University Statement on Affirmative Action
Georgia Southern University will not permit discrimination based on race, color, sex, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, physical, emotional, or mental handicap, and veterans status. Fair and equal treatment will be zealously accorded all applicants and employees. The University is committed to affirmative action as a means of promoting such equality.
This policy means that we actively recruit and provide equal educational opportunities for all qualified students. Special steps are taken to recruit, employ, and promote qualified women and minorities and maintain equity in rates of pay for men and women in comparable positions. The practice of the University in this regard is consistent with the requirements of various laws, but it also represents our attempt to do what is right. Like other forms of discrimination prohibited by law, sexual harassment will not be tolerated at the University.
Positive steps are taken to ensure compliance with this policy in advertising, recruitment, and solicitation for employment; in hiring, placement, upgrading, promotion and transfer policies; in rates of pay and other forms of compensation; in the selection for training and award of benefits; in layoffs and termination; and in recruitment, admissions and support services. The Director of Institutional Compliance is responsible for implementation of this policy.
Program Statement on Nondiscriminatory Action
It is the policy of the Ed.D. Program in Curriculum Studies to implement equal opportunities for all employees, students, and applicants for employment or admission without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, political affiliation, or disability. We are committed to the fulfillment of this policy including, but not limited to recruiting, enrollment and educational practice, hiring, placement, position reclassification, transfer or promotion, terms and conditions of employment, recruitment and advertising for employment, rates of pay and other forms of compensation, selection for training, and layoff or termination.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements can be found in the section College of Education Programs – Graduate on the web site http://students.georgiasouthern.edu/registrar/2008-2009Catalog/index.htm
Application is completed electronically. All detailed information about the application process can be found in the Ed.D. College of Education Checklist for Doctoral Students on the web site http://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/pdfs/eddstudentchecklist.pdf
One of the requirements includes submitting a writing sample on one of the articles found on the following five links. Examine each article and select one:
article 1
article 2
article 3
article 4
article 5
Writing Sample Requirements: Write an evaluation of the article chosen by describing its strengths and weaknesses, positives and negatives. Support your judgments with evidence. Use up to 4 pages (or up to approximately 1500 words).
All documentation must be submitted by January 30. Once the applicant’s materials are approved by the College of Graduate Studies, they are forwarded to the Doctoral Admission Committee of the Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading for review. Applicants may check the status of their application at https://my.georgiasouthern.edu/admissions/
The admission decision will be made by March 1 for summer start.
Program Design
This degree program consists of work in five areas: (1) The Doctoral Core, (2) Research and Inquiry, (3) Doctoral Strand, (4) Concentration Area, and (5) Dissertation. The first three areas require a combined minimum of 13 courses, the fourth area requires a minimum of 5 courses, and the fifth area requires a minimum of 9 semester hours. The complete program requires a minimum of 18 courses plus dissertation.
Students must meet prerequisites required by the program and by certain courses within the program. The program prerequisites are:
Curriculum Theories and Design (or equivalent course in the principles of curriculum)
Learning Theories and Applications (or equivalent course in the nature and conditions of learning)
Educational Research (or equivalent introductory course in educational research)
Multicultural Education (or equivalent introductory course in multicultural education)
The decision about the equivalency of the prerequisites to the program’s requirements is preliminary implemented by the Program Coordinator. In case of the lack of sufficient information about the content of the course, it can be further discussed with the temporary advisor. The final decision will be made by the permanent advisor. In cases when a permanent advisor does not make a decision (for example, unexpected retirement), the decision is done by the Candidacy Committee Chair.
Some students might enter the program carrying course work beyond the Master's degree. Up to 6 applicable and appropriate courses (18 hours) can be applied toward degree requirements with the approval of your Candidacy Committee Chair.
This is the intellectual nexus of the program. As such, it contains courses to be taken by all doctoral students. The Core intertwines the theoretical, cultural, and historical concepts underpinning curriculum work with advanced theories of design, development, and implementation. These courses include study in the social context of schooling, policy and education, history, and advanced curriculum theory. Schools are sites of active cultural and epistemological confrontation and the curriculum is one of the primary prizes within that struggle. The curriculum represents both an official vehicle for transmission, and the legitimation of certain forms of knowledge and cultural perspectives. Therefore to control the curriculum is, to an extended degree, to control official knowledge. Couple that with the simultaneous gate keeping function of certifying success with diplomas and the parallel practices of tracking and streaming, and pattern of power relationships begin to emerge. Investigating from whence these practices emerged (and why), how they operate, and generating an ethical matrix from which to evaluate your decisions is part of the basic process of doctoral work. This is the essence of The Doctoral Core: to explore the fundamental analytics necessary for understanding schools and school practice in a contextually rich manner.
This area is designed to introduce you to both the methods of research and the contexts of inquiry. Both components are essential in preparation for meaningful, productive investigations into critical issues in curriculum. The Research component provides for advanced study into specific methodologies and their appropriate applications. The Inquiry component addresses theoretical questions of orientation of various research paradigms so that you might make an informed decision as to the general approach (i.e. quantitative or qualitative) you will wish to pursue in order to effectively address a topic or problem in curriculum.
Strands
Upon the completion of the Core courses, the program offers students selection of one of two strands: # 1 Curriculum Studies or # 2 Teaching and Learning and five interdisciplinary concentration areas. Their detail description can be found on the web site http://students.georgiasouthern.edu/registrar/2008-2009Catalog/index.htm
To be eligible for graduation, you must maintain a cumulative grade average of 3.5. A student will be excluded from the program upon earning grades of “C” or below in two or more courses.
Examinations and Committees
The Candidacy Examination
Before you are formally admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree, you must pass a Candidacy Examination. This examination evaluates both your work to date and your qualifications for advanced research. This examination must be passed within five years after the completion of your first course in the doctoral program of study following your admission to the program. The content of the examination will cover three blocks: Core, Research, and Strand/Concentration areas. The administration of the examination consists of two parts: written and oral. The formats for the written portion will be either take-home or timed. Students, in concert with their committee chair, will determine which format to employ for the individual blocks of the written examination. The oral and written portions are examined at the same time, and the entire process must be completed within a period of nine weeks.
If you do not pass all sections of the comprehensive examination, the committee may grant you one additional examination over the failed section/s to be administered under conditions stipulated by the committee members. These conditions might include additional course work at the committee's discretion. You may not take the additional examination any earlier than the term following the first examination.
The Candidacy Examination Committee
The committee will be comprised of a minimum of three faculty, each responsible for one of the examination blocks (Core, Research, Strand/Concentration). All committee members must hold Graduate Faculty status. At least one member of the Committee must be a Curriculum Studies faculty member. If the committee is larger than three (at your request), there may be only one dissenting vote in order for you to pass. Upon successful completion of the Candidacy Examination, you will be formally admitted to candidacy and will begin work on the dissertation.
The dissertation is simultaneously your last requirement in the program and your first research project as a curriculum scholar. As such, it occupies a unique position in your life. Once you have been admitted to candidacy, you have five years within which to complete and defend your dissertation. After that time you may be required to take additional course work and/or retake your candidacy exam. You are required to work on your dissertation for a minimum of 9 semester hours, but the actual time you spend on the project will be much greater than five hours per week. The three checkpoints in the dissertation process are:
The Pre-prospectus Hearing. This is to ensure the committee's agreement with the project and to elicit any preliminary suggestions and/or redirection of question, context, method, and/or analysis..
The Prospectus Hearing. This is to provide formal feedback on the first three chapters of the dissertation (or the introduction, theoretical framework, literature review and methodology) before the student begins the "data collection" stage of the dissertation. The IRB Approval form will accompany the Prospectus Approval Form
The Dissertation Defense. Once the project is complete, students culminate their doctoral studies through formal oral defense of their dissertation.
Although there are traditional formats for dissertations in education, the Department requires no template for construction. There are, however, certain tenets of educational research which should be addressed in some manner in your work. The role of your dissertation chair is critical in this process and you should carefully choose the individual with whom you wish to work on the basis of your personal knowledge of that faculty member and not merely their reputation.
Within the region of Southeast Georgia, students of curriculum must be able to address a plethora of problems impacting daily classroom life which, unless mitigated, threaten to relegate substantial portions of the population to a condition of marginal literacy, and a continuing cycle of poverty. These problems include unemployment and underemployment (due to an unsophisticated work force which has been expelled to positions outside the demands of the technologically innovative work place), welfare dependency, crime, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, physical and mental abuse (in its myriad forms), violence, and a traditional culture which may perpetuate sexist and racist attitudes and distinctions of class. With the exception of the family institution, no social structure is impacted more directly by the multitude of problems than the public schools. Conversely, public school classrooms represent one of the most effective sites for engaging these continuing problems and inequities in the interest of constructing a better future for the youth of this region.
The Dissertation Defense Committee
This committee is responsible for overseeing all phases of the dissertation writing process. Upon completion of the dissertation, you must pass a final oral defense which evaluates the work done and your overall competence in the field of study. You must pass this examination within five years of being admitted to candidacy. If you fail to pass within the time limit you may be required to take additional course work and/or another Candidacy Examination at the committee's discretion.
The Dissertation Defense is proctored by at least four members of the Graduate Faculty and conducted in a public forum. The membership is as follows: the Director of the dissertation and three readers, one of whom must be from outside the College of Education. At least one member of the Committee must a Curriculum Studies faculty member. Candidates, in concert with their chair, will choose the individuals of the committee. The Dean of Graduate Studies must approve membership of the examining committee. Three of the four members must approve the dissertation and the final examination in order for you to receive the doctoral degree. If the committee is larger than four, there may be only one dissenting vote in order for you to pass.
Distinguished Off Campus Scholar
Having a highly respected scholar from another institution or research center serving on your dissertation committee can be very valuable. Therefore a person who is a nationally or internationally recognized scholar may serve as a reader on a dissertation committee. The individual may serve without being appointed to the Graduate Faculty provided the following criteria are met.
The individual must be invited to serve on the Dissertation Committee by the chair of the Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading. The chair will provide the Dean of Graduate Studies evidence of the scholar's willingness to serve and a copy of the individual's vita.
Approval will be granted or denied by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies. If the scholar is a faculty member at another institution he or she should hold the highest level appointment on the Graduate Faculty of that institution and will have a record of service as a voting member of graduate examination committees. If the scholar is not a faculty member his or her record of scholarship must justify appointment as a voting member of a Dissertation Committee.
When a distinguished off campus scholar is included in the membership of a Dissertation Committee, that committee must include the requisite number of Graduate Faculty from Georgia Southern University bringing to four the minimum number of committee members. Under this arrangement there can be no more than one dissenting vote for the student to pass the dissertation defense.
Committee Protocol
Prior to convening the Committee, the Chair will determine that:
The student has completed the required course of study in the Core, Research and Inquiry, Strand, and Concentration, and any additional course work required by the Admissions Committee;
The oral portion takes place between two and four weeks following the student's conclusion of the written portion of the examination; and
Copies of the written examination questions and answers have been distributed to all members of the Committee, and
Upon convening the Committee, the Chair will:
Inquire of the members present if there is any reason the meeting should not proceed and adjudicate any reservations so stated;
Request the student depart the room while the members determine a sequence and time frame for questioning (usually deference is shown to outside members, then institutional members by descending academic rank) and briefly discuss any issues which may require particular attention in the student's written responses;
Request the student reenter the room and provide an opportunity for him/her to make any opening statements deemed appropriate or necessary regarding their written portion of the Candidacy Examination;
Initiate the oral portion of the examination;
Determine when all questions have been exhausted and invite the student to depart the room while the Committee deliberates upon the student's performance;
Moderate the discussion on the student's performance and call for a formal vote on the student. Options include "pass," "pass with recommendations," or "fail." Two of the three members must vote for approval in order for the student to pass. If the Committee is larger than three, there may only be one vote for failure in order for the student to pass;
Secure the appropriate signatures on the appropriate documents and dismiss the Committee. It is the responsibility of the Chair to inform the student of the decision of the Committee and, if necessary, to prepare a course of action to satisfy any deficiencies noted by the members.
Ensure that all proper documentation is submitted to the College of Graduate Studies of Georgia Southern University.
Pre-prospectus and Prospectus Hearings
Upon convening the Committee the Chair will:
Inquire of the members present if there is any reason the hearing should not proceed and adjudicate any reservations so stated;
Request the student depart the room while the members determine a sequence and time frame for questioning (usually deference is shown to outside members, then institutional members by descending academic rank) and briefly discuss any issues which may require particular attention in the student's pre-prospectus/ prospectus;
Request the student reenter the room and provide an opportunity for him/her to make any opening statements deemed appropriate or necessary regarding the pre-prospectus/ prospectus;
Initiate the oral portion of the hearing;
Moderate the discussion on the student's pre-prospectus/prospectus and call for a formal vote. Options include "pass," "pass with recommendations," or "fail." Three of the four members must vote for approval in order for the pre-prospectus/ prospectus to pass. If the Committee is larger than four, there may only be one vote for failure in order for the student to pass;
Secure the appropriate signatures on the appropriate documents and dismiss the Committee. It is the responsibility of the Chair to inform the student of the decision of the Committee and, if necessary, to prepare a course of action to satisfy any recommendations voiced by the members; and
Ensure that all proper documentation is submitted to the College of Graduate Studies of Georgia Southern University.
Prior to convening the Committee the Chair will determine that:
The research has been approved by the Georgia Southern University Institutional Review Board;
Ensure that the members have received copies of the work in progress so as to determine any issues which might be addressed prior to the defense; and
Upon convening the Committee the Chair will:
Inquire of the members present if there is any reason the meeting should not proceed and adjudicate any reservations so stated;
State that the purpose of the meeting is to conduct an examination of the student's research, dissertation, and overall competence in the field of study;
Proceed with the student's oral presentation of the research and the dissertation to the Committee;
Moderate the Committee's questions and the student's responses regarding the substance of the research and the written dissertation;
Retire the Committee to deliberate on whether or not the dissertation is of acceptable quality and that the student possesses overall competence in the field of study. Options on which a formal vote should be taken include "pass," "pass with recommendations," or "fail." Three of the four members must vote for approval in order for the student to pass. (If the Committee is larger than four, there may only be one vote for failure in order for the student to pass.) Record the decision and secure the appropriate signatures on the Dissertation Defense Report;
Return with the Committee's decision, have the Committee members sign the Dissertation Signatory Page (unless delayed until changes are approved), and adjourn the meeting. If the student fails the defense, the Chair will immediately discuss any options and/or recommendations; and
Ensure that all proper documentation is submitted to the College of Graduate Studies of Georgia Southern University.
Electronic Defense: All doctoral Candidates are now required to submit their dissertations after a successful defense in an electronic format to the College of Graduate Studies. To understand the procedures in creating an electronic dissertation see the College of Graduate Studies webpage.
Eligibility to chair Candidacy Exam or Dissertation Defense Committee
Chair must have:
substantial publications within the past five years in the field of curriculum studies, or related fields reflected in the concentration areas;
background in or substantial knowledge of the Curriculum Studies field or related fields reflected in the concentration areas;
an in-depth understanding of the modes of educational inquiry relevant to the dissertation topic and/or the Curriculum Studies field.
Eligibility to serve on Candidacy Exam or Dissertation Defense Committee
Committee members must have:
publications within the past ten years in their field of expertise;
taught graduate courses, courses related to graduate studies, a significant number of courses in their field of expertise.
Links to Resources:
http://cogs.georgaisouthern.edu
http://library.georgiasouthern.edu/
http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/research/compliance
http://cogs.georgiasouthern.edu/facultymodel