College of Education Looking to the Future: Visioning Conference Formulates Goals

With news of budget cuts at all levels of education, reports that student success in California lags behind other states, and achievement gaps along racial lines continue to widen — coupled with pressure at all levels to teach to the test — the future of education might seem grim.

But by the end of a two-and-a-half day futures planning conference for the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) College of Education (COE), which took place before the start of spring semester, a sense of hope filled the room — at least as it relates to how CSUDH COE prepares future educators.

The College of Education came together with faculty and staff from other colleges on campus and representatives from area universities, community colleges, local school districts, educational organizations, and community stakeholders for COE 2015: Raising Voices, Thinking Boldly, Taking Action.

“I must admit that my knowledge of CSUDH was very limited (before the conference),” said Whit Hayslip, director of infant and preschool special education program at Los Angeles Unified School District. “I have learned a great deal about (the COE) and most importantly about exciting opportunities for collaboration with my program.”

The main aim of the COE 2015 — facilitated by Nancy Aronson, Ph.D. and Rosemarie Barbeau of Future Search, a national future planning company — was to lay the foundation for what direction the college would go in the next five to seven years. Through small and large group activities that explored attendees’ shared histories — of the world, the community, the university, and their own lives — and factors shaping the citizen in the 21st century, major themes came into view that helped synthesize key focus areas the college should incorporate into future planning.

Those key focus areas included deepening community ties and collaboration efforts; building professional collegiality and engagement; improving and integrating technology in the college and the curriculum; creating a comprehensive approach to school partnerships; and strengthening the college’s infrastructure needs.

Beyond simply establishing these broad goals, the assembled group also began to brainstorm and identify actionable, concrete tasks to achieve each one, from working with corporate sponsors to enhance infrastructure and technological needs to convening symposia on a regular basis to share research between faculty and education professionals in the school districts.

“I think that this conference is a good beginning in moving the COE forward,” commented participant Gricelda Espinoza, a College of Education graduate who is now a self study coordinator at Banning High School. “I think that if the COE continues to follow through with the findings from this conference, its reputation will continue to draw strong candidates.”

Futures planning sessions like this have produced results for other colleges of education. The University of Southern California Rossier School of Education went through a similar workshop in 2001, and today the school has a new organizational structure and completely revised academic programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Rossier School Dean Karen Gallagher, who attended the COE conference, said the conference really galvanized the school.

COE Dean Lynne Cook is convinced the energy generated from COE 2015: Raising Voices, Thinking Boldly, Taking Action will have a significant impact in the college. Cook was enthusiastic about what came out of the intense two-plus days and encouraged by the commitment the faculty and each stakeholder group exhibited, particularly with the considerable investment from community leaders.

“From the beginning of our planning for this event, I was committed to ‘hearing all voices’ as we considered our future mission,” Cook said. “I greatly respect and admire the talents and commitments of our faculty. In these three days we all learned how better to channel those assets and form true partnerships with local schools, agencies and community leaders. The community members added so much to our thinking, and together we dreamed about an actionable shared future.”

Community participant Gene Fisher, president of Watts Learning Center, a K-5 charter school in inner city Los Angeles, said he appreciated being asked to attend and felt that important first steps have now been taken that will lead the college into the future. He and other community leaders pledged to help the COE cultivate their shared goals

“A seed has been planted. Now it matters how you nurture it,” Fisher said.

The College of Education faculty and staff have already begun that nurturing. They have met twice over the past month to further develop the ideas that came out of the conference. They will meet with their external partners again on March 11 to formulate and solidify action plans.

- Amy Bentley-Smith