Overview
Northern Illinois University has one of the largest licensure programs among Illinois universities, with more than 7,000 students enrolled. NIU recommends more than 500 candidates for licensure each year. More than 25,000 NIU education graduates are currently teaching or serving in other positions in Illinois elementary and secondary schools.
Position Summary
The Executive Director for Educator Licensure and Preparation has leadership and administrative responsibility for the coordination of activities pertaining to the 35 initial and advanced educator licensure programs at NIU. Primary responsibilities include representing NIU to external constituents such as the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE); working with educator preparation discipline coordinators and directors on standardizing the implementation of policies, procedures, and programs; and coordinating accreditation and facilitating the function of university level committees. This person works with the NIU State Legislative Liaison and Vice President for Federal Relations on matters pertaining to educator preparation and licensure. This individual serves as the state-mandated Licensure Officer for the institution and is responsible for all entitlements, endorsements, and implementation of policies and rules from the ISBE. This individual is responsible for overseeing the budget, staff, and functions of the University Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (UOELP). In addition, the Executove Director works very closely with the Center for P-20 Engagement and is the primary contact for the teaher endorsement for dual credit opportunities.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Responsibilities include, but not limited to:
Oversees educator licensure
- Serves as the university licensure officer who is the designated liaison between NIU and the ISBE for initial and advanced educator licensure.
- Disseminates information from the ISBE to all licensure programs regarding changes/revisions to licensure laws/rules in order to assure that all programs at NIU are meeting ISBE requirements.
- Files assurance documentation with ISBE for program approval and continuation as well as provide documentation on student entitlement and preliminary qualifications.
Advocates educator preparation and licensure
- Collaborates with NIU State Legislative Liaison and Vice President for Federal Relations to advocate for NIU and educator preparation and licensure.
- Represents NIU on educator licensure and preparation issues to external entities such as Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board (SEPLB), Illinois Association for Colleges for Teacher Education (IACTE), Illinois Association of Deans of Public Colleges of Education (IADPCE), Council of Chicago Area Deans of Education (CCADE), ISBE, etc.
- Responds to external/off-campus inquiries about educator licensure and preparation programs, requirements, and state/national policies and make referrals as necessary.
Provides campus wide leadership
- Provides campus-wide leadership through the governance structure for initial and advanced educator licensure programs.
- Coordinates the functions of the University Committee for Initial Educator Licensure (UCIEL) which comprises program representatives from each initial licensure program and the University Committee for Advanced and Non-teaching Educator Licensure Programs (UCANELP) which comprises program representatives from each advanced licensure program.
- Oversees sub-committees and initiatives undertaken by the committees (student teacher orientation; dispositions evaluation, student teaching evaluations, policy examinations etc.);
- Develops agendas and co-facilitate all meetings.
Data collection and reporting
- Leads the university-wide operation for data collection and reporting across educator licensure and preparation programs.
- Provides leadership for adopting, piloting, implementing, and delivering ongoing professional development for the central assessment platform for educator licensure and preparation (Chalk & Wire).
- Coordinates writing and submission of educator preparation reports including the annual and cyclical mandatory reporting to national and state accreditation/educational agencies.
Oversees the office of Educator Licensure and Preperation
- Oversees the functioning of the Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (UOELP).
- Oversees the budget, staffing, and programming of UOELP.
- Coordinates the Educator Preparation Summit; tuition waivers process.
- Establish research agenda for the unit based on programmatic needs.
Perform other related duties as assigned
Minimum Required Qualifications (Civil Service)
N/A
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) (Civil Service)
N/A
Specialty Factors (Civil Service)
N/A
Preferred Qualifications (Civil Service)
N/A
Minimum Required Qualifications (SPS)
Minimum educational requirements:
- Ph.D. or appropriate terminal degree in a discipline that has an educator licensure and preparation component.
- Hold professional education licensure (PEL) in Illinois or another state.
Minimum experience requirements:
- At least three years’ employment experience in an area related to educator certification, such as an educator in public schools or an administrative assignment related to educator certification.
- Interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with faculty, students, administrators, and staff on campus and to foster effective working relationships externally with schools, colleges/universities, organizations, and agencies relating to licensure and educator preparation.
- Demonstrated excellence in teaching and scholarship.
Additional Requirements (SPS)
- Self-motivation, strong writing, oral communication, and computer skills.
- Strong commitment to diversity is essential.
