Dear Education Students,                                              September 4, 2007

Welcome back to a new academic year! It’s delightful to have Miller Hall really abuzz in August when you all return to campus!

The purpose of this letter is to share with you some important information and changes in the Education Department’s procedures that affect students. Please read the letter carefully and make note of those that pertain to your program this year.

CPR Now Required for Indiana Licensure

Indiana licensure rules now require all applicants for new and renewal licenses to show current, valid certification in CPR. If you are planning to graduate this academic year and apply for licensure, be sure to complete this new state requirement before you finish classes. Information on courses offered in the Valparaiso area is available from Mrs. Angela Coleman in the Placement Office.

Checkpoint Due Dates

Enclosed with this letter is the flyer of all Checkpoint due dates for 2007-2008. If you are applying for Checkpoint 1 or 2, mark the relevant dates on your personal calendar and be sure to have your application completed and turned in on time.

The Undergraduate Admission and Retention Committee evaluates all students at our checkpoints. It is important for all Education Students to know that, beginning this semester, the committee will meet on the third Wednesday of each month to make decisions on student applications. If you miss a deadline, your application will have to wait until the next regular meeting of the committee. Don’t miss out on your registration deadlines by submitting your applications late!

PPST (Pre-Professional Skills Test)

Passing scores on all sections of the PPST must be produced by students along with the Checkpoint 1 application. We encourage you to take the PPST during the spring semester of your freshman year.

New Approach to Preparing Checkpoint 2

All students are now required to take a 0-credit course, ED 385, to prepare for Checkpoint 2. If you are planning to do your student teaching in Spring 2008, you need to have registered for one of the two sections of ED 385 this semester. The class meets twice for two hours each time; dates are printed on the enclosed flyer of Checkpoint Due Dates.

No student may do student teaching unless he/she has passed Checkpoint 2. Having a placement for student teaching does not supersede the Checkpoint 2 requirement as the Placement Office needs to work 6-12 months ahead to ensure appropriate placements are secured for students who later qualify for student teaching.

Required Education Classes

All required Education classes (those with an ED prefix in the VU Undergraduate Course Catalog) must be completed prior to the student teaching semester with the exception of ED 485 – Senior Seminar which is taken during the student teaching semester.

Finishing in Four Years

While it is common and possible for VU undergraduate students to complete their degree, education, and licensing requirements within four years, students must plan ahead and continually meet performance standards (GPAs, grades, tests, checkpoint requirements, etc. as outlined in the VU Undergraduate Course Catalog) to achieve the goal of graduating within this time frame.

Snazzy New Weekly Email

The Department of Education sends students a weekly email during the academic year. With the new Groupwise email system at VU, we have created a snazzy new format for your weekly email. Be sure to open the attachment each week and read all the announcements carefully. We’ve also put Checkpoint Due Dates for the current semester on the template for your convenient reference.

If you have any questions about these changes, please see your adviser. We are all looking forward to working with you this year as you develop your professional knowledge and skills in teaching and learning.

Sincerely,

Jan M. Westrick, Ed.D.

Associate Professor and Chair