Element B

6b.1. What is the budget available to support programs preparing candidates to meet standards? How does the unit’s budget compare to budgets of other units with clinical components on campus or similar units at other institutions?

The university is primarily funded by student tuition. However, it does receive support for the operating budget through annual contributions from alumni, faculty and staff, friends of the university, businesses and corporations, foundations and grant sources. Additional contributions are received to support capital expenditures such as special projects, construction/ renovation and endowment.
As seen in Tables (tables are confidential and will be available to the team during the onsite visit) entitled:Budgetary Allocation for Programs with Field/Clinical Components and Budgetary Allocation Per Candidate, the budget for the unit is sufficient to support the preparation of candidates at the baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate programs. Other departments and schools with clinical components include social work, nursing, and other health related fields.

6b.2. How adequately does the budget support all programs for the preparation of educators?  What changes to the budget over the past few years have affected the quality of the programs offered?

The department is adequately supported and there have been no budgetary changes or modifications that have affected the quality of the programs. Program assessment data addressed in Standards 1 and 2 indicate positive outcomes for all years analyzed. Although faculty development funds were frozen in December 2008, four faculty members were able to attend professional development conferences. Full professional development funding was reinstated for the 2009-2010 academic year at approximately $7,000 for faculty teaching in the unit’s NCATE-accredited programs.
The budgets for the Department of Education and the Department of Psychology and Counseling have remained stable for the academic years 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009.  As noted in Tables discussed in 6b1, repercussions from the 2008 worldwide economic reversal, administration reduced the unit’s budgetary allocation by 15%.