Deans for Impact Fellowship
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — The leader of Tarleton State University’s College of Education has been named an Impact Academy fellow, joining a cohort of national leaders committed to strengthening educator preparation.
Dean Jordan Barkley will participate in the yearlong fellowship, which is a venture of Deans for Impact, a national nonprofit organization that aims to improve student learning by changing the way the country prepares educators.
“I’m honored to be part of a network of other education deans who share my desire to continue improving teacher preparation through influencing and improving policy, using data to support improvement and creating rigorous experiences for all teacher-candidates,” Dr. Barkley said. “I believe the Impact Academy fellowship will support me in achieving my goal of preparing future teachers who can meet the needs of all learners.”
Many universities report declining interest among faculty in administrative positions, even as the role of dean grows more complex and important, Deans for Impact asserts on its website. To improve educator preparation, the field needs leaders who can motivate faculty and support individual and organizational learning. Impact Academy aims to fill this gap by empowering a new generation of leaders with the skills, knowledge and strategies they need to solve complicated problems.
Barkley is one of 13 educators selected for the fellowship following a rigorous nomination and application process. This is the third cohort of fellows selected since the program launched in summer 2016.
“We believe that transformative leadership is the cornerstone of an educator-preparation program that embraces an improvement mentality and prioritizes candidate learning above all else,” said Benjamin Riley, founder and executive director of Deans for Impact. “We’re thrilled to welcome 13 such leaders into the Impact Academy fellowship, and we are excited to nurture and support these leaders as they embark on efforts to improve their own educator-preparation programs and the field more broadly.”
The fellowship combines intensive in-person sessions with ongoing support, mentoring and individual learning. Fellows will kick off the year with a four-day academy next month, then extend their learning throughout the year with individual modules and ongoing leadership coaching from Deans for Impact members.
Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven educational experience, marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. Offering degree programs in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian and online to more than 13,000 students, Tarleton engages with communities through real-world learning experiences to address societal needs while maintaining its core values of integrity, leadership, tradition, civility, excellence and service.
#
Contact: Sarah Bahari, News & Information Specialist
817-946-8789
[email protected]
