Teacher Education Governance and Administrative Chart

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Last updated: Feb 09, 2023 by Yvonne Martin

Committee on Teacher Education

The Committee on Teacher Education (COTE) is an interdisciplinary advisory and policy-making council consisting of stakeholders who coordinate the total educator preparation program (EPP) of the institution. COTE meets four times a year, twice each semester. It consists of one representative from each of the licensure content areas (biology/chemistry, English/foreign language, history and social science, math/computer science, music, physical education, visual arts), a representative from graduate teacher education-Harrisonburg & Lancaster, field placement coordinator, elementary/early childhood education faculty, special education faculty, secondary education faculty, three representatives from area public and private schools, two undergraduate candidates (6-12/PreK-12 and PreK-3/PreK-6/SPED), and one graduate candidate. The Undergraduate Teacher Education Program Director and the Director of Graduate Teacher Education serve as co-chairs. To maintain communication between the teacher education program and the core curriculum, the Director of EMU’s Core Curriculum holds a liaison role.  COTE stakeholders systematically provide feedback and input into program evaluation, improvement, and decision-making activities.


The committee is supported by three subcommittees: the Teacher Education Admissions Committee (TEAC), the Assessment Committee (AC), and the Graduate Education and Action Research Committee (GEAR). These subcommittees evaluate policy on a systematic basis and make recommendations to COTE.

Teacher Education Admissions Committee

Screens Licensure Candidates

The Teacher Education Admissions Committee (TEAC) is composed of six persons, four of whom are elected from the Committee on Teacher Education, with the Director of Undergraduate Teacher Education serving as chair and ex-officio member. By virtue of the position, the field placement coordinator is automatically appointed to the committee. The function of the Teacher Education Admissions Committee is to admit applicants to undergraduate teacher education and student teaching on the basis of program criteria. TEAC also processes applications for Graduate Teacher Education candidates pursuing initial licensure.

TEAC usually meets six times a year to process candidates (October, December, March, May, July, and August.) Admission criteria for undergraduate programs are outlined in this handbook. Admission criteria for the graduate teacher education program are outlined in the graduate teacher education handbook. Students are invited to meet with academic advisors in their respective programs and their advisors within the teacher education program if their application is below criteria standards or if they wish to appeal a decision of TEAC.

Non-licensure graduate candidates: The Director of Graduate Teacher Education in Harrisonburg and the Director of Graduate Teacher Education in Lancaster collaboratively verify that applicants to the Graduate Teacher Education program and M.A. candidacy meet program criteria.

Assessment Committee

Monitors the Assessment System

The Assessment Committee is charged with coordinating the development, implementation, and ongoing review of the Quality Assurance System (QAS). The Assessment Committee ensures that the EPP collects and analyzes data in a manner that ensures the data are used to improve candidates, programs, and the EPP. The Assessment Committee ensures that the QAS is aligned with the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) standards and creates proposals for revisions of the system. COTE approves policy revisions of the QAS.

Membership is composed of the Assessment Coordinator(s), a representative from the Institutional Research Office, the Director of Undergraduate Teacher Education, the Director of Graduate Teacher  Education, one representative from the teacher education program, and consultation with the COTE P-12 representatives as needed. The chair of the Assessment Committee is the Assessment Coordinator of the Educator Preparation Provider (EPP), as an appointed position with program load hours assigned.

Working Assumptions and Principles

  1. Evaluation measures assess candidate performance and EPP operations/effectiveness.
  2. Candidate assessments measure knowledge, skills and dispositions according to curricula and appropriate standards.
  3. Candidate performance is measured through multiple assessments and at regular intervals, matching the candidate transition points.
  4. Assessments are consistent with national, state, and EPP standards, best practice, and research.
  5. Communication concerning the assessment processes is regular and transparent.
  6. EPP members work collaboratively with the Assessment Committee to further articulate, implement and review assessments consistent with the EPP Outcomes, the Specialty Professional Association Outcomes (if applicable) and university, state and national standards.

Roles and Processes

  1. QAS Maintenance and Revision: The committee is responsible for maintaining a QAS that is effective and in alignment with CAEP standards. The Committee may review suggestions for improvement of the system from anywhere within the EPP, and may also receive feedback on such proposals from anywhere within the unit. The Assessment Committee references policy proposals with the teacher education program for information and discussion prior to presentation to COTE for approval. Final proposals for revising the QAS are drafted by the Assessment Committee; such proposals are considered to be a change in policy and, therefore, require the approval of COTE.
  2. Oversight of the QAS: The Assessment Coordinator, in conjunction with members of the Assessment Committee, provides each level of the EPP with notification of the assessment cycle, assessment instrument(s) to be used, and reporting procedures for the use of data to make decisions. The coordinator/committee provides the appropriate mechanisms for storage and recording of the use of data for decision-making purposes. The Coordinator/Committee may also review data usage reports for trends that may affect the EPP, and/or to determine if data should be shared for further analysis across parts of the EPP. Final responsibility for ensuring that members of the EPP carry out their responsibilities within the QAS rests with the Director of Undergraduate Teacher Education and the Director of Graduate Teacher Education, as a supervisory function.

Graduate Education and Action Research Committee

The Graduate Education and Action Research (GEAR) Committee manages, assesses and makes policy recommendations regarding the culminating action research process of the Graduate Teacher Education program. In addition, this committee advises the graduate program on items under consideration. Recommendations are forwarded to the Teacher Education program and to the Committee on Teacher Education. The Director of Graduate Teacher Education in Harrisonburg and the Director of Graduate Teacher Education in Lancaster co-chair the committee serving as ex-officio members. Two EMU tenure-track education faculty and one Lancaster action research mentor will serve two-year terms. The remaining three members are appointed by COTE for a two-year term and may include program graduates, school representatives, and action research mentors. The committee meets several times a year and serves the additional purposes of evaluating and updating "A Guide to Action Research Project."

Ad Hoc Advisory Groups

Provide Program Guidance

Ad Hoc Advisory Groups are formed for each undergraduate and graduate program area for purposes of program consultation, revision, and evaluation. Advisory groups are formed by program coordinators when major curriculum or program revisions are contemplated or when input from P-12 stakeholders would be beneficial for program improvement. The Advisory Groups consist of 5-6 teachers and administrators from area schools who are selected for their expertise. Coordinators are responsible for convening and setting the agenda for their respective advisory group. Feedback from advisory groups is shared as part of program evaluation.