work should be guided as the doors are opened metaphorically to a future where equity and diversity are commonplace and all individuals are respected and valued. Both TTU educators and our graduates open doors by advocating academic excellence for all students, respecting and valuing all individuals, serving as change agents and generally providing opportunities for all students to be successful.

  1. Implement good-faith efforts to increase or maintain candidate, faculty and staff diversity
  2. Candidate recruitment. Candidate (TTU student) recruitment is pursued in numerous ways, including but not limited to the following:
  3. Participating in the South Plains Closing the Gaps Coalition, which included 31 West Texas agencies, institutions, elected officials, and organizations with a shared mission of reaching underrepresented populations across West Texas with the goal of attracting students to higher education. Annual activities of the Coalition include Juneteenth Celebration, Back to School Fiesta, Ultimate Education Summit, Summer Science Camp, and Career Expo.
  4. Participating in the P-16 Council Initiative.
  5. Sponsoring an annual transfer conference for counselors from seven regional two-year colleges who meet with TTU educator preparation advisors. Recruiting from two-year colleges provides a more diverse pool of candidates.
  6. Expanding the Project FUTURE Program, designed to recruit under-represented groups into teacher education.
  7. Participating in the Raiders Rojos Back to School Fiesta.
  8. Partnering with South Plains College (SPC), a Hispanic serving institution, with a new Associate of Arts in teaching (AAT) program. The AAT program creates a seamless degree plan between the two institutions that will hopefully encourage more Hispanic students and more first-generation college students to complete their degrees and choose a career in education.
  9. Utilizing the ProfessionalDevelopmentSchool relationship with the TexasSchool for the Blind and Visually Impaired for recruitment purposes.
  10. Faculty recruitment. Faculty recruitment is pursued in numerous ways, including but not limited to the following:
  11. Advertising faculty positions in the usual sources, but also in a manner that reaches diverse populations.
  12. Announcing faculty positions to predominantly African-American and Hispanic universities.
  13. Posting positions in the Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, Black Issues in Higher Education and Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.
  14. Sending recruitment information to individuals selected from the Women and Minorities Doctoral Directory.
  15. Training Search Committee Chairs to assure that University Faculty Recruitment Procedures (O.P. 32.16) are followed.
  16. Making a good-faith effort to have diverse individuals in the pool of candidates
  17. Considering qualifications for employment, which include the ability to relate to and help all students learn.
  18. Ensuring that search committee membership is diversified.
  19. Staffrecruitment. Staff recruitment is pursued in numerous ways, including but not limited to the following:
  20. Making a good-faith effort to have diverse individualsin the pool of candidates.
  21. Ensuring that search committee membership is diversified.
  22. Considering qualifications for employment to include an ability to relate to and be a role model for all candidates.
  23. Develop curriculum and devise experiences (based on identified knowledge, skills and dispositions) so that candidates, faculty and staff will become culturally responsive educators
  24. Providing quality programs, including those in Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language and a variety of Special Education Programs, to attract quality candidates, including those from diverse backgrounds.
  25. Interfacing with the VirginiaMurraySowellCenter for Research and Education in Visual Impairment, the BurkhartCenter for Autism Education and Research, Resources and Solutions, and a variety of special education programs (including hearing impairment) to advocate for people with diverse backgrounds.
  26. Incorporating issues of diversity throughout coursework and clinical experiences.
  27. Developing Program Assessment Plans and reviewing course syllabi for the inclusion of issues of diversity.
  28. Regulatingfield placements to ensure that teacher candidates (TTU students) work with diverse students (P-12 students) in diverse settings.
  29. Establishing a process to promote the discussion of issues of diversity and the resolution of associated concerns, perhaps through the Center for Diversity Leadership.
  30. Monitor, review and as necessary, revise diversity efforts on a regular basis to determine the success of the endeavors. (Data from the Educator Preparation Assessment System supports the monitoring and review of diversity-related endeavors.)
  31. Monitor and review endeavors in conjunction with the annual strategic goals assessment reports from each college.
  32. Monitor and review endeavors in conjunction with accreditation activities (NCATE, SACS, CACREP, AER and SPA’s.)
  33. Monitor and review endeavors in conjunction with the data from the State’s Assessment System for Educator Preparation (ASEP).
  34. Discuss and modify endeavors in conjunction with the end of year Teacher Education Council meeting.
  35. Discuss and modify endeavors in conjunction with an end of spring semester assessment retreat.