Vision And Mission
Mission
The mission of the College of Education is to prepare effective teachers, counselors, diagnosticians and school administrators who successfully address the problems of schools and other youth-serving agencies, especially in communities with a significant Hispanic population.
Vision
The long-term vision of UTEP's College of Education is to expand interdisciplinary research to meet the compelling need for research linking teaching and learning to meet the critical challenges of education in the 21st century.
This vision includes strengthening the role of the College of Education in building collaborative relationships between the U.S. and Mexico to enhance current educational theory and practice.
Goals
- To serve as an exemplary model of innovative and effective culturally and linguistically responsive teaching and learning for the 21st century student demographic.
- To foster and provide support for excellence in scholarly research and provide support to secure external funding.
- To serve as a leader in collaborations with key educational stakeholders to foster human, educational and cultural development at local, regional, national and international levels.
- To exercise leadership that reflects our commitment to access and excellence, and that supports teaching, learning, scholarship and service.
Areas of Strategic Focus
1. Equity and Social Well-being
Address and advocate for key educational and human development issues in multiple contexts by understanding learning and social justice as comprised of linguistic, cultural, cognitive, mental health, and physical processes. Identify, develop, and implement innovative research-based frameworks and practices in education, leadership, policy, and counseling aimed at fostering equity, well-being, and social mobility for diverse learners.
2. Learning Environments
Promote the enrichment, analysis and creation of the environments and innovative pedagogical approaches that foster authentic learning and well-being by incorporating students’ diverse backgrounds, strengths and talents. Learning environments encompass the ever-changing social, political, economic, ecological and organizational contexts in which learning occurs.
3. Education and Human Development in Transnational and Diverse Contexts
Lead in research on education and human development in transnational communities. in order to inform and impact local, national and international educational institutions, policy, and practice. Transnational communities are made up of individuals, groups, and networks that establish and sustain social relations and practices that link together their two or more societies across geographic, cultural, and political borders. These communities are also enriched by individual and group diversity in terms of ethnicity, class, gender, ability (intellectual/physical), sexual orientation, age, language, and immigration status, among other multiple factors.
4. Bilingualism, Biliteracy, and Multiliteracies
Advance the national/international conversation on bilingual education by conducting and disseminating research on dual language education and biliteracy, with the goal of building on the richness of multilingual communities for learning. Bilingualism is the use of two or more languages and biliteracy is communication in two or more languages in and around writing, including, but not limited to, school-based biliteracy practices for diverse purposes in everyday life.
5. Innovative Digital Technologies and Practices
Research digital technologies in education and human development, in order to develop and apply innovative practices in response to evolving and changing technologies.
6. Leadership in Educational and Community Contexts
Develop and disseminate advanced knowledge in the field of leadership studies, including socially responsible and effective leadership practices, in local, regional and transnational contexts, in order to inform organizational change, policy, and advocacy leadership across PK-20 and community settings.
7. University, School, and Community Partnerships
Build collaborative university, schools and community partnerships to prepare highly effective culturally responsive professionals, to conduct mutually beneficial research, promote best practices and foster community engagement.