SF State Ed.D. in Educational Leadership

New Leaders Newsletter 

            April 2011, Vol 1:6


Preparing California's Next Generation of Educational Leaders 

In This Issue
Peer Mentorship Program
Mentor: Dr. Egiziano
Mentor: Dr. Shears
Mentor: Dr. Harris
Mentor: Anita Sunseri
Educator Spotlight
 

Ed.D. Program Announcements

 

The Ed.D Program is pleased to announce that faculty, program alum and current students are presenting at AERA this Fall. Congratulations to Ed.D faculty Dr. Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, program alumni, Dr. Stacey Shears and Dr. William Watson as well as current Ed.D. student Arlene Daus-Magbual. 

 

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Dr. Norena Norton Badway is presenting at the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, as is Richard Ramos, member of 2010 Cohort. 

 


Congratulations to Dr. David Wick on the successful completion of his dissertation entitled, Study Abroad for student's of Color: A Third Space for Negotiating Agency and Identity. "This large-scale longitudinal qualitative research suggests that study abroad creates a Third Space for students of color that facilitates agency development, increases social and cultural capital, and allows for negotiation of intersecting identities."

 

A special thanks to David's committee comprised of Dr. Barbara Henderson (chair); Dr. Debra Luna and Dr. Marilyn Jackson.


Peer Mentorship Program: Fostering Connection, Discussion and Support

This year the Ed.D Program launches its pilot mentorship program. The vision of program alumni Dr. Michelle Donohue-Mendoza, this program serves to foster connection between past and current doctoral program students. Dr. Donohue-Mendoza recognized the challenges that arose when navigating a doctoral program and sought to assuage some of the pressures associated with doctoral study, through mentor/mentee relationships. The role of the peer mentor is to:

 

         Connect (via phone, email, or in-person) with their peer once a month.  

         Discuss and providing feedback to their peer on pending assignments, mid-term, and final papers if requested.

         Discuss frustrations or concerns students are having with cohort colleagues and/or faculty in the classroom, including workload, working on group assignments, etc.

         Review recent assignment feedback from instructors and provide an opportunity for students to reflect on the comments received and/or grade earned, and ways to improve for next assignments.

         Allow student to share any struggles, ask questions, etc.

         Discuss the application of coursework to work setting and/or concerns relative to issues of support for the doctoral student within the work environment.

         Support student during significant program milestones.

 

The Ed.D program is happy to feature what promises to be a successful initiative to assist and retain current doctoral students. Please read below our mentor profiles and quotes from current mentees.


Dr. Janet Egiziano 

egiziano

"I have found the process and the friendship formed through this relationship to be quite gratifying."


  

Dr. Egiziano became the Director of CSU Channel Islands, Thousand Oaks Campus as well as Associate Director of the MBA Program soon after she earned her Ed.D.  When asked why she has become a mentor, Dr. Egiziano states, "Despite having an excellent program advisor, being a member of Cohort 1[2007] often meant commiserating with classmates or relying on the doctoral program experiences of my instructors, many of whom were unable to relate to our experience of being full-time working professionals as well as full-time students. I became a mentor because I wanted other students to have the benefit of support and encouragement from someone who had successfully survived this very demanding program." Through participation in the Ed.D mentorship program, Egiziano hopes to provide whatever level of support is needed by her mentee. She hopes to help her mentee navigate the program's various challenges, provide encouragement, and be an active listener. In order to help her mentee, Dr. Egiziano is able to share her own experience in identifying a research topic, as well as share some examples of this process as experienced by other students from the 2007 cohort. Egiziano's advice for her mentee, Lisa Thomas, is especially useful as Lisa starts her dissertation: "I also told her that identifying a research topic early on does not necessarily mean a quick completion of the dissertation. Finally, I shared with her some of the best advice I received from my dissertation chair:  the dissertation is simply the culmination of your program; it is not the sum total of your life's work."

Dr. Stacey Shears 

shears

"I hope to learn more about what helps students in a doctoral program and I hope to encourage other students to continue when they may be discouraged, confused or need a sounding board."

 

Dr. Stacey Shears became a mentor to help other students in the process of completing a degree. She is mentor to two current Ed.D. students and recognizes the challenges presented in such a fast-paced environment. She states, "It was hard for me to complete the degree and I wished I had more peer assistance so I took the opportunity to help other students who might benefit from some peer support." From meeting with mentees to set up schedules for catching up with schoolwork, to advice on navigating the rigorous academic work and different teaching styles within the program, Dr. Shears is committed to providing feedback and assisting each mentee in the completion of the program. Dr. Shears is the Academic Student Services Manager for Disability Support Services at Diablo Valley College. 

 

 "I sought out a mentor because I thought it would be helpful to speak to someone that has finished the program [and] to hear about their experience. To the credit of the mentor program, they have stuck with me and followed me.... It's wonderful to have this person who I feel is keeping an eye on me...and I do suspect the mentor will have played a big role in [finishing the program]."-- Sharon Turner, Mentee, Cohort 2009


Harris

Dr. Matthew Harris

 

"If we were to continue our work, I believe I could help him develop a broader understanding of his dissertation as it feeds an overall research agenda and his career as an educator."

 

Dr. Matthew Harris is the Director of Technology for Saint Andrew's Episcopal School. Conversations with a fellow mentor led him to decide that participation in this program would be a great opportunity to help a current student navigate through the hurdles of dissertation and completion of the program, as these tools would have been quite helpful for him as a student. In giving of his time and resources, Harris recognizes that he will receive as well. He states, "I hope to gain an experience of stewardship for current students, which will aid me in my growth as an educational leader."  Harris wants his mentee, Jeff Flowers, to understand the big picture about the dissertation. He wants to "help him understand the scope and sequence of his work beyond the beginning phases of research design." Harris hopes this relationship proves to be fruitful and beneficial for both himself and Flowers. 

 

 

"I think that getting another view is a powerful tool and a part of the reason for me being in this program was for me to also network.  Hence my thinking that it would be a shame to squander this opportunity...

I think that my mentor and I are extremely lockstep in our thinking.  This was evident in our discussions regarding our organization schemes as well as how we approach handling the program/work/life. My mentor's sharing of his views on the program were especially insightful.  I think that hearing this from someone that's been through it all really calmed me down.  There's a ton of work to do, I think that I'm always behind - but to hear a voice say 'yep you probably are, but that's just the way this program goes' - it really helps."--Jeff Flowers, Mentee, Cohort 2009

Anita Sunseri

sunseri

"I hope I can give advice and support to my mentee. [This] experience benefits me because I feel like I am doing something worthwhile for a student. I also think it gives me experience in mentoring so I can get more involved in the program."

 

Anita Sunseri is a retired principal and a student in Cohort 2008 of the Ed.D program, slated to graduate this Spring, 2011. The program has allowed her to accomplish her long-desired goal of obtaining a doctorate degree. As a current student in the program, Sunseri knows its challenges. She became a mentor to give student support, "even if it's just listening to his/her concerns." Sunseri has been able to help her mentee, Tara Taupier, find a dissertation adviser.  

Educator Spolight 

hhh book

Dr. Helen Hyun Co-authors Eighth Edition of  

Research Methodologies Textbook 


How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education (2011) is the 8th edition of one of the best performing educational research methods textbooks in the country and also abroad (especially in Asia). The book is recommended primarily for college or university level instruction for introductory and intermediate research methods courses. Dr. Hyun comments, "From start to finish, the revisions and writing for this 8th edition took almost 3 years. The entire book was peer reviewed by a panel of 15 research methods professors from across the country for accuracy and currency. My co-authors and I spent two years updating and rewriting major portions of the text to make it as current and accessible to readers as possible."

 

Fraenkel, Jack; Wallen, Norman; Hyun, Helen. How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education (2011). Boston: McGraw-Hill. 

We welcome your feedback and your ideas for what should be covered in this newsletter. Please send your thoughts to our newsletter editor, Tonesha Russell {[email protected]}.
Robert Gabriner
Director, SFSU Ed.D.in Educational Leadership
[email protected]

Norena Norton Badway
Graduate Coordinator
[email protected]
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