2015-75

Arizona State University
University Senate
Spring 2015

Senate Motion #2015-75

Motion Introduced by: Curriculum and Academic Programs Committee, Kathleen Puckett, Chair

Date of First Reading: April 20, 2015

Date of Second Reading: August 31, 2015

Title of Motion: Request from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences – School of Life Sciences – for the establishment of a graduate certificate – Scientific Teaching in Higher Education

Action Requested: This curricular proposal has received all college, school, unit and university administrative approvals, and is being presented to the Senate for review and voting decision.   

Rationale: The graduate certificate in scientific teaching in higher education is designed to provide graduate students with a more sophisticated understanding of teaching and education research in the context of college-level science classrooms, which hopefully will empower them to become agents of change as we strive towards undergraduate science education reform.

Despite the many educational programs Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College has to offer, they do not currently offer a program supporting science teaching in higher education. Hence this is a unique opportunity for the two schools to pool their resources and expertise to promote high quality teaching for the next generation science educators in higher education.

The certificate prepares graduate students pursuing degrees with the skills and knowledge needed to implement and evaluate evidence-based teaching at the college level. The program consists of three major components: (a) teaching experience, including use of evidence-based teaching, (b) coursework in teaching and education, and (c) a culminating experience related to significant teaching, curriculum development, or discipline-based education research focused on undergraduate science education under the guidance of a faculty member.