We have three mission statements that drive our MAE program at Truman State University.
MAE Mission Statement
The mission of the Master of Arts in Education Program at Truman State University is to prepare reflective practitioners grounded in the Liberal Arts. Our practitioners are skilled in bridging theory and practice. They are informed by a well-developed understanding of content, pedagogy, learners, and learning environments. We believe the human condition can be bettered by teaching and learning rooted in caring, innovation, reflection, and research-based practice.
School of Health Sciences and Education’s Mission Statement
The School of Health Sciences and Education at Truman State University is committed to preparing students to effectively serve as professionals and leaders in their communities and field by providing an exceptional education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, promoting diverse learning experiences, and inspiring the pursuit of continued scholarship and research.
Five Pillars
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- Professional programs grounded in the liberal arts and sciences
- Leadership development
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- Diverse learning and service opportunities
- Pursuit of continued scholarship and research
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Truman State University’s Mission Statement
The mission of Truman State University is to offer an exemplary undergraduate education to well-prepared students, grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, in the context of a public institution of higher education. To that end, the University offers affordable undergraduate studies in the traditional arts and sciences as well as selected pre-professional, professional, and master’s level programs that grow naturally out of the philosophy, values, content, and desired outcomes of a liberal arts education.
As can be observed from the mission statements of the MAE program, the School of Health Sciences and Education in which the MAE program is housed, and the overall university mission, of central importance is a grounding in the liberal arts and sciences. Because virtually all students who enter the MAE (~99%) have an undergraduate degree from Truman, almost all students already have a strong liberal arts background. However in addition to pedagogical content knowledge, the Truman MAE coursework engages students in content from various disciplines, including psychology, sociology, philosophy, history, statistics, and more, which further roots their educator preparation in the strong foundation of the liberal arts. The curriculum mapping the department has undertaken has helped to provide assurance that all MAE students are engaging with content from these varied fields, either through the core MAE coursework or through their content-specific courses.
The findings of the teacher responses on the First Year Educator Survey further demonstrate our effectiveness in relation to the three mission statements, the most recent data from which indicates that at least 95% of graduates agree or strongly agree that they were prepared well with respect to content knowledge, reflecting on their practice, and promoting respect for diverse cultures, genders, and intellectual/physical abilities. The principal responses on the same survey also indicate that MAE completers are prepared well with over 90% agreeing or strongly agreeing that completers were prepared well on 38 items.
The Graduate Survey Exit Questionnaire data demonstrates satisfaction from our completers. An analysis of 2016-2020 data from all of the MAE programs indicated that the MAE completers were satisfied or highly satisfied with their experiences. Noted strengths were faculty services (availability, advising, and investment), MAE completer’s content knowledge, professional ethics which the graduate program enhanced and writing skills. We were pleased to note that students would choose to complete the program again.
Our annual accreditation from DESE ensures our completers meet the professional criteria for an educator in the state of Missouri. Furthermore, we are piloting an MAE portfolio to measure how well our MAE interns grasp the essence of the MEES standards, our goals of social justice, technology, and supply supporting artifacts. We are increasing our interrater reliability as a faculty and gathering data regarding the effectiveness of our program. Reflection is a cornerstone of the MAE and is built into all of our courses culminating in the internship with the MAE portfolio.
The MAE faculty, students, Advisory Board, mentors and other stakeholders have investigated our effectiveness relative to our goals for technology and social justice for MAE 2028 completers. COVID-19 pushed our technology agenda forward due to the nature of clinical experiences for our students–all virtual, a hybrid, or face to face with some students at home virtually. Our goals in that area are advancing. We have had rich discussions, professional development, and created a tool to measure social justice dispositions, which has undergone several revisions. There is still a lot of work to be done in the area of social justice. We have a common understanding of social justice; however, when we examine the social justice dispositions, time and examples are needed to delve deeper into how those dispositions manifest in the classroom. This year, we are going to create an action plan for our State of the Art MAE in 2028.