College of General Studies

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The College of General Studies at Indiana Tech is dedicated to extending learning beyond traditional borders and engaging a richly diverse student population. Our college promotes innovative learning experiences for all students in career programs, social sciences, humanities, and language arts which will enhance their critical, intellectual and creative skills necessary in our complex world.

Convinced that learning in the liberal arts is essential to developing the whole person, the College of General Studies seeks to promote critical, intellectual and creative skills. The College of General Studies will achieve its vision through continually improving the educational experiences of our students. The college offers semester, accelerated, and distance learning courses to accommodate the educational needs of all students. We meet current and evolving demands of life and work beyond the college classroom by engaging in the following efforts:

• Providing outstanding general education courses integrated with each student’s major
• Providing an Honors Program to engage students in a variety of academically challenging and imaginative experiences
• Providing career programs in communication, criminal justice, elementary education, health information technology, intensive English, physical education, prelaw, psychology, recreation management, recreation and leisure studies and recreation therapy
• Providing academic minors in coaching and human performance, criminal justice, English, humanities and psychology
• Engaging in a cycle of college program and policy review as a means of ongoing assessment and continuous improvement
• Emphasizing integrity and ethical behavior in all work and life decisions
• Employing and developing faculty who create outstanding new programs, shape curricula, teach and mentor students
   

Center for Criminal Justice

Part of the College of General Studies

The field of criminal justice is continuously becoming more complex, diversified and technical in nature. Exciting new opportunities await individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in the field as police officers, crime scene technicians, correction officers, juvenile justice officers and counselors, probation workers, homeland security officers, FBI agents, U.S. Marshals, customs officers, lawyers, security agents and private investigators.

The work of Indiana Tech’s Center for Criminal Justice reflects the complex nature of modern police work. The center emphasizes learning focused on preparing students to succeed. Our programs include courses in criminal investigation, police work, corrections, juvenile justice, police operations, crime scene analysis, criminal profiling and law. To deliver the courses, we rely on a diverse group of professionals in the fields of police work, criminal intelligence, the military, law, probation, juvenile justice and psychology. These professionals have advanced degrees and specialty training that makes them experts in their respective fields. Having professionals in the classroom also allows students to have access to instructors’ real life experiences, firsthand knowledge of the job and career guidance.

Indiana Tech’s instructors use a problem-solving approach to teaching. Since criminal justice involves solving human problems, this type of experiential teaching transfers quite well to the workplace. Examples of experiential learning include processing a crime scene, structuring a criminal profile, conducting mock criminal interrogations and doing a behavioral analysis of a criminal. To encourage future job success, the criminal justice department encourages student internships at the local, state, federal and private level.

In addition to expert instructors, we are committed to using the latest technology in the classroom. Students use criminal intelligence, digital imagery, forensic computer software, software for composite drawing and crime scene software in their classes. Indiana Tech will continue to push the envelope to ensure that our students are up to date in the war against crime.
 

School of Education

Part of the College of General Studies

The School of Education’s mission is a statement of Indiana Tech’s commitment to educate professionals from diverse backgrounds with the knowledge, skills and dispositions to promote student learning and development, especially those in urban schools. Building on quality field experiences, the School of Education develops reflective practitioners who model lifelong learning, technological competence and professionalism. And, the University and the Program (unit) are committed to facilitating excellence through equity, diversity and social advocacy. Additionally, the curricula were developed to meet both State of Indiana and National Standards.

The School of Education’s vision is represented in the axiom: Diverse Paths, Shared Vision. Inherent in our conceptual framework is a focus on developing the teacher candidate who demonstrates the supportive themes of:

• knowledge of content, context, human development and pedagogy
• skills and disposition of a reflective practitioner who considers the impact of actions
• respect for and appreciation of diversity
• professionalism in all aspects of his/her career

Candidates grow and learn with the conviction of the goal, Diverse Paths, Shared Vision and its four supporting themes: Knowledge, Reflection, Diversity and Professionalism. Additionally, twelve dispositions and extensive candidate proficiencies provide multiple measures from which to evaluate candidate performance, faculty effectiveness and unit efficiency.

In addition to the requirements outlined below, students majoring in a teacher licensure program are expected to follow all requirements outlined in the School of Education’s Pre-Candidate and Candidate handbooks which are considered to be extensions of this catalog. 

All licensure program requirements met the most current Indiana Department of Education teacher licensure requirements at the time of publication. Since the Indiana Department of Education periodically changes teacher licensure requirements, the School of Education reserves the right to modify its teacher licensure program requirements to meet changing state standards.

Teacher Education Dispositions

Self-Awareness and Self-Confidence

The teacher candidates portray confidence and personal initiative in the professional plans. Teacher candidates are also self-awareness and confident during the interpersonal actions and professional presentations.

Goal Clarity

The teacher candidates set clear professional goals based on personal reflection. Teacher candidates take personal and professional responsibility in monitoring their progress toward goal attainment.

Intellectual Curiosity and Creativity

The teacher candidates frequently ask questions on issues raised in groups and other interpersonal interactions and are able to offer alternative perspectives for consideration. Teacher candidates are resourceful and imaginative while completing their work with pride.

Enthusiasm for Learning

The teacher candidates are fully and actively engaged in education environments. Teacher candidates are consistently eager to get started and display enthusiasm when interacting with others.

Effective communication

The teacher candidates converse easily with others. Teacher candidates are able to adapt their language and vocabulary to the audience.

Listening and Responsiveness

The teacher candidates are able to listen to others actively and respectfully. Teacher candidates provide responses and remarks as thoughtful feedback.

Open-Mindedness and Acceptance of Diversity

The teacher candidates listen attentively to all viewpoints from others’ perspectives. Teacher candidates are sensitive and open to the needs of others. 

Adaptability

Teacher candidates are accepting of change and adjust easily when change occurs. The teacher candidates handle controversial positions with ease and approach others with respect.

Works Well with Others

The teacher candidates work well with others and actively facilitates projects and assignment to completion. The candidates demonstrate the ability to trust others to complete their portion of collaborative tasks.

Tact

The teacher candidates respect social boundaries both in and out of class. Candidates are careful to be appropriate and use tact when giving constructive feedback.

Work Ethic

Teacher candidates demonstrate excellent organization skills and submit work that goes beyond the minimum expectation.

Reliability and Dependability

Teacher candidates complete their work in a timely manner and can be trusted to do what is expected.  Candidates present themselves in a professional manner.

Program Benchmarks and Transition Points

Admission

Pre-candidates who have declared Education as their major field of study and who are pursuing teacher licensure must apply to and be granted admission into the School of Education before they may enroll in any course designated as methods (EDU 3000, EDU 3120, EDU 3150, EDU 3150, EDU 3160, EDU3200, EDU 4030, EDU 4600, EDU 4900, EDU 4950, PHED 3720, PHED 3800, PHED 4900, PHED 4950). The Professional Educator Council (PEC) reviews and acts on all applications. The Professional Educator Council is chaired by the Director of Teacher Preparation. Additional membership includes the full-time faculty of the School of Education. The Dean of the College of General Studies serves in an advisory capacity to the Professional Educator Council.

The admission requirements are outlined below. The full application process can be found in the Pre-Candidate handbook available from the School of Education and on the college website.

To be fully admitted to the School of Education, a pre-candidate must meet the following academic requirements:

1. A minimum overall grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale in their undergraduate college coursework

2. Prospective Indiana educators are required to demonstrate basic skills competency prior to admission to Indiana educator preparation programs. The options to accomplish this include:

achieving passing scores on the Indiana CORE Academic Skills Assessment (CASA)

ACT® with a score of at least 24 based on Math, Reading, Grammar and Science

SAT® with a score of at least 1100 based on Critical Reading and Math

3. No grade of C- or below was earned in any of the following courses:

ENG 1250 English Composition 1

COMM 2500 Public Communication

ENG 2320 Professional Communication

Any Mathematics (MATH) course

Any Education (EDU) or Physical Education (PHED) course

4. A minimum of 3 Disposition Assessment Forms with an average score of 1.5.

5. Must not be under sanction by the Office of the Dean of Students or have a history of infraction cards that raise concern about the pre-candidates ability to act in a professional and ethical manner.

6. A minimum of three satisfactory recommendations. Two from Indiana Tech faculty that the candidate has taken a course with and one from someone who has witnessed the pre-candidate working with K-12 students.

7. A current criminal background check that reveals no convictions that would preclude the candidate from obtaining a teaching license in Indiana.

Retention

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