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PROPOSAL | PFCF STEERING COMMETTEE | NCA's PFF GENERAL INTRODUCTION | OTHER RECIPIENTS OF PFF GRANTS IN COMMUNICATION Teaching and Learning Center's PFF PRESENTATION | PFCF-PRESENTATION PFCF PROPOSALTeaching in the Multicultural Classroom of the 21st Century Introduction and BackgroundIn 1993 the University
of Kentucky received its first PFF grant, supported by the Association
of American Colleges and Universities and Charitable Trusts, which
was followed by a Phase II grant four years later. The University
and our graduate program in communication have been strongly committed
to the principles of the Preparing Future Faculty initiative. As the
enclosed brochure indicates, UK is one of only 15 research universities
provided such funding to develop clusters of courses conferences,
workshops, research initiatives and collaborations with sister institutions.
These efforts have been administered and coordinated primarily through
the university's Teaching and Learning Center. Our graduate
program in communication has maintained close ties with the Teaching
Learning Center, and Professor Jan Schach, Director of the Center,
has agreed to commit a minimum of five percent of the time of a new
Graduate Student Development Research Associate to our proposed PFF
project for the next three years. This is a major commitment
of the equivalent of more than 100 hours annually for expert assistance
in developing, creating, executing and evaluating the project.
Now we are hoping to extend this general PFF connection to a very
special element focusing on the communication discipline specifically.
Goals of the ProgramThe
Graduate Program in Communication at the University of Kentucky is an interdepartmental
program, drawing faculty and students from a variety of communication perspectives,
including interpersonal communication, mass communication, journalism,
telecommunications, health communication, media law and public policy.
Graduates from the doctoral program, most of whom become professors, are
generally expected to teach across the disciplines because they typically
join regional public universities and smaller private colleges and universities
where communication is often integrated with journalism, mass communication
and other areas within the discipline
Of
the approximately 65-70 students enrolled in our Ph.D. program each year,
typically at least half serve as teaching or research assistants.
All new teaching assistants participate in a week-long orientation and
training session conducted by the Teaching and Learning Center.
In
addition to the university-wide program, we have intensive orientation
work prior to the start of the fall semester and continuing throughout
the year with weekly staff meetings for those teaching our interpersonal
communication and public speaking courses. In addition we have the
CJT 684 Instructional Communication course available as part of the graduate
program which provides a communication discipline-specific focus.
Now
we would like to add more to provide all of our graduate students, but
especially those who will be going into academic settings, a better understanding
of the multicultural world they will likely face. Hence, we are proposing
here two courses that will allow us to go beyond the bounds of that one
graduate course and would address those multicultural concerns provide
our students with access to a variety of teaching experiences in institutions
with missions different from our Research I focus. This proposal
is to provide funds to develop those courses.
Rationale for ApproachThe
specific goals of the program are to (1) adapt and expand current PFF initiatives
of the university to include a program specifically within the communication
discipline and (2) create a series of opportunities for new connections
for our doctoral students with the partner institutions. Curriculum for
two courses would be designed to focus on (1) the value of diversity in
the multicultural classroom of the 21st Century and (2) student involvement
in a teaching practicum with a partner institution or other approved institution
or organization within our immediate geographic area. The first course
focusing on the multicultural classroom would include a series of interactions
with a variety of individuals with international and intercultural expertise
and connections from major organizations in the area such as Lexmark, Toyota
and the UK Appalachian Center.
Proposed ActivitiesDuring
the first year, the primary activities would involve planning and developing
the curriculum for the two courses through consultation with the partner
institutions and international and minority students (both at the graduate
and undergraduate level). The University of Kentucky Teaching
and Learning Center would also be extensively involved, primarily through
consultation with the Center's new Graduate Student Development Research
Associate. A half-time teaching assistant (ten hours per week) would
assist the steering committee in designing, coordinating and implementing
the proposed project, including arranging meetings, writing newsletters,
corresponding with participants and bringing in other graduate faculty
and students in the project.
Our
goal would be to have the two courses developed and approved by the graduate
faculty and the University by the end of the 2000-2001 academic year.
There would be at least one all-day meeting of the steering committee with
representatives of the partner institutions that would be conducted face-to-face
or via video conferencing. This meeting would occur in mid-January
2001, approximately six months after the working conference in Colorado
Springs.
The courses would be offered
for the first time during the 2001-2002 academic year. They
would likely begin in spring 2002 and would be available to
all new doctoral students entering the program in fall 2001.
The first course would feature readings and discussions on a variety
of topics concerning diversity in the multicultural classroom such
as (a) dealing with differences in ethnicity, race, culture and subcultures
in the classroom and (b) instructional strategies incorporating simulations,
new media technologies, etc. to communicate across cultures and international
boundaries. This would include interactions with resource persons
at sister institutions and with international teaching assistants
at the University. Each student would be expected to complete a project
on a specific issue related to diversity in the classroom.
In
the second course (practicum) students would be assigned to one of the
partner of sister institutions or other institution approved by consensus
of the steering committee. The practicum experience would center
around the student's full involvement in the teaching experience at the
participating institution. The student would need a faculty mentor
at the institution and in addition to completing their teaching responsibilities
they would participate in other faculty activity (faculty meetings, committee
meetings, etc.) as deemed appropriate by the practicum director.
As much as possible we hope to emphasize the multicultural experience.
The purpose of the entire practicum experience is to prepare the doctoral
student to become more fully prepared to deal with institutions with different
missions, with different student populations, and with diverse element
throughout. Murray State University is a regional comprehensive university,
the University for Peace offers a Latin American perspective, Coventry
University offers a European perspective and Lexington Community College
is a separate two-year institution connected to the University of Kentucky.
Evaluation ProcessesThree types of assessment
will be conducted during the two-year period. One, a longitudinal
assessment to evaluate affective, cognitive and behavioral growth
in course participants. Two, a pre-test, post-test design will
be incorporated to determine pre-existing knowledge of diversity,
diversity in the classroom and communication competence, for effective
instruction. Three a curricular assessment, well be conducted
by the partner institutions in cooperation with the Teaching and Learning
Center. This evaluation will be used to revise curricular, which
is necessary to assure the long-term success of the program.
SustainabilityWe
will be utilizing the PFF connection here on campus, through the Teaching
and Learning Center in its university-wide effort. We will continue
to connect to those institutions currently participating in the present
PFF Practicum effort at the University of Kentucky--Asbury College, Center
College, Eastern Kentucky University, Georgetown College, Kentucky State
University, Lexington Community College and Transylvania University in
order to provide possible practicum experiences. In addition we may
be able to work our practicum experiences with our partner institutions
in the University for Peace and Coventry.
A host of international
resources are also available on our university campus: The Patterson
School of Diplomacy, the Office of International Affairs, and a wide
variety of other organizations with international and intercultural
expertise. Lexington, Kentucky, is in a unique geographical
position to also connect to Appalachian culture through the Appalachian
Studies Program at the Appalachian Center and through the numerous
colleges and universities in the Appalachian region.
In
addition, we hope to make effective use of our connections with international
firms such as Toyota and Lexmark, which offer a broader access to cultural
and international diversity. We see these ties as important, both
in terms of teaching in nontraditional classroom settings and in terms
of contacts with the international community at large.
We
hope that our proposed program would appeal to all of our doctoral students
and likely many M.A. students. Because of the strong commitments
of the University and the partner institutions, the long-term success of
the program is assured. Our doctoral program has a record of commitment
to diversity, as witnessed by the fact that we have one of the largest
enrollments of minority students, especially African-Americans, of the
Ph.D. programs at the university. However, there is clearly
room for improvement in dealing with the multicultural classroom of the
21st century, especially in preparing students for future roles as faculty
members. This proposed project would go a long way toward ensuring that
this need is met by providing our students with training and direct experience
in sister institutions or other settings that allow for exposure to diversity.
We expect the relationships between our program and the partner universities
to result in a long-term, successful effort to teach future faculty the
high value of diversity in the classroom. With the continuing growth
of Hispanic, Asian-American and other minority populations in the U.S.
and in the state, it is particularly important that our doctoral students
be prepared to teach in multicultural settings. Multicultural classrooms
of the future will likely include people from diverse backgrounds interacting
to form a new culture that capitalizes on each culture represented.
Such classrooms will be particularly prevalent outside of the traditional
Research I institutions.
Plans for Dissemination of Program Outcomes to Other NCA MembersInformation
about the progress of the project will be disseminated in a variety of
ways, including:
Presentations
at teaching sessions at national conferences such as those of NCA, the
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the International
Communication Association and other regional and state organizations by
students and faculty. Our program bas been represented well each
year at these conferences.
Presentations
at colloquia and workshops sponsored by the university Teaching and Learning
Center
Articles
in our semiannual Graduate Newsletter distributed to current student and
faculty members in the program, alumni and prospective students
New
items in other publications, including Communi-K and the Teaching and Learning
Center Newsletter, sent to all faculty and staff at the university.
Presentations
and discussions in other appropriate venues.
THE MEMBERS OF THE PFCF STEERING COMMITTEEThe members of the Steering Committee are: Dr. Roy
L. Moore (CO-CHAIR)
University
of Kentucky
Department
of Communication
email: moore@pop.uky.edu
Home-page
Dr. Enid
Waldhart (CO-CHAIR)
University
of Kentucky
Department
of Communication
email: waldhart@pop.uky.edu
Home-page
Dr. Ramona R. Rush University
of Kentucky
Department
of Communication
email: rrrush@pop.uky.edu
Home-page
Dr. Derek Lane University
of Kentucky
Department
of Communication
email: drlane@pop.uky.edu
Home-page
Dr. James Hertog University
of Kentucky
Department
of Communication
email: jhertog@pop.uky.edu
Home-page
Ms. Vicki Wilson Kentucky Community
College
email: vkwils00@pop.uky.edu
Home-page
Ms. Donna Wills University
of Kentucky
Department
of Communication
email: dmwill2@pop.uky.edu
Home-page
Mr. Fred Fitch University
of Kentucky
Department
of Communication
email: fefitc2@pop.uky.edu
Home-page
Mr. Davide Girardelli University
of Kentucky
email: dgira1@pop.uky.edu
Home-page
NCA's PFF GENERAL INTRODUCTIONPreparing Future Faculty in
the Communication Discipline Communication and PFF The Communication Project Howard
University 1. A quasi urban community college
with a white rural population and a significant number of black
and latino students; The Howard PFF program is led
by Melbourne Cummings. The partnering institutions include Bowie
State University, Catholic University, George Mason University,
and Prince George’s County Community College. The program
has also the strong support of Orlando Taylor, Dean of Graduate
Studies at Howard. Indiana
University 1. A foundational pedagogy course
for first-semester TAs; To receive the certificate, PFF
students must pass a one-hour exam in pedagogy, added to their
regular doctoral qualifying examination. Participating students
also have the opportunity to expand their understanding of the
teaching and learning environment at institutions that differ
significantly from IU-Bloomington’s. Faculty from partner
Institutions visit Bloomington (and/or participate in teleconferences)
as part of an annual pedagogy conference. In addition, graduate
students make site visits to partner institutions, where they
shadow partner faculty mentors, visit classrooms, and occasionally
give guest lectures and teach classes. Finally, some of the PFF
graduate students compete for Future Faculty Teaching Fellowships,
which give them the opportunity to teach at one of IU’s sister
campuses for one semester or one year. University of Kentucky University
of New Mexico PFF’s Future in Communication
According to Judith Trent, "PFF holds our greatest hope for transforming future faculty and, as result, transforming the academy" FOR MORE INFORMATION http://www.natcom.org/Instruction/PFF/home.htm http://www.natcom.org/Instruction/pff/relatedwebsites.htm OTHER RECIPIENTS OF PFF GRANTS IN COMMUNICATIONUniversity of Indiana in Bloomington PFCF Bulletin Board | About PFCF/PFF | PFCF Syllabus | Experiences | Partner Universities | PFCF Newsletter | PFCF Resources |
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