Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Record 2011-2012 
    
Undergraduate Record 2011-2012 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Curry School of Education-Undergraduate Studies


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General Information

History

The Curry School of Education offers professional programs designed to prepare individuals for a variety of careers related to the practice of education. The school was named for Dr. Jabez L. M. Curry, an eminent southern educator. It was endowed in 1905 by gifts from John D. Rockefeller and the General Education Fund and became a professional school in 1919. Graduate programs in education were established in 1950, and the degree programs offered now include the Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.); a five-year teacher education program leading to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Master of Teaching (M.T.); the Master of Education (M.Ed.), Master of Teaching (M.T.), Educational Specialist (Ed.S.); and two doctoral degrees (Ed.D. and Ph.D.).

The School Today

The Curry School of Education has two major missions. The first is to prepare individuals to work in America’s educational system, pre-kindergarten through collegiate levels, and to conduct research and scholarship that address problems and issues of importance to our education system. Through partnerships with other organizations and educational institutions, the Curry School is committed to developing exemplary and innovative approaches to address those issues and problems, and to improving instruction and schooling in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As such, the Teacher Education Program has provided national leadership in the preparation of beginning teachers, as well as advanced training for experienced teachers and personnel related to teaching. The five-year Teacher Education Program is an integrated program sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Curry School of Education. It combines strong subject matter preparation with professional training that leads to teacher licensure and results in the simultaneous receipt of a bachelor’s and master’s degree after a total of five years of study at the University.

A second mission of the Curry School is to enhance human potential and performance by preparing professionals and conducting research in such areas as psychological/emotional development, physical development and fitness, and speech/language/auditory development. These areas contribute to the betterment of the human condition and are directly related to increased learning and successful experiences in our educational system.

Programs leading to teacher licensure include specializations in elementary education, health and physical education, early childhood special education, k-12 special education, K-12 foreign language, and secondary education. Specializations in secondary education are available in English, mathematics, sciences (biology, chemistry, earth science, physics), and social studies. Students may also apply to dual programs in special education and elementary or secondary education.

Two additional program areas are designed for students interested in pursuing human service careers related to communication disorders and kinesiology. The Communication Disorders program requires students to transfer into the Curry School for their last two years of study. To earn licensure, they will need to earn a master’s degree after completing their undergraduate program. Kinesiology is a pre-professional interdisciplinary program designed to provide students with a foundation in the sciences of human movement that can be applied to graduate study in a variety of specialty areas such as adapted physical education, athletic training, exercise physiology, physical therapy, sports medicine, and teaching health and physical education. Students can be directly admitted into the program when they apply to the University or can transfer into the program during their first two years.

Programs within the Curry School are among the best professional education offerings in the country. Faculty hold offices in professional organizations, are scholars of international renown, and are numbered among the University’s finest teachers. Students score well above the national norms on the national examinations, and are members of such student honorary societies as Chi Sigma Iota, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Delta Kappa, Outstanding Students in America, and the Raven Society.
Extensive information about the Curry School of Education and its programs is available on the web (http: curry.edschool.virginia.edu). 

Address

Curry School of Education
Bavaro Hall
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400261
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4261
(434) 924-3334
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu
curry-admissions@virginia.edu

Accreditation

The Curry School of Education and its programs to prepare school personnel are accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). Individual program specializations are accredited by such organizations as the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association; and the American Psychological Association.

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Facilities and Services

Bavaro Hall and Ruffner Hall house the majority of the Curry School of Education’s academic facilities and offices. These facilities house laboratory space for studies in science education, instructional technology, counselor education, reading, educational psychology, and educational research. A well-equipped behavioral study area enables students and faculty to carry on advanced-level clinical observation and research, and a number of flexible meeting areas provide a supportive environment for studies in education.

The Athletic Training Clinic provides therapy for the University’s athletic teams. The clinic provides practica for both graduate and undergraduate students. It is located in the McCue Center, adjacent to University Hall. 

The Center for Technology and Teacher Education is a cross-disciplinary institute with collaborating faculty drawn from several disciplines, including educational technology, teacher education, and policy studies. One goal of the center is to identify and develop educational technologies that can be integrated into teacher education curricula. An equally important goal is to prepare the next generation of educational technology leaders. Graduate fellows affiliated with the center are expected to serve in leadership positions in school districts, state education agencies, and teacher preparation programs.

The Curry Library and Innovation Commons, located on the third floor of Ruffner Hall, houses a children’s literature section, education handbooks and reference materials, collaborative work stations, a computer lab, a study zone, and more.

The Exercise and Sport Injury Laboratory conducts research in the areas of prevention, assessment, and rehabilitation of injuries associated with exercise, sport and physical activity.

The Instructional Resource Center provides students and faculty with excellent opportunities for both instruction and research. In addition to audio-visual equipment, the center houses the Audio-Visual Production Lab, a video filming studio and a video production facility, the Special Technology Laboratory, the Apple Lab, and the interactive IBM Microcomputer Classroom. 

The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) produces and disseminates high-quality, practical research studies relating to the identification and development of talent. The research of the center has included investigating ways to encourage talent in young, at-risk students; studying the social and emotional development of gifted students; and investigating the feasibility of high-end learning in elementary, middle and high schools.

The Sheila Johnson Center for Human Services, housed in Bavaro Hall, is a multidisciplinary clinic providing faculty-supervised training for masters’ and doctoral students, clinical service delivery to the region, and clinical research opportunities. Disciplines included are clinical and school psychology, speech/language/hearing, reading, and counseling (including career/vocational assessment and guidance).
Comprehensive, evidence-based assessment services are provided for children, adolescents, adults, and families. Center staff include faculty with particular expertise in learning disorders (especially reading/writing), attention disorders, autism spectrum disorders, speech and language disorders, auditory processing disorders, anxiety disorders, phobic disorders, and more general behavior disorders, including violence and other forensic issues. Interventions offered through the Center include individual and family therapy, speech and language therapy, reading/writing problem remediation, and school and other organizational consultation.
 

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Student Organizations

Education Council (EC) is the representative student organization for the Curry School of Education. In addition to its function as liaison between students and faculty of the School of Education, the EC participates in many service programs affecting the University and the Charlottesville community, such as tutoring underprivileged children and coaching children’s sports. The EC is open to both graduate and undergraduate students.

Council for Exceptional Children is a professional group focusing on issues related to individuals with exceptionalities. Membership is open to both faculty and students who have an interest in working with exceptional individuals. It is sponsored by the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education.

Counselor Education Student Organization (CESO) Counselor Education majors at all levels of preparation can be part of the CESO. The organization helps to coordinate student orientation to the program and the University of Virginia for fall semester, provides a peer orientation program, conducts a town hall meeting each year for students and faculty, and functions in other ways as integral members of the Counselor Education Program. Students and faculty members interact regularly throughout the year.

The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) is open to all students in the Communication Disorders Program. It is a pre-professional, social, and philanthropic organization that sponsors student activities throughout the year. Membership in the national NSSLHA organization qualifies students for a variety of benefits, including special rates for journals and conventions, and initial ASHA membership. NSSLHA membership is required for access to members-only materials that support certain courses.

The Clinical and School Psychology Student Association is open to all students in the Clinical and School Psychology program.  It holds an orientation for new students in the program each year, sends representatives to meetings, sponsors social gatherings, organizes and chairs an Annual Town Meeting for the entire Clinical and School Psychology community, and annually bestows the Lucile E. Michie Award in recognition of a professional in clinical psychology who has been supportive of student development.

Student Virginia Education Association membership is open to both graduate and undergraduate students. Members participate in various professional activities, receive educational publications, participate in seminars and conferences, and receive liability/tort insurance.

Awards, Honors, Scholarships

Dean’s List To be placed on the Dean’s List of Distinguished Students in any given semester, an undergraduate must maintain a minimum 12-credit course load and achieve a current grade point average of 3.400 or higher without failure in any course. Courses taken on a CR/NC basis may not be counted toward the 12-credit minimum. Any student receiving an F, NC, or NG during the semester is ineligible for the dean’s list.

Graduation Honors Undergraduates students with a grade point average of 3.600 or higher will be recognized as graduating “with honors;” students with a grade point average of 3.750 or higher will be recognized as graduating “with high honors;” and students with a grade point average of 3.900 or higher will be recognized as graduating “with highest honors.” Computation of grade point averages for the determination of honors is based on all standard letter-grade courses carried since the student has matriculated at the University.

Kappa Delta Pi, an honor society in education that was founded in 1911, chartered its Eta Kappa Chapter of the University of Virginia in 1951. The constitution of the society reads as follows: “The purpose of Kappa Delta Pi shall be to encourage high professional, intellectual, and personal standards to recognize outstanding contributions to education. To this end it shall invite to membership such persons as exhibit commendable personal qualities, worthy educational ideals, and sound scholarship. It shall endeavor to maintain a high degree of professional fellowship among its members and to quicken professional growth by honoring achievement in educational work.”

Academic Rules and Regulations

All students are subject to the academic policies specified in the section titled “University Regulations.” In addition, students must follow the policies of the Curry School of Education. Students in the five-year Teacher Education Program should consult the regulations in the College of Arts and Sciences section, as well as those of the Curry School of Education. 

Application to the Curry School Students who wish to apply for the teacher education program in the Curry School of Education must submit a Permission to Enroll form by February 15 of their second year. Those who wish to apply to the communication disorders program must submit a full application for admission by February 15 of their second year. Students interested in kinesiology may seek entry to the program when they first enter the University or midway through their first or second year in the College.

Additional information can be found on the Curry website.

Residence Requirement A recipient of a B.S.Ed. degree from the Curry School must have completed at least four semesters of full-time (12 credits) study at the University of Virginia while enrolled in the Curry School of Education. Exceptions for emergency situations may only be granted with the advisor’s and dean’s permission. In addition, all students must be full-time (12 credits minimum) during all semesters, except the final one (9 credits minimum).

Course Load Special permission of the advisor and dean’s office is required to take fewer than 12, or more than 18, credits during a given semester.

Final Examinations Final examinations are given during a designated period of time at the end of each semester. Examinations may only be given at the University-assigned time unless authorized by the dean. Students are not authorized to take final exams before the regularly scheduled time. However, under serious conditions, and with their instructor’s and advisor’s permission, students may be allowed to postpone the examination to a time convenient to the instructor. Students who have three exams in one day or four in a two-day period may petition to have one examination moved.

Attendance Students are expected to attend classes throughout the session, with the exception of University holidays, unless permission to be absent temporarily or to withdraw has been first granted by the instructor. The Department of Student Health does not furnish routine excuses for illness either to the student or to the instructor. If final examinations are missed for serious medical reasons, the Department of Student Health notifies the dean. Upon request from the dean, the Department of Student Health may evaluate the effect of any illness upon a student’s attendance and academic performance. Failure to attend classes or other prescribed activities in a course may result in enforced withdrawal from the course or other penalties as determined by the instructor.

Attendance During Examinations Written exams are an essential part of most courses. A final examination or culminating experience is expected in all classes. The time period assigned for final exams is considered part of the regular academic semester. Absence from exams is excused only for illness, attested to by a physician’s certificate, or for other causes that the instructor, advisor, and dean, by special action, may approve. An unexcused absence is counted as a failure and, at the discretion of the instructor, may result in failing the course.

Course Grades  All specifically required courses must be taken for regular, graded credit (no S/U or CR/NC), including grades of A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-. C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F. Internships, practica, and student teaching are generally graded S/U. Courses taken at or above the 5000 level must receive a grade of B- or better.

Student work may be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis in certain courses within the Curry School. The specific S/U graded courses and the maximum number of credits that may be completed under this system and applied toward a graduate degree must be approved by the student’s major program advisor and, if a doctoral student, by the doctoral committee.

A course may not be repeated on an S/U basis to change a grade in a course previously completed on a letter-grade basis. If a course is repeated, the original grade stands, and the credits earned in the second taking of the course cannot be used for degree credit. The last day for changing to or from an S/U grade in a course is the last day for adding a course.

Students in the Curry School of Graduate Education are not permitted to tcount courses taken on a CR/NC basis toward a degree.

Incomplete Grades for B.S.Ed. Students An IN is recorded when reasons known to the professor are judged adequate to justify an extension of time to complete course requirements. An IN may not be used to allow a student to attempt to raise a grade at the end of the term. The time line to complete course work may not exceed 30 days, unless a student enters into a written contract with an instructor, specifying remaining requirements and the expected date of completion. If the student does not meet the terms of the incomplete policy, the student’s incomplete grade will be changed to an F or U.

B.A./M.T. students should consult the policies of the College of Arts and Sciences through the second semester of the fourth year. During the fifth year, B.A./M.T. students must follow the policies of the Curry School of Education, as stated above.

Grade Changes No grade may be changed after it has been submitted to the University Registrar without the approval of the dean. The dean is not authorized by the faculty to change a grade submitted to  the University Registrar except when an instructor certifies that, because of errors in calculation or transcription, an incorrect grade has been submitted.

Repeating Courses A student who has received a grade of D in a required undergraduate course may be required to repeat the course as directed by his or her academic advisor or program faculty. Both grades for the repeated course remain on the transcript. The course credit will be for only one offering. If a student’s grade in a 500- or higher-level course is below a B-, the student must repeat the course or take an approved substitute in its place.

Adding a Course or Changing the Grading Option All additions to course schedules or changes in the grading option for a course must be completed by the last day to add a course. These changes are made via SIS. Any required course must be taken for a grade (not pass/fail). B.A.-M.T. students should consult the policies of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Dropping a Course With the approval of the student’s advisor, a student may drop and void registration in a course until the official drop date. Permission to take fewer than 12 credits must be petitioned to, and approved by, the advisor and the dean and can only be granted for unusual or emergency circumstances. Courses dropped after the University official drop date will be graded as W. None of these notations affect the grade point average, nor does the course count toward credits earned.

Enforced Withdrawal See the University Regulations section.

Probation and Suspension An undergraduate student must maintain good standing each semester by completing at least 12 credits of graded work (or S/U work if engaged in practica), with at least a 1.800 semester average and no more than one grade below C- (or C/NC). A student will be placed on academic probation after any semester in which good standing is not attained.

Suspension involves enforced withdrawal from the Curry School of Education. A student placed on probation in any semester may be suspended if he or she does not regain good standing at the end of the next semester. A student who has been suspended may apply to the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs of the Curry School of Education for readmission after one regular semester has elapsed since the date of suspension. If readmitted, the student will be on probation and will be suspended again after one semester unless the cumulative grade point average for all courses completed is above 2.000.

Students in the College must comply with all College rules as well as Curry School policies for teacher education.

Readmission to the Curry School of Education is not automatic. After an absence of twelve months or longer, a former student must apply for readmission by submitting an application to the academic dean’s office at least sixty days before the semester begins. Failure to comply with these regulations subjects the student to suspension from the University. 

Grievance Procedure Due process is guaranteed to all students. See “Grievance Procedures” in the University Regulations section or consult the associate dean’s office, 104 Ruffner Hall. 

Licensure for Teaching The Curry School of Education affirms the distinction between degree requirements and licensure requirements in its programs. While many programs contain both kinds of requirements, and major portions of the two may be synonymous, one may meet one set of requirements and not the other (i.e., receive a degree without qualifying for recommendation for licensure). Information concerning licensure requirements is provided to students through the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs of the Curry School of Education. To be recommended by the Curry School of Education for professional licensure, a student must complete a teacher education program sequence approved by the faculty of the Curry School of Education, meet state cut-off scores on the Praxis II examinations, the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment, and the Virginia Reading Assessment (elementary and special education only.)

State Assessments of Teacher Education  Under the Commonwealth of Virginia’s approved program status for schools of education, all students enrolled in a teacher education program at the University of Virginia must take the appropriate licensing exams required by the Commonwealth of Virginia for the specific program area endorsement. A testing schedule for all required tests is provided in the Student Advising Handbook, which can be found on the Curry website.

Course Descriptions

Courses are listed under Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education (EDIS), Educational Leadership (EDLF), or Human Services (EDHS).  All can be accessed by going to the Student Information System (SIS) home page and clicking on Course Catalog: https://sisuva.admin.virginia.edu/psp/epprd/EMPLOYEE/EMPL/h/?tab=PAPP_GUEST

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