The Center for Excellence in Urban Education (herein CFE) serves as a research facility that concentrates on issues related to instruction, management, and community engagement/service learning in urban school systems (P-16) and urban communities. The CFE explores state, national and international policy and practices that improve urban education at the P-16 levels, as well as urban communities. The CFE’s research, assessment and evaluation, and professional development initiatives will be disseminated through publications of its own as well as through established research and practice journals, the CFE’s website, and other appropriate venues.
The Center for Excellence in Urban Education fosters scholarly research, develops competitive external funding proposals, engages in community and service learning activities, and provides professional development. The research studies and assessment and evaluation reports will help inform scholars, practitioners, administrators and policymakers and assist them in developing creative solutions to complex issues in urban education and communities. Further, the CFE will host lectures, seminars, conferences, and other events to highlight the work of the CFE and its partners.
Professional Development Services
The CFE will provide professional development. CFE supports faculty across rank and disciplines in an effort to build a creative, resourceful, and connected campus-wide teaching culture. Since the CFE is composed of a community of educators serving as catalysts and resources for professional growth and innovative teaching to enhance student learning and achievement in the University as well as P-12 community, the CFE will seek opportunities to identify and import best practices and innovative strategies of curriculum design, teaching and assessment. CFE strives to: (1) create occasion for faculty to discuss these findings and topics which speak to their abilities to deliver quality education to a diverse population of students, with a specific focus on minority learners; (2) develop and refresh their pedagogy with one another; and (3) engage with campus, national, and scholarly conversations about excellence in higher education. CFE promotes research-led teaching that activates students’ commitment to inquiry and brings faculty expertise to life: Learning Outcomes/Assessment Development.