Overview
The GBC Elementary Education Program has marked its place in GBC history by being the first baccalaureate degree program at the College. The program was approved, conceptually, by the GBC Faculty Senate in December 1998, the Board of Regents in June 1999, the Nevada Department of Education favorably reviewed the program in August 2001, and the Commision on Colleges and Universities conducted a focused review of elementary education in March 2002. The 1999 Nevada Legislature signaled its approval for baccalaureate programs at GBC by appropriating $1.56 million for two programs. Similar to the Nursing Program and technology programs, Elementary Education was promoted because employing school districts were routinely going out of state to hire teachers who would be comfortable living and working in small towns, some distance from population centers. (Exhibit 2.24, Focused Self-study Upper-division Coursework: Elementary Education Program)

Since its inception, the GBC Teacher Education Program has made steady progress, with the first graduating class in May 2001 consisting of 15 students. A total of 50 students have graduated from the program through December 2002. An additional five post-baccalaureate students have completed certification requirements. Approximately 25 students are expected to graduate in May 2003. During the last four semesters the number of applications and of students admitted to the program per semester have remained constant.

Faculty. The three full-time faculty in the Education Department for 2002-2003 are listed below.

FACULTY

See Exhibit 2.25 for list of adjunct instructors, 1999-2003. Adjunct instructors holding less than a masters degree are school district cooperating teachers or lead teachers. The full-time faculty works closely with adjunct instructors and district building teachers and administrators.

The Teacher Education Committee, made up of faculty from all major departments as well as school district representation, continues to govern the program, developing policies, making decisions on student admissions, and advising students.

Students. Currently, there are 70 active students in the program and 17 inactive students. The latter are students who have been admitted to the program, but who have not taken a class in the last two semesters. Since the beginning of the Teacher Education Program, approximately 50 percent of the admitted students have been non-traditional students, and the other 50 percent have been students coming directly from high school, with approximately 80 percent of all students being females. Of the first graduating class, six students found full-time employment as teachers in their local area (Battle Mountain, Elko, and Lovelock). All graduating students who have been willing to relocate out of their local area, approximately ten of them, all have found full-time employment as teachers. Of the rest of the graduating students unwilling to leave their local area (Elko, Ely, or Winnemucca), most are working as substitute teachers.

Resources. Currently the Teacher Education Program shares a multi-use room in the High Tech Center with the Northern Nevada Professional Development Program, one of four state-funded,
innovative in-service centers in Nevada for K-12 teachers. There is a growing professional library and plans for development of a curriculum library for GBC’s teacher education program. The room also serves as a classroom for the the program’s lead teachers.

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES
• Field Experiences. Cooperation with the local school districts of GBC’s 45,000 square mile service area where field experiences take place has increased significantly. As of the beginning of Fall 2002 Semester, a full-time faculty member has been hired at the Elko campus to fill the position of Field Experience Mentor.

• Electronic Portfolio. Great Basin College’s 21st Century Portfolio, also called the Multi-Media Digital Portfolio (MMDP), takes the portfolio concept into the electronic age. The portfolios major emphasis has become the demonstration of competency in the INTASC principles. But it may also be used as a visual multimedia resume, a cumulative documentation of student work, and a collection of powerful classroom video.

• The use of the electronic portfolio not only provides exposure for future job placement, but more importantly, allows an individual to both highlight and give multimedia examples of his or her expertise in various teaching areas. The 21st Century Resume brings together curriculum, instruction and assessment providing evaluation of student’s learning, achievements, and attitudes that are consistent with program goals, curricula, and instructional methods.

• Making electronic portfolios ?happen” is a matter of determination, technological sophistication, time, and energy. Students are exposed to the electronic portfolio concept in EDUC 201 and begin gathering selective and purposeful collections of their work, then actively compile the portfolio in the capstone course during student teaching.

The College is considering further guidelines regarding the main purpose of the portfolio-showcase, formative evaluation, technological skill development, or all of the above. Consideration is also being given to require an electronic portfolio for all baccalaureate degree candidates.

• The Early Childhood Education Department moved from the Social Sciences Department to the Education Department.

Analysis
A lot of time and effort has been invested by GBC staff and personnel, full time and adjunct, in presenting course offerings to accommodate the first two generations of graduating students, who had very dissimilar educational backgrounds. For example, classes that originally were scheduled to be offered only during a certain semester, have been offered during both semesters, breaking up carefully established sequences. Likewise, the Teacher Education Committee (TEC) has spent a good deal of time with adhoc requests of aspiring and admitted students, requests that were never originally anticipated. Although these requests have been time-consuming and sometimes seemed to be inconsistent, the policies in this new program are developed, and admission into the program has become more standardized and aligned with the original program guidelines.

The original goal of the program to offer very individualized and excellent instruction has been achieved. Some classes have been offered despite low enrollment. Although this has had an adverse impact on the Teacher Education Program’s FTE, such low enrollment has allowed high quality interaction between faculty and students, particularly in the seminars and methods classes where this interaction is indispensable. Even as the program matures, though, the classes are likely to remain relatively small with the resultant interaction and attention to individual students.

The biggest challenge thus far has been and still is, to instill in students the notion that a baccalaureate degree program is more than just an AA or AS program with a couple of extra years of coursework; it is essentially a different and more rigorous way to study and learn, more intensive, and more intellectually challenging.

STRENGTHS
• Individualized, excellent instruction with small classes.
• An active, informed, and committed Teacher Education Committee.
• Excellent cooperation from the area’s school districts.
• Strong adjunct faculty with good support for them.

CHALLENGES
• Instilling in students the notion of rigor and intellectual challenge of a baccalaureate program.
• Distance, serving teacher candidates in communities outside of Elko.

RECOMMENDATIONS/ACTION ITEMS
• To implement a secondary teacher education program in cooperation with other major academic departments of GBC, such as social sciences, English, mathematics, science, and occupational/technical education.