About EDHI

Mission Statement

aerial view

The mission of the Department of Education Leadership, Higher Education and International Education (EDHI) is to prepare leaders, policy analysts, scholars, administrators, and researchers to improve education within a wide range of settings, formal and non-formal, public and private, and across local, state, regional, national, and international contexts.

The Department is comprised of faculty who have defined and informed areas of research and practice in higher education, comparative and international education, and educational leadership. Faculty are scholars, and scholar practitioners, who have held leadership positions in key organizations and are committed to equity, diversity and social justice. The Department is a collaborative community that develops theory, conducts research and translates these to practice, to engage students, educators, and professionals in the advancement of education.

Introduction

The new Department of Education Leadership, Higher Education and International Education (EDHI) combines three previously approved specializations - higher education, international education, and organizational leadership studies. Faculty of the new department consists of eight tenured and tenure-track professors, as well as two professors of the practice. The department offers graduate programs preparing students to assume educational leadership roles (e.g., school and district leaders, senior college administrators, international education specialists), and to work in complex local, state, national, and international settings. Bringing together these three specializations places the College of Education in a unique position to serve a variety of publics (e.g., schools, colleges, government agencies, foundations, international governments and agencies.)

The goals of the Department of Education Leadership, Higher Education and International Education include:

  • Conducting theoretically sound practice and research.
  • Preparing leaders who can shape and implement policy, lead organizations, and create, direct, and evaluate intervention programs effectively.
  • Preparing leaders to meet newly arising challenges at the local, national and international levels.
  • Contributing to theory that informs practice, and to engage in practice that in turn informs theory.
  • Establishing partnerships with institutions and communities across all levels of education.

The strategic initiatives of the Department of Education Leadership, Higher Education and International Education include:

  • Creating off-campus executive M.A, Ed.D, and certificate programs targeted at leadership in higher education, K-12, and international education.
  • Expanding partnerships with school systems for the development of off-campus Ed.D. programs for school and district leaders.
  • Maintaining a top 20 U.S. News & World Report ranking for all programs that have separate rankings, and having all programs, over time, ranked in the top 10.
  • Disseminating key research findings at national and international conferences.
  • Consulting with local, state, national, and international organizations on issues pertaining to equity, diversity, access, and quality.
  • Building research partnerships with local, state, national and international organizations and institutions.

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