The Division of Education at UC Davis could be reconstituted as a full school of education as early as 2002, under a proposal expected to receive systemwide approval.

Building on existing programs, the new school of education will work with K-12 schools, other campus departments, and other universities and colleges to train teachers and to improve school teaching. Through expanded graduate programs, it will also train future educational researchers, teacher educators and leaders for the public school system.

The size of the faculty would increase to 30 full-time positions, 11 more than is currently allocated. It is estimated that the number of undergraduate minors and master's and doctoral students served would increase substantially. Plans are already underway to increase the number of teachers credentialed from 120 at present to up to 190 per year.

Faculty from other departments will be involved in research and teaching through institutes within the school. Initially, up to three institutes are proposed. Suggested topics for the institutes are mathematics and science, language and literacy, and the social context of schooling.

For more information, contact interim division director Jonathan Sandoval at (530) 752-4663; jhsandoval@ucdavis.edu.