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Section 1. Overview of the University of Minnesota Duluth

  1. Characteristics of Institution and Unit Mission Statements
  2. UMD Administrative and Organizational Structure
  3. College of Education and Human Service Professions (CEHSP)
  4. The Unit for Professional Education - Department of Education
  1. State Approval of All UMD Teacher Education Programs
  2. Preparation Programs for Other P-12 School Personnel
  3. Composition of the Student Body
  4. American Indian Cohort Funded by Federal Grant
  5. Administrative Support for the Department of Education
  6. Programs Offered to Prepare Candidates for P-12 School

The University of Minnesota Duluth has its historic roots in teacher education. Founded in 1902 as the Duluth Normal School, the campus became the Duluth State Teacher's College in 1921. The Minnesota Legislature transferred the facilities of the Duluth State Teacher's College to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota July 1, 1947.

The University of Minnesota was established by an Act of the Legislative Assembly of the Minnesota Territory in February, 1851. The University of Minnesota is a land-grant university governed by a 12-member Board of Regents, which establishes University policies, controls expenditures, confers degrees, and approves all staff changes. The University of Minnesota System has four campuses: Twin Cities, Duluth, Morris, and Crookston. The Duluth campus is the largest of the coordinate campuses.

A. Characteristics of Institution and Unit

The University of Minnesota Duluth is located in Duluth at the western end of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. Duluth, a busy international port of 87,000 people, stretches nearly 25 miles along the headlands of the lake.

UMD Pictures include people and events at UMD, as well as live web cam video of the UMD Library entrance, progress on construction of the new Labovitz School of Business building and pictures of Lake Superior. The UMD service area in Northeastern Minnesota includes many rural areas, small towns, and three American Indian reservations (PDF format) for Ojibwe, Chippewa or Anishinabe people: Fond du Lac, Bois Forte/Nett Lake and Grand Portage.

Two community colleges are nearby: Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, about 20 miles south of Duluth, and Lake Superior Community College in Duluth. The College of St. Scholastica, a private college, is less than a mile from UMD. A coordinate campus of the University of Wisconsin is just across the bridge in Superior, Wisconsin.

In 1947, the newly-established Duluth Campus of the University of Minnesota (UMD) consisted of four buildings and two residences that served as classroom buildings located on an eleven-acre tract of land. There were 1,432 undergraduate students, 64 FTE faculty members, 59 civil service staff, and a library of approximately 33,000 volumes.

Considerable growth has occurred in the six decades since UMD was established. Today, UMD offers bachelor's degrees in seventy-five majors and graduate programs in twenty fields. It now occupies a 244-acre campus of more than 50 buildings, a few blocks from its original location. A campus map shows the unique design of interconnected buildings.

Recent construction at UMD includes the UMD Library and Weber Music Hall which both opened in 2000, and the James I. Swenson Science Building that opened in September 2005. Several new residence halls have also been built to accommodate the steady growth in student numbers at UMD since 2000. A 13 million dollar addition to the Sports and Health Center was recently completed. UMD held groundbreaking ceremonies in July 2006 for the $23 million Labovitz School of Business and Economics to be constructed on the campus. The state-of-the-art center for business education will be the first new public higher education building in the state of Minnesota to be a LEED certified "Green Building."

In Fall semester 2005, there were 8,923 undergraduate students and 719 graduate students, with 665 full-time professional and academic staff, 293 part-time academic staff, 877 FTE civil service employees, and a library of over 700,000 volumes, plus electronic access to resources too numerous to count (Campus Data Book, February, 2006)

UMD is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. Many programs at UMD have achieved accreditation in their professional fields as well. A list of the accrediting bodies is included in the UMD Catalog. The entire UMD Catalog may be viewed online. The online UMD Graduate Catalog includes information for the graduate programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Social Work.

Mission Statements

The UMD and University of Minnesota mission statements both emphasize the three areas of teaching, research and service.

The College of Education and Human Service Professions' mission statement is:

"The major purpose of the College of Education and Human Service Professions is to prepare students for careers in education and human service fields. To achieve this purpose we dedicate ourselves to the goal of excellence in learning, teaching, research, advising, and service, including fostering the professional development of students, faculty, and staff in those areas. The college strives to engage and empower students, faculty, and staff. Our mission is to serve students and develop their potential, preparing them to interact with diverse communities at home and around the world. Our motto, 'to serve families and develop human potential' keeps this mission before us" (http://www.d.umn.edu/cehsp/ ) .

The Department of Education mission statement follows:

"The mission of the Department of Education is to prepare learner-sensitive educators with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to contribute to a better society" ( http://www.d.umn.edu/educ/ ).

B. UMD Administrative and Organizational Structure

UMD was originally a single college, with academic divisions, and with most major units reporting directly to the provost. By the late 1960's, increasing size and complexity warranted a change in structure. Thus, in 1970, positions were established for three vice provosts: academic administration, business affairs, and student affairs. In 1974 six autonomous collegiate units were established, each headed by a dean. The titles of chancellor and vice chancellor were implemented beginning in 1985.

The UMD organizational chart illustrates administrative responsibilities for all units. Campus Administrators include:

The six UMD collegiate units are listed below with their respective undergraduate and graduate student enrollments for Fall, 2005 (UMD Campus Data Book, pg. 27).

Table 1. Enrollments in UMD Academic Units
Academic Unit
Undergraduate Students
Graduate/Professional Students
College of Education and Human Service Professions 2,123 284
College of Science and Engineering 2,250 183
College of Liberal Arts 2,068 62
School of Business and Economics 1,757 74
School of Fine Arts (Includes Art Education & Music Education) 651 17
School of Medicine 0 109
College of Pharmacy 0 103

C. College of Education and Human Service Professions (CEHSP)

Dean Paul Deputy, and Associate Deans Jackie Millslagle and Tom Peacock provide leadership in the College of Education and Human Service Professions, with the assistance of three support staff members. The Organizational Chart for CEHSP (Word format) illustrates administrative authority for all programs within the unit.

CEHSP includes five academic departments:

In addition, CEHSP includes these support units, which provide important services to the college and to the entire campus:

The following table shows the scope of the five academic departments in CEHSP. Most departments include undergraduate and graduate programs, except Social Work, which has a graduate program only. The Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) does not have a graduate program; however, faculty members in HPER provide leadership for a M.Ed. Program in Environmental Education in collaboration with the Department of Education.

Table 2. Enrollments in the Departments in CEHSP
Departments in CEHSP
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
Education 1,017* 144
Communication Sciences & Disorders 67 25
Health, Physical Education & Recreation 458 ---
Psychology 495 ---
Social Work --- 130


*The total of 1,017 includes all undergraduate students who have declared a major in the Department of Education. The number does not include the 110 education majors housed outside of CEHSP. Music Education majors (76) and Art Education majors (34) are counted in the School of Fine Arts (UMD Education Database, 10/4/06).

CEHSP has shown an overall increase of 1% in the number of students in the past five years (UMD Campus Data Book, pg. 14). There are only five units in the entire University of Minnesota system larger than CEHSP (UMD Campus Data Book, page 6).

D. The Unit for Professional Education - Department of Education

The unit for professional education at UMD is the Department of Education. It includes programs in early childhood, elementary, secondary and K-12 education, special education and graduate programs. Programs in the Department of Education include:

1. State Approval of All UMD Teacher Education Programs

In Minnesota, the state agency given authority to evaluate teacher preparation programs is the Board of Teaching (BOT). Two levels of review are conducted: one level is a review of the institution including its policies and resources, and the other level is a review of individual licensure requirements for each separate licensure program.

The institutional review is based on Standards for Institutional Program Approval for Teacher Preparation, which was revised in 1998-99 to mirror the proposed NCATE 2000 standards. All Minnesota Board of Teaching Standards for Institutional Program Approval for Teacher Preparation were found to be met during the last BOT on-site visit to UMD in October 1999. The approval letter from the Board of Teaching (Word format) is evidence of UMD's institutional approval through June 30, 2005. The Professional Education Program Evaluation Process was completed and submitted to the Minnesota Board of Teaching in September, 2006. Results have not been received as of this date.

The second level of review is at the level of individual teacher licensure programs. The web site, Minnesota rules for licensure, includes specific requirements for all teacher licensure areas.

Documentation for each teacher licensure program at UMD was submitted to the Board of Teaching in 1999-2000. A rigorous review process was used to assess each program against the new performance-based licensure requirements. All teacher licensure programs received approval from the Minnesota Board of Teaching. The chart of approved teacher preparation programs provides evidence of official approval of all UMD programs.

The Department of Education is responsible for all teacher education programs at UMD. Students cannot pursue a teacher education program without applying to and meeting the admission and exit requirements of the Department of Education. Thus, students pursuing majors in health education and physical education must apply to and meet the admission requirements of the Department of Education and the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Similarly, students in art education and music education must apply to and meet the requirements of both the Department of Education and the Department of Art and Design or the Department of Music, which are housed in the School of Fine Arts.

All education programs housed outside the Department of Education, in health, physical education, art, and music, are jointly planned and implemented through close collaboration with each of these departments. The Department of Education also works closely with the other content area departments for the secondary and K-12 education majors and for the academic minors required for elementary education, including English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics, Foreign Languages and Literatures, American Indian Studies, and the social studies areas, including Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

The Department of Education must verify that all requirements have been met before a candidate can be recommended for licensure. Then the Dean of the College of Education and Human Service Professions (or his designee) recommends candidates to the Minnesota Board of Teaching for teacher licensure. Dr. Jackie Millslagle, the Associate Dean, is currently the designated licensure officer for UMD.

The UMD Teacher Education Council (TEC) (Word format) provides the structure for collaboration between the Department of Education and faculty in the arts and sciences. This group includes representatives from all teacher education programs as well as arts and sciences faculty members. The Community Advisory Council for Teacher Education (CACTE) (Word format) is the structure for on-going collaboration with P-12 teachers and administrators. CACTE includes UMD teacher education representatives and P-12 representatives from early childhood through grade 12.

2. Preparation Programs for Other P-12 School Personnel

Programs at UMD to prepare other professionals for P-12 schools include:

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (M.A. degree) prepares educational speech-language pathologists for school and non-school settings.

Department of Social Work (MSW degree) prepares social workers for many settings, which could include P-12 schools.

Each of these programs has achieved accreditation in its own specialty field, including Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA).

Candidates who graduate from programs in Minnesota that have accreditation by CSWE or ASHA are eligible to receive an entrance license as a school social worker or educational speech-language pathologist, respectively. After service in a school setting for one year with an entrance license, they may apply for continuing licensure as a school social worker or educational speech-language pathologist. The site, Minnesota rules for licensure, includes licensure requirements for all professionals in P-12 schools.

3. Composition of the Student Body

The undergraduate students at UMD are for the most part traditional students who attend college immediately after high school. Fifty-four percent of the UMD students are under 21 years old, and another 34% are between 21 and 24 years of age. In CEHSP, 51 % are under 21 years old, and another 38 % are between 21 and 24 years old. (UMD Campus Data Book, February 2006, pg. 28 & 30).

4. American Indian Cohorts Funded by Federal Grant

A major diversity initiative is the establishment of collaborative cohorts for the preparation of American Indian teachers. Documentation of the serious need for Indian teachers and a unique approach to meeting this need resulted in a grant of $859,000 beginning in 2000 from the U. S. Department of Indian Education. This grant was awarded to UMD and the Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College. Since the initial 2000 cohort, another group of 9 American Indian teachers has completed the program. A new cohort will begin Spring 2007 as a result of another $1.5 million grant to the University of Minnesota Duluth and White Earth Tribal & Community College from the federal Department of Education, Office of Indian Education.

5. Administrative Support for the Department of Education

The importance of the Department of Education has been recognized and supported within the University. Recent indicators of this support include:

6. Programs Offered to Prepare Candidates for P-12 Schools

Table 3. Programs Offered to Prepare Candidates for P-12 Schools
Program Name
Award Level
(ITP = Initial)

(ADV = Advanced)

Candidates Currently Enrolled [accepted in program]
Pre. Admission but declared education major
Art Education BFA ITP 34 Pre admission
Unified Early Childhood Studies BAS ITP 52 67
Elementary Ed. BAS ITP 107 107
Health Education BAS ITP 41 53
Music Education (Instrumental/Vocal) BM ITP 76  
Physical Education BAS ITP 15 44
Teaching Communication Arts/Literature BAA ITP 19 61
Teaching Earth & Space Sciences BAS ITP 4 9
Teaching French BAA ITP 3 2
Teaching German BAA ITP 2  
Teaching Life Science BAS ITP 12 20
Teaching Math BAS ITP 17 38
Teaching Physical Sci.: Chemistry & Physics BAS ITP 6 10
Teaching Social Studies BAA ITP 47 97
Teaching Spanish BAA ITP 6 12
LICENSURE PROGRAMS
Early Childhood/ Special Education K-age 6 license ITP or Post Bac*

Numbers included in Unified Early Childhood above

Emotional/ Behavioral Disorders & Learning Disabilities K-12 license Post Bac* 13
ADVANCED PROGRAMS
Master of Education MEd ADV 120
Social Work MSW ADV 79
Speech - Language Pathologist MA ADV 19

* These numbers are students enrolled at UMD who have declared a major and are considered an education major but have not formally applied to the education program because they have not earned enough credits to apply or have not completed the required coursework for application. These individuals are not considered teacher candidates but this provides information about who will be making application to the program in the next two years.

** Post-baccalaureate candidates already hold baccalaureate degrees when they come to UMD to earn teacher licensure. They may be earning their initial teacher licensure (for instance, a person with a B.S. in Mathematics who plans to become a math teacher) or may be adding a second licensure area (an Elementary teacher adding Special Education licensure). Almost all of the Special Education candidates are post-baccalaureate candidates, and most are actually teaching on a provisional license while they complete the licensure program at UMD. Post-baccalaureate candidates are not enrolled in Master's degree programs.

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