DEPARTMENTAL NEWS

This year, the Department has been busy recruiting students from all over the nation. The Department boasts its students from all over the country including these states: NC, NY, IL, KS, TX, NM, NJ, PA, CA, AZ, IA, CO, FL, WA and IN. We think individuals from other areas adds a lot to the curriculum and so many of these bright individuals end up loving NM and staying here! It was a busy year for accreditation and two programs were given a clean bill of health. The Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology was re-accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the M.A. in Counseling and Guidance with an emphasis in mental health was approved by the American Counseling Association (ACA). A post-doctorate program will now be offered through the Department in Pharmacology. Not only is this programming the first in the state of NM, but it's the only one of its kind in the United States. This program offers professional development courses for psychopharmacology, where psychologists will gain privileges in prescribing prescription drugs. Development for this curriculum is well under-way.

Educational Management and Development

One of the biggest projects this year for the Department of Educational Management and Development is the establishment of the Center for Border Superintendency. Some of the goals and objectives of this dream are:

• to develop a distance education doctoral program in educational administration with a focus on the Superintendency and the educational needs of the US-Mexico border region,
• to recruit students into the distance education degree program that are committed to improve education through effective leadership in the U.S.-Mexico border region,
• to provide professional development to U.S. border superintendents and Mexican policy makers on the educational needs of the U.S.-Mexico border region,
• to serve as a permanent resource to U.S. and Mexican policy makers on the educational needs of the U.S.-Mexico border region, and
• to establish a network of U.S. border superintendents and Mexican border administrators to collaborate as a means to improve education in the U.S.-Mexico border region.

In September 2001 the department was authorized to initiate the Community College Leadership Doctoral Program (CCLDP). The Mission of the CCLDP is to prepare effective community college leaders who will make a positive difference in the lives of New Mexicans. CCLDP is a three-year distance education program in community college administration that uses live instructional television, Web Course Tools, and site visits to provide a graduate education at the Doctoral (Ed. D.) level. The program was designed to meet the needs of full-time community college educators and administrators. There are 52 doctoral students currently working on their dissertations and will defend in 2004.

Curriculum and Instruction

It's been a busy year for all programs in this Department. The Educational Learning Technology doctoralcohorts have been busier than ever. After visiting campus this past summer, the distance learning students will be ready to graduate in May. Our schools all over NM will benefit greatly from having these experts around.

The Children's Village has opened and is already hosting about 50 children. This state of the art facility has also begun to serve as a lab school for our Early Childhood Education students and is slated to continue growing at a rapid rate. We're still looking for your help to support this initiative and we thank all the individuals who have done so much already.

Physical Education, Recreation and Dance

Big news for the Athletic Training Education (ATE) Program in the PERD Department! Thanks to an initiative of many on campus, the ATE Program will be moving to the Fulton Athletics Center next spring. The Center is located south of Aggie Stadium and will serve as a headquarters for many Athletic-oriented programs on campus. Practicum laboratories and state of the art equipment will grace this Center and our program will only get better!

The Dance Program continues to grow in numbers and their performances reflect their excellence. Faculty from the Program is actively involved in the inception of a Performing Arts Center on campus. This initiate would allow for art programs on campus and in the community to have a communal and quality place to perform.

The Department hired three new faculties this year, which puts them at full capacity. Hiring these individuals gives the Department a new edge in expertise in the areas of pedagogy, exercise science and adapted physical education.

Special Education/Communication Disorders

This year, the Communication Disorders program successfully renewed their ASHA (American Speech and Hearing Association) accreditation. It's the programs 40th anniversary, so what a great birthday gift. Contact the department for more anniversary celebrations!

Led by Project COLAB, the Department created the first Alternative Licensure program in the state in the area of special education. This program is available 100% online and is meeting the needs for unlicensed teachers throughout the state. There are already over 100 students in the program. In collaboration with the UNM Center for Development and Disability, the Department conducted four national trainings over the past year with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Office of Indian Education Programs. These sessions trained over 300 special educators and parents of children with needs on inclusive services and getting parents more involved with their children's education programming. This initiative has been sustained and will continue to benefit educators and children nationwide.