UWG Names New Education Dean - College of Education - The ...

A Publication of the College of Education Vol. 14, No. 1 • Fall, 2001
UWG Names New Education Dean
T
he State University of West Georgia
has named a new dean of the
College of Education. Dr. Kent
Layton joins West Georgia from Arkansas
State University (ASU) where he has
been the associate dean of the College of
Education since 1997.
Dr. Beheruz Sethna, UWG president,
said, “The College of Education is
poised to take advantage of several exciting
opportunities in the next few years.
Some of these include innovations in
the preparation of teachers, administrators,
counselors, in teaching teachers to
teach with technology, and in the education
of exceptional children. Our
College of Education faculty and students
can continue to make their presence
felt on the state and national scene
in each of these and other areas with Dr.
Layton’s good leadership.”
Layton received his B.S.Ed. in early
childhood education in 1981 and his
M.Ed. in reading education in 1983
from Southwest Missouri State University.
Layton received his Ph.D in reading
education in 1985 from the University
of Georgia.
Layton served as the interim dean
of Arkansas State University’s College of
In this Issue…
UWG Names New Dean ....................... 1
Georgia P-16 Now Becomes ECC.......... 2
West Georgia Leadership Academy......... 3
Price Michael Retires.............................. 3
Department News.................................. 4
Kudos..................................................... 9
Spotlight: Pam Nutt ............................. 10
West GYSTC “Digs” Fossils ................. 12
Education, 1998-1999. He was associate
professor of reading at ASU from
1989-1997, assistant professor of education
at Eastern Michigan University
from 1987-1989, and assistant professor
of education at Wichita State University
from 1985-1987.
His educational career includes
teaching in elementary and middle
schools, and work as a graduate teaching
assistant at Southwest Missouri State
University and the University of Georgia.
Layton served as a member of the
editorial review board of numerous
New Dean — continued on page 11
Kent Layton
Educational Leadership and Professional Studies Department Planning Retreat
The Department of Educational Leadership and Professional Studies enjoyed a
day of planning on August 16 in a “retreat” setting at Historic Banning Mills near
Whitesburg. All members of the department spent the day considering a wide array
of issues in preparation for the new academic year. The planning session included
consideration of a proposal to the Southern Region Education Board for inclusion
in SREB’s new initiative for a university network to develop alternative preparation
programs and training experiences for school leaders.

T
he Georgia P-16 Initiative was
established in 1995 during Governor
Zell Miller’s administration.
This initiative joined together the Governor,
legislative leaders, the Georgia
Department of Education and Technical
and Adult Education, the Office of
School Readiness, the University System
of Georgia, faculty, educational administrators,
school boards, communities,
youth advocates, and the private sector
to work on shared goals. The goals
of P-16 are to create seamless educational
opportunities for students from
pre-school (P) through completion of
some form of post-secondary education
(16), and to prepare teachers who are
able to help student in the schools to
achieve at high levels. The five goals
set forth by the Georgia P-16 Initiative
are:
1. To improve student achievement
to high levels from pre-school
through post-secondary education;
2. To help students move smoothly
from one educational system
to another, when movement is
appropriate;
3. To ensure that all students who
enter post-secondary education
are prepared to succeed, and far
more actually do so;
4. To improve the admission and
success rates of all students in
post-secondary education, especially
those from minority and
low income groups; and
5. To focus the co-reform of teacher
education, advanced preparation
programs for educators, and the
public schools towards practices
that lead to all students meeting
high academic standards.
In 1997 the West Georgia P-16
Council received a Challenge Grant
from the Georgia P-16 Council to focus
on one of the five goals set forth in the
2
Georgia P-16 Now Becomes ECC
State Initiative: the co-reform
of teacher education towards
practices that result in all students
meeting high academic
standards. The State University
of West Georgia, in
companionship with the P-16
Grant, is also part of a major
initiative to redesign teacher
education. This partnership
is designed to strengthen not
only the initial preparation of a
teacher, but also the induction
period of a new teacher and
provide professional development
of established teachers and administrators.
Collaboration is the key to
creating and keeping a quality teacher,
and “Functional Goals” include:
§ Preparation of new educators
(teachers, counselors, administrators)
for schools
§ Professional development for
school and university personnel
§ Full support for increased learning
§ Research on best practices that
improve both schools and educator
preparation
In 1998, the Board of Regents
approved a set of ten Principles and
Actions for the Preparation of Educators
for the Schools. The Principles emphasized
the knowledge, skills, performance
targets, and levels of accomplishment
expected of University System graduates
who become certified to work in Georgia’s
public schools. The Principles
were grouped into three categories:
Quality Assurance, Collaboration, and
Responsiveness. Implementation of the
1998 Principles which were revised and
approved by the Board of Regents in
April 2001, began at the campus level
with the junior class and with graduate
students in the fall of 2000. The
Principles take effect with the graduating
class of 2002.
Fall 2001
Collaborative Schools Committee: L-R Randy Hendricks,George E.
Rolle, Donna Harkins, Alison Nazzal, Cathleen Doheny, Kent
Layton, Becky Hart, Marie Jackson. Not pictured: David Hulsey,
Elaine Roberts, Terrie Keilborn, Rebecca Dodge, Marie Holbein
Effective May 24, 2001, the Georgia
Pre-School ⎯⎯ Post Secondary Education
(P-16) Council was reconstituted
as the Education Coordinating Council
(ECC). The ECC provides a forum
for interagency communication of educational
policy and programs and promotes
the development of a seamless
and integrated public education system,
pre-school through college. Initial work
has centered on: 1) identifying ways
to share facilities, equipment, personnel,
etc., 2) finding ways to ease
student transition from one level to the
next, 3) sharing information of ongoing
activities/programs at each agency. The
Governor serves as chair and attends all
meetings, and State Education Agency
Heads serve as members of ECC.
A companion to the P-16 initiative
is the Collaborative Schools component
which fosters shared responsibility for
enabling and empowering educators to
develop lifelong learners in their schools
and communities. The Collaborative
Schools Committee (CSC) adheres to
the following charges:
• Work with collaborative schools
in the development and implementation
of a variety of models
for collaborative school project
• Build relationships and opportunities
for the sharing of expertise
Georgia P-16 — continued on page 11

Fall 2001
Donation from Georgia Power Funds Creation
of West Georgia Leadership Academy
As a result of a generous grant from the Georgia Power Company, the College
of Education through its Department of Educational Leadership and
Professional Studies has established the West Georgia Leadership Academy.
Dr. Ronnie A. Williams, retired Georgia superintendent, will serve as the Executive
Director of the Leadership Academy.
L-R: Dr. Gus Douvanis, former ELPS acting Chair, Dr. Linton Deck,
Chair of ELPS, and Dr. Ronnie Williams
Assisting Dr.
Williams will be Dr.
David Hulsey and
Dr. Jim Berry, both
former principals
and superintendents
who retired from
Alabama and now
serve on the faculty
of the Educational
Leadership Department.
The primary purpose
of the West
Georgia Leadership Academy is to facilitate the improvement of student achievement
in schools in the State University of West Georgia’s service area. The initial
work of the Academy is focusing on beginning principals in the West Georgia
RESA and NW Georgia RESA service areas. The Leadership Academy believes
that helping these new principals become more effective leaders will result in
more effective schools and higher student achievement.
To optimize the Leadership Academy’s influence and efforts, collaborative
partners have been enlisted. Presently, the West Georgia RESA, NW Georgia
RESA, the Georgia State Department of Education’s Leadership Academy and
twenty-three local school systems have joined the West Georgia Leadership
Academy in its efforts to help schools.
The Academy believes that collaboration among the key stakeholders in the
West Georgia area and the sharing of resources is vital to the success of its
efforts.
Through this collaborative model, the
Leadership Academy intends to concentrate
its initial efforts on two groups of
principals. Those principals in their first
year of the principalship will be invited
to participate in ongoing professional
development designed to help them
better lead their schools to improved student
achievement. The participants will
identify the topics that most challenge
them in their job and a highly interactive
program will be planned around those “Coaching can help principals grow professionally”
Leadership Academy — continued on page 11
Dr. Price Michael Retires
(After 44 Years of Service)
Dr. Price Michael, former Interim
Dean in the College of Education
and Professor of Educational Administration,
retires after 44 years of dedicated
and exemplary service in various
academic settings. After graduating
from Knoxville College in 1957,
Dr. Michael started his professional
journey as a classroom teacher in
the inner city and suburban schools,
and later became an Assistant Principal,
then a Principal, all in the Cincinnati,
Ohio Public Schools. Advancing
to the collegiate level, he became
an Associate Professor of educational
leadership and the coordinator of
field experiences and internship at
Peabody College of Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, Tennessee.
Dr. Michael came to State University
of West Georgia in Fall of
1986 as Department Chair and Professor
of Educational Leadership. In
addition to these responsibilities, he
maintained instructional duties. His
research agenda, professional publications,
and presentations to a variety
of learning societies have made significant
contributions to the field of
education. Serving as Interim Dean
in the College of Education in 2001,
Dr. Michael’s retirement became effective
September 1. He plans to provide
continuous service and leadership to
UWG and the community.
3

Counseling and Educational Psychology
4
Counseling and Educational Psychology
Department Welcomes New Faculty
Dr. Li Cao is Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology.
He has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology
from McGill University in Montreal,
Canada, a M.Ed. in Curriculum
and Instruction from Queen’s University
in Canada, a M.A. in English Literature
and Language from Sichaun University in
Chengdu in China, and a B.A. in English
Literature and Languages from Chongquing
Jianzhu University in China. Dr. Cao has taught at St.
Mary’s University of Minnesota as an Assistant Professor and
has other professional experience in teaching and research.
Dr. Cheri Smith is Assistant Professor
of Counseling. She has a B.A. degree in
Social Studies from the University of West
Florida in Pensacola, a M.Ed. in Counseling
from Mississippi State University in
Starkville, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology
and Counselor Education from
Mississippi State University. Dr. Smith has
taught at St. John’s University in New York, and the University
of Montevallo in Alabama.
Curriculum and Instruction
The Department of Curriculum and Instruction is
pleased to welcome its new faculty members
– all nine of them.
Joan Chapman joins us as Instructor of
Early Childhood and Middle Grades Education
at the Dalton External Degree Program.
Joan has her B.S. from Tennessee
Tech University, along with two M.Ed.’s
and an Ed.S. from West Georgia College.
She has 21 years of experience in the
schools, recently retiring from the Dalton
Public Schools, where she served as a
teacher and Title I Program Director.
Larry W. Cooper comes to the Dalton
program as Assistant Professor of Middle
Grades Education, with his Ed.D. from
Vanderbilt University. Larry spent 24
Fall 2001
years as a school administrator in the Dalton area, most
recently as an elementary school principal for the Whitfield
County Schools.
The third new addition to the Dalton
program faculty is Lynelle Stewart, as
Instructor of Early Childhood and Middle
Grades Education. Lynelle’s M.Ed. is from
the University of Georgia, and her Ed.S.
is from Lincoln Memorial University in
Tennessee. She has 30 years experience as
a teacher and school administrator, most
recently serving as assistant principal at New Hope Elementary
School in Whitfield County.
New faculty on the main campus
include Rosalind Duplechain, Assistant
Professor of Early Childhood and Elementary
Education. With her Ph.D. from the
University of Illinois, Ros has 8 years experience
in public schools, and 3 years on the
faculty at Valparaiso University in Indiana.
Gary Gregg joins us as
Instructor of Developmental and Diagnostic
Reading, assigned to the Reading Clinic.
Gary has his M.S. and Ed.S. from Jacksonville
State University in Alabama, and has
the distinction of having taught in the same
community for 25 years, most recently at
Wellborn Elementary School in Anniston.
Rumor has it that he also has a history as a
successful gospel singer.
Regina Gresham, Assistant Professor
of Early Childhood and Elementary Education,
earned her M.A., Ed.S., and Ph.D.
at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Gina has taught in public schools for
12 years, most recently in an elementary
school setting for Gadsden City Schools.
Liane Lyke, Assistant Professor of
Early Childhood and Elementary Education,
completed her B.A., M.Ed., and
Ed.D. at Florida Atlantic University. She
spent 6 years as a public school teacher,
and 4 years as a university adjunct. Most
recently, she served in a dual role as both
a kindergarten teacher and an adjunct faculty
member in Florida.

Fall 2001
Janice Pratt, Assistant Professor of Seconday
English Education, earned her M.A.
and Ed.D. at the University of Alabama in
Tuscaloosa. Jan has 20 years experience in
public schools, most recently as a part-time
ESL teacher in the Guntersville, Alabama
schools.
Paula Webster, Assistant
Professor of Reading Education, completed
her M.A. and Ph.D. in reading
at Oakland University in Michigan. With
experience in both commercial and education
fields, Paula most recently served
as a consultant and teacher trainer for
UNICEF in Kingston, Jamaica.
Educational Leadership and
Professional Studies
Educational Leadership and Professional
Studies Department Welcomes New Faculty
Members
Linton Deck is the Chair of Educational
Leadership and Professional Studies
Department. Dr. Deck is the former
chair of Educational Leadership at Vanderbilt
University, and former superintendent
in Bibb County (Macon), GA; Orange
County (Orlando), FL, and Fairfax County,
VA.
Anne Halsall, is a former faculty
member at St. Francis Xavier University in
Nova Scotia and staff member at the University
of Saskatchewan. She has been a
teacher and administrator in the United
Kingdom and Canada.
Abbot Packard, is a
former member at Keene State College in
New Hampshire, Drake University in Des
Moines, and University of Northern Iowa
in Cedar Falls, IA. Dr. Packard teaches
research methodology.
James Berry is a
former superintendent in two Alabama
school districts. He also taught as adjunct
professor at the University of Alabama and
the University of Northern Alabama. Dr.
Berry has taught university courses in the
Dominican Republic.
Luke Cornelius is a former faculty
member at University of Nevada in Las
Vegas. He was a staff member of UCEA
Center for Education Finance at the University
of Florida.
Ronnie Williams is the former superintendent
for Carrollton
City Schools. He also
served as superintendent of schools in
Americus, Georgia. Dr. Williams is parttime
director of the West Georgia Leadership
Academy working with principals in
more than twenty districts.
Media and Instructional Technology
New Interim Chair in Media and
Instructional Technology
Dr. Barbara K. McKenzie has been
appointed Interim Chair for the Department
of Media and Instructional Technology.
Former Chair, Dr. Michael Waugh,
moved to the University of Tennessee in
Knoxville where he was named Chair of
the Department of Instructional Technology,
Curriculum, and Evaluation. Dr. McKenzie served as
chair of the Research, Media, and Technology Department
from 1995-1999 and has been a faculty member at the
University of West Georgia the past 15 years. She plans to
lead the department in expanding their program offerings,
as well making improvements in the department’s distance
program.
MIT Faculty Experimenting with
new Distance Learning Tools
The Media and Instructional Technology Department
has been offering courses via distance education since January,
1996 – but most of those courses have been taught
using the video conferencing system provided by the Georgia
Statewide Academic and Medical System or online via
WebCT. This fall, MIT faculty are using two new technologies
to provide students in remote locations access to on
campus courses.
Students working toward masters and educational specialist
degrees in Instructional Technology are gaining first
hand experience using a web-based video conferencing
system called Envision. Dr. Letty Ekhaml is teaching
Instructional Design to masters students and Drs. Elizabeth
Bennett, Bill Wiencke, and Melanie Cardell are teaching
5

Media and Technology Research. Dr. Ekhaml teaches the
Chattooga cohort from her office, while the Research class
meets in a regular classroom in the Education Annex and
connects the instructors and students in Carrollton with the
students in Summerville. Students are able to see, hear and
talk with the instructors, view computer-based multimedia
presentations, see notes presented on a whiteboard, and
participate in a variety of other class activities.
Meanwhile, students in Dr. Barbara McKenzie’s Administration
of Instructional Technology course will be participating
in two pilot classes using the Epic Learning system.
This system allows students to participate via their home
computer in live, real-time classes delivered over the internet.
Students can view and hear multimedia presentations
as the instructor lectures, and post questions and comments
for the instructor. For more information on distance courses
offered by the Media and Instructional Technology Department
contact Dr. Barbara McKenzie, 770-836-6558.
6
Physical Education and Recreation
Department of Physical Education and
Recreation New Faculty
Dr. Mark Nagel, Assistant Professor,
has recently joined the sport management
program and was formerly the sport management
coordinator at San Jose State University.
He received his doctorate in sport
management from the University of Northern
Colorado in 1999 and has had extensive
experience in a variety of sport management
roles. He has worked for the campus recreation programs
at the University of Northern Colorado and the University
of San Francisco, and also served as an assistant coach
with the University of San Francisco’s Women’s Basketball
team from 1994-1997. Since arriving at the UWG, Dr.
Nagel has been active in research projects with a variety of
sport organizations. He is an active member of the North
American Society for Sport Management, the Society for the
Study of the Legal Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity,
and the International Association of Assembly Managers,
and has written articles for a variety of publications including
the International Journal of Sport Management and the
Sport Business Journal. Dr. Nagel’s research interests are
primarily focused in the areas of sport finance, sponsorship,
and sport law.
Dr. Brent Hardin, Assistant Professor, comes to UWG
after serving as an Assistant Professor at the University of
Florida. Dr. Hardin received his bachelor’s degree from
Fall 2001
Ambassador University, his master’s degree
from The University of Georgia and his
Ph.D. from Florida State University. Dr.
Hardin’s teaching focus is on training physical
education students to teach children
with disabilities, and his main research
interests are in the areas of disability sport
media and teacher education reform.
Mr. Peter Han, Interim Instructor, is currently a doctoral
student at the University of Northern Colorado,
where he is pursuing a degree in Sport Administration.
Mr. Han received his bachelor’s degree in
Physical Education in 1991 from Hanyang
University in Seoul, Korea, and his master’s
degree from the Kent State University
Sport Administration program. While
attending the University of Northern Colorado,
Mr. Han was a web master for web
sites such as Sport Administration Program,
Sport Marketing Institute at the University, and also
designed and maintained the homepage of the North American
Society of Sport Management Conference. Currently,
Peter is web master for the homepage of the Sport Management
Program at the State University of West Georgia. His
areas of research interests include Internet Marketing, Sport
Marketing, Facility Management, and Web site evaluation.
West Georgia Sport Marketing
West Georgia Sport Marketing (WGASM) was conceived
as a student-centered project within the Sport Management
department. The purpose of WGASM is to give
UWG sport management students an opportunity to gain
practical experience in various facets of sport management
including: basic and applied research, event management,
marketing, public relations, and communications. WGASM
provides these services to sport industry clients in West
Georgia and the Atlanta Metro area.
WGASM is a cooperative venture between students and
faculty. Through a variety of methods, clients are identified
and approached or referred to WGASM. After the client’s
needs are determined, students are involved in all phases of
a project, from needs assessment, budgeting, to all levels of
project planning and implementation.
West Georgia Sport Marketing recently completed a
three-month market research project for the Georgia State
Soccer Association (GSSA) and the Women’s United Soccer
Association’s (WUSA) Atlanta Beat. During the project,
West Georgia Sport Marketing staff and UWG sport management
students, supervised by Dr. Richard Southall and
Ms. Deborah LeGrande, administered surveys at Atlanta
Beat games and youth soccer tournaments. Sport Man-

Fall 2001
agement students Chrissy Baines and Elizabeth Skogman
completed their practicum requirements as WGASM staff
by organizing and planning the logistics of the venture.
A demographic and descriptive statistics analysis was then
prepared using the data collected during the survey work.
The project yielded information about fan demographics,
for both GSSA and the Atlanta Beat, and a possible location
for a state soccer complex.
Reports for both organizations were prepared and delivered.
In addition, oral presentations were made to the GSSA
Executive board and the Beat Marketing Department staff.
The $2,300 generated from the contracts will be utilized to
improve UWG’s Sport Management program.
What Research Tells the Practitioner
This section is a continuation of the series that is presented
to communicate how recent research may affect what
the teacher is doing. This issue’s topic is Training Teacher’s
to Teach Students with Disabilities via the Infusion Model.
Recent research in the field of physical education has
examined how practicing teachers felt their undergraduate
program prepared them to teach children with disabilities
in integrated environments. Unfortunately, the findings
indicated that many teachers felt extremely unqualified to
teach students with disabilities. In fact, most teachers indicated
that the topic of students with disabilities was virtually
ignored, except in the their lone adapted physical education
class. For most of the teachers, their adapted physical education
course and related clinical experience associated with
the adapted class is their sole undergraduate preparation
for teaching students with disabilities in integrated environments.
The findings from these exploratory studies seem
to indicate that one adapted physical education course is
not enough to prepare students to teach children with disabilities
in integrated environments.
As a result of findings like these, many teacher educators
are now recommending an infusion curriculum to train
physical educators to teach students with disabilities in
inclusive environments. In an infusion curriculum, knowledge
about individuals with disabilities is systematically
mixed in throughout the curriculum. Infusion advocates
believe by having only a separate adapted physical education
course reinforces the notion that segregation is needed,
if not preferred. True infusion is not the elimination of
adapted physical education courses, but the blend of additional
disability knowledge throughout the physical education
curriculum. While adoption of an infusion model
will require significant change, this model may have the
capacity to increase graduates’ confidence and competence
when teaching students with disabilities.
Special Education and Speech
Language Pathology
Truly Important People
As in previous years, we are fortunate to have among
us graduate research assistants who are completing studies
in speech-language pathology. Jessica, Debra, and Brigid
work very hard to support all faculty members with individual
projects and graciously assist students with their needs.
They are supervised directly by Mrs. Jean Harris, our very
capable and soft-spoken Staff Assistant. If you are in need
of assistance, a wonderful smile, or chocolate candy, visit the
Special Education and Speech Language Pathology Department.
New and Returning Faculty in the Special
Education and Speech Language Pathology
Department
This year we are happy to welcome Dr. Daniel Sisterhen
as a new Assistant Professor of Speech-Language Pathology
and Ms. Gwynne Bolton as a full time instructor. Neither
faculty member is exactly a new face. Ms. Bolton was a
temporary instructor during the previous academic year, and
Dr. Sisterhen joined us as adjunct faculty during the spring
semester of 2001.
Dr. Sisterhen received his Bachelor of Science and Master
of Science degrees in Communications from Louisiana State
University. Following his graduation he became American
Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) certified in speech
pathology and audiology and served as the chief audiologist
for the Louisiana State Department of Health, and later as
an Assistant Professor and Clinical Coordinator for Speech
Pathology and Audiology at the LSU Medical Center.
While in Louisiana, Dr. Sisterhen earned his doctorate in
special education at the University of New Orleans. After a
long sojourn into the corporate world, Dr. Sisterhen found
his way to West Georgia where he now teaches courses in
Audiology, Aural Rehabilitation, and Anatomy and Physiology
of Speech and Hearing. When not teaching or preparing
instructional materials for classes, Dr. Sisterhen is busy
meeting with vendors in order to bring the audiological
components of the clinic up-to-date. He is an energetic
man with great ideas. Although dedicated to his academic
responsibilities, good weather and clear skies beckon him to
his boat.
In addition to being a great teacher, Dr. Sisterhen is
the husband of Christa and the proud father of Patrick,
an electrical engineer who graduated from Vanderbilt, and
Katie Scott who is a freshman at the University of Georgia.
7

8
West Georgia University Speech
and Hearing Clinic
The West Georgia Speech and Hearing clinic, located in
room 107 of the Education Center, is open daily to clients
of all ages. Undergraduate and graduate speech-language
pathology students, supervised by faculty members, provide
services to a wide range of individuals with varying communication
disorders. Clinic staff offers evaluation and therapy
for children and adults with:
• Speech and language delay
• Oral motor coordination difficulty
• Phonological disorders
• Fluency disorders
• Auditory processing disorders
• Cognitive/linguistic retraining
• Aphasia therapy (stroke)
• Accent reduction
In addition to providing direct services to individuals,
West Georgia students work closely with family members,
schools, or other agencies to develop and coordinate treatment
goals. In addition, audiometric screenings are completed
at the clinic. Persons who would like additional information
regarding clinic services should contact Ms. Geraldine
Boddie, Clinic Coordinator, at 770-836-6567.
“Up With Fluency”
The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association
(NSSLHA) sponsored the first annual “UP With Fluency”
stuttering camp for school-aged children. A total of
six children attended the four-day program. Participants
engaged in individual and group therapy sessions that
focused on utilizing fluency enhancing techniques in a
variety of speaking situations. Upon completion of the program
each student received a certificate, t-shirt, and home
activity packet. Look for more exciting activities sponsored
by NSSLHA during the coming months.
Nondegree Initial Certification
Programs in Special Education
In order to address the critical need for teachers certified
in special education, the Department of Special Education
and Speech-Language Pathology offers Professional Standards
Commission (PSC) approved Nondegree Initial Certification
Programs in Learning Disabilities/Behavior Disorders
and Mental Retardation. These initial certification
programs are targeted for those persons who have completed
a degree or degrees in areas other than education, but who
now have a strong desire to teach students with disabilities
in Preschool through Grade 12. Individuals interested in
Fall 2001
pursuing either of these programs should apply to the Graduate
School at the University of West Georgia. The admission
application can be completed online or downloaded
from the Graduate School web site (http://www.westga.edu/
~gradsch) and mailed to the Graduate School.
Minimum admission requirements include completion
of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, official
copies of all college/university transcripts, and a cumulative
GPA of 2.5 or higher. However, to complete the majority
of the requirements for the certification program, candidates
must be admitted to Teacher Education. This step of the
program requires that the candidate must have a minimum
GPA of 2.7 and have passed all sections of the Praxis I or
submitted exemption scores from the SAT, ACT, or GRE.
Following admission to the program, each candidate is
asked to make an appointment to discuss program requirements
with a faculty advisor. During this advisement session,
candidates are informed of any previously completed
coursework that may be accepted toward program requirements.
Although each candidate must complete the equivalency
of a year-long internship program, a student enrolled
in the Learning Disabilities/Behavior Disorders program
who are currently teaching with a provisional certificate usually
complete this phase of the program in the classroom
in which he/she is teaching. Most candidates complete the
program within two years.
Students who successfully complete the Nondegree Initial
Certification program and pass the Praxis II in the
appropriate area are eligible for a clear, renewable, educator
certificate in the specific special education teaching field.
Also, nondegree initial certification candidates who wish
to pursue a Master of Education at the University of
West Georgia and who have met entrance requirements for
admission to this degree program, can complete twelve of
the required M.Ed. program hours while enrolled in the
Nondegree Initial Certification Program.
“Digs” Fossils
continued from page 12
The West GYSTC is a non-profit organization whose
goal is to increase interest and enthusiasm for science, math
and technology in teachers and students. WGYSTC serves
schools in Carroll, Haralson and Paulding Counties with
programs that emphasize hands-on activities to encourage
learning. The fossil pit will be used for field trips where
area students can visit the campus, become introduced to
geology and paleontology and get dirty digging up and
identifying their own fossils. The area will be landscaped
in the future. Also, Dr. Ray Crook plans to add to this
educational experience by constructing an archeology dig
site on the north side of the work area.

Fall 2001
Special Education faculty, Dr.
Karen Lee, was presented an
award for
“Innovative Excellence
in Teaching, Learning,
and Technology,”
thanks in part to her
use of online interaction
and her students’
subsequent success.
Lee was nominated
by President Sethna to represent UWG
in the international competition at the
Conference on College Teaching and
Learning on April 20, 2001, in Florida.
Lee was among 50 competitors vying
for the award in her category.
At the conference, Dr. Lee chaired a
co-presentation with two of her former
online (WebCT) students: Mary Ivy,
a Carroll County teacher, and Gwen
Swain, of the Gwinnett County School
System. Together the three presented
“Self-directed Thinking and Telecollaboration
for the Regular and Gifted Student.”
The topic was one of the major
themes explored in two of Lee’s online
gifted endorsement courses, along with
the two students’ outstanding classroom
applications.
Dr. Lee and another former student,
Gwendolyn Bird of Clayton County
Schools, also presented a similar presentation
at the world conference for
Gifted and Talented Children in Barcelona,
Spain.
Gaskin Wins Two Physical
Education Awards
Dr. Lynne Gaskin, professor
of physical education and associate
dean in
education, has been
named University
Physical Education
Teacher of the Year by
the Georgia Association
for Health, Physical
Education, Recre-
ation and Dance and has received the
President’s Award for Outstanding Service
from the Southern Academy of
Women in Physical Activity, Sport and
Health (SAWPASH).
The Teacher of the Year award recognizes
exemplary teaching, scholarship,
professional contributions, service, student
advisement and mentoring. The
President’s Award for Outstanding Service
recognizes a SAWPASH member
for significant service to the organization.
During her 37 years with SAW-
PASH, Gaskin has served as president,
vice president, finance officer and chair
of numerous committees. She is currently
on the board of directors.
Phi Delta Kappa Honors
Education Faculty
Five faculty members were
honored during the annual
awards dinner of the West Georgia
chapter of Phi Delta Kappa International,
a leading advocate for quality
education and public education with
more than 175,000 members worldwide.
Dr. Bob Hilliard, associate professor
in curriculum and instruction, received
the Award for Distinguished Service to
Education. Dr. John vonEschenbach,
chair of the Department of Curriculum
and Instruction, received an Award for
Leadership. Dr. Lynne Gaskin, associate
dean in the College of Education,
received an Award for Service. Dr.
Terrie Kielborn, assistant professor in
curriculum and instruction, received an
Award for Research. Dr. Brent Snow,
chair of the department of Counseling
and Educational Psychology, was named
Administrator of the Year.
National Council Accredits
Department Of Counseling
The department of Counseling
and Educational Psychology
has been accredited by the
Council for Accreditation of Counseling
and Related Educational Programs.
“We are only the fourth university
in Georgia to gain this accreditation
and the 16 th in the Southeast,” said
Dr. Brent Snow, professor and chair of
the department. “The CACREP site
visitation team commented on many
strengths of both the school and community
counseling programs. The site
team complimented the department for
having one of a handful of programs
in the nation awarded the Transforming
School Counseling grant.”
President Beheruz N. Sethna said,
“I am delighted that CACREP has
awarded national accreditation to our
counseling programs. It signifies that
a group of national experts has thoroughly
reviewed our programs, faculty,
staff, students and support systems and
has found them worthy of recognition
at a national level.”
Congratulations to PAGE/SPAGE
Scholarship Recipients
Recently fifteen PAGE (Professional
Association of Georgia
Educators) members were
awarded $1,000 scholarships
that will assist them in continuing
to pursue their academic
career goals.
State University of
West Georgia is the
first school to have
THREE scholarship
winners out of the
15 recipients. Two
UWG students won
DeMarcos Holland
Jennifer Ivey Griffin
a SPAGE Scholarship
(Student group of
PAGE): Jennifer Ivey
Griffin from Early
Childhood and
DeMarcos Holland
who recently graduated
from the sec-
9

Kudos
continued from page9
ondary program and is
now working on a Masters
in the Special Education
program. The
third UWG student is
Karen Joy Wyler who
is a teacher at Kedron
Karen Joy Wyler
Elementary School in
Fayette County and is in the Educational
Leadership program.
Education Students Ace
Teacher Certification
Program completers in the
College of Education passed the
national teacher certification test
with flying colors. The PRAXIS
Test is required for Georgia teacher certification
by the Professional Standards
Commission, which is responsible for
teacher certification within the state.
UWG’s pass rate was 98.3 percent in
reading, 96.6 percent in math and 98.3
percent in writing.
The PRAXIS II Test measures academic
knowledge of discipline content.
In 10 of the 15 content areas of this test,
UWG students passed at the rate of 100
percent. In the other areas, the pass rate
was 97.3 percent in early childhood,
94.4 percent in health and physical education,
90 percent in mental retardation,
89.7 percent in middle grades and
50 percent in math (of the two students
who were tested in math, one passed
and one failed).
10
Persevere for Your Dream
Pam Nutt, nominated currently
as Teacher of the Year
for Moore Elementary School
and for the entire Griffin-Spalding
County School System, Most Outstanding
Student in
Media/Instructional Technology at
UWG for 2001, and Wal-Mart’s
Teacher of the Year, holds many hats.
She is a wife, mother, school library
media specialist, adjunct instructor
at Mercer University, free lance
writer, and two-term school board
member for District 1 in Henry
County.
Fall 2001
The places where she obtained
her education were as varied as
the duties and responsibilities she is
having now. She graduated with a Middle Grades undergraduate education
degree from Mercer University, earned a master’s degree in Instructional Technology
from Georgia College, and received her specialist degree in Media/
Instructional Technology at State University of West Georgia.
Two of the projects required in her West Georgia’s 6 th year classes were used
or applied to the school where she worked. For instance, the video she produced
for Dr. Barbara McKenzie’s video class was used by her science department.
The grant proposal that she wrote as one of the project requirements for Dr.
Priscilla Bennett’s class was submitted to EcoLab in McDonough, Georgia and
funded for $11,000, and later for another $9,000 for the purchase of computers
in her school.
She has two articles published in two popular magazines, namely, MultiMedia
Schools and Georgia School Boards. The articles are about media specialists working
with their principals in getting extra funding for their media centers. She
also has written a chapter for a book, “The Survivor’s Guide to Technology”, by
Ferdi Semin. Two most recent articles, also on grantwriting, will be published in
Multimedia Schools and Today’s Librarian.
Pam aspires to be Dr. Nutt in the near future. She is planning to enroll in
the doctoral program in media and instructional technology at Georgia State
University. She wrote us, “My life has been full of setbacks and obstacles, (for
at the age of 30, she was hit by a train and almost died. After months of agony
and recovery, she was determined to get back on her feet to pursue her dreams of
attaining a college degree) but if I had allowed just one of them to get in my way,
none of my achievements would have been possible…….I know my family is
just as proud of me as I am of them. Never give up your dream!”

Fall 2001
New Dean
continued from page 1
professional publications He has also
authored articles, book chapters, and
other professional publications in the
area of reading. Layton has been active
in numerous professional organizations
throughout his career such as the International
Reading Association and the
College Reading Association.
Dr. Thomas Hynes, UWG, vice
president for academic affairs, said, “Dr.
Layton’s experience as a dean, reading
scholar, and his background in professional
developmental schools prepared
him to lead our faculty. His collaborative
and cooperative approach will
improve the way in which Georgia’s students
learn.”
Away from campus life, Layton’s recreational
interests lie in the sport of
soccer for which he has given significant
volunteer time to the Arkansas State
Soccer Association as a three-term board
member, including a short term as president.
In addition to leadership activities,
he coached classic soccer teams,
refereed at the collegiate and competitive
youth levels, and served as a referee
instructor. In 1996 and 1999, he represented
Arkansas as a regional state referee
in the USYSA Southern Regionals.
Still in the process of unpacking,
Layton resides in Carrollton with his
wife, Dee, who presently teaches third
grade at Carrollton City Elementary
School. Derek, his oldest son, is a
junior at Brown University in Providence,
Rhode Island, and is majoring
in cognitive science. Destin, his younger
son, is a junior at Carrollton City
High School and hopes to major in art
and play soccer at the collegiate level.
To date, the Layton’s have been most
impressed with the friendly supportive
environment and conscientious people
they have met in Carrollton as well as at
State University of West Georgia. They
look forward to a rich and rewarding
future in Carrollton.
Georgia P-16
among school and university faculties
• Provide staff development workshops
for personnel in collaborative
schools
• Involve master mentor teachers
in the supervision of interns and
field placement students
• Expand the number of collaborative
schools
Leadership Academy
topics. In addition, all first year principals
will be offered an “executive coach”
to assist them during their first two
years on the job.
This coaching model will focus on
the use of a 360-degree feedback process
to help them grow professionally
and improve their leadership skills. The
second target group will be principals
in their second or third year of experience.
This group will also be invited
to participate in ongoing professional
development with an emphasis on problem
solving and dealing with current,
relevant leadership issues. Both groups
will be invited to participate in a
summer leadership institute on the
campus of the University.
continued from page 2
• Nurture partnership relationships
and activities with schools and
school personnel with special
emphasis on induction and mentoring
For more information about P-16
and collaborative school initiatives,
please contact Dr. George E. Rolle,
P-16 Council Coordinator, at
770/836-6570 or grolle@westga.edu.
Participants of West Georgia P-16/Collaborative Schools
Berry College
Bremen City Schools
Carrollton City Schools
Carroll County Schools
Catoosa County Schools
Chattooga County Schools
Coosa Valley Technical Institute
Dade County Schools
Dalton College
Dalton Public Schools
Douglas County Schools
Floyd College
Floyd County Schools
Haralson County Schools
Heard County Schools
LaGrange College
Northwest Georgia RESA
Pike County Schools
Polk County Schools
Rome City Schools
Southwire Company
State University of West GA
Troup County Schools
Walker County Schools
West Central Technical Inst.
West Georgia RESA
continued from page 3
The College of Education and the
Educational Leadership and Professional
Studies Department are excited
about the potential the West Georgia
Leadership Academy has to improve
schools in our service area by helping
principals become more effective leaders.
It is the aim of the West Georgia
Leadership Academy to help principals
make the connection between educational
theory and effective practice and
to bring the State University of West
Georgia and local K-12 school systems
into a more effective and meaningful
partnership.
11

State University of West Georgia
College of Education
Carrollton, Georgia 30118-5000
T
he West Georgia Youth Science
and Technology Center is excited
to announce that construction has
been completed on a fossil pit and
covered work area located behind the
West GYSTC “Digs” Fossils
Waring Archeology building on the
west side of campus. This undertaking
was funded by an education grant from
the Southwire Company to WGYSTC
Regional Coordinator, Kathy White,
and quickly became a joint effort
involving university personnel. After
approval from Dr. Sethna, Bob Watkins
of the Facilities Department helped the
Center select an appropriate site for the
venture. Plans were drawn up and
the construction was managed by James
Hembree, Facilities Department. Dr.
Tim Chowns of the Geology Department
provided assistance in locating a
source for the fossil matrix. Help was
also provided by Boy Scouts from Troup
900 in Douglas County who aided
with building a large work area that
easily accommodates four picnic tables.
Finally, a 20’ x 20’ x 2’ area was
filled with 40 tons of fossiliferous limestone
from the Oconee mine near
Nonprofit
Organization
U.S.Postage
PAID
Carrollton, GA
Sandersville, Georgia. This material was
donated by owner John Grosshans and
is approximately 40 million years old.
“Digs” Fossils — continued on page 8