Faculty Spotlight: Candace Schlein – New Interim Program Director for Graduate Student Development in SGS and Interim Program Director of FaCET

Candace Schlein

 

Dr. Candace Schlein, an Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies in the School of Education, is now the Interim Program Director for Graduate Student Development in the School of Graduate Studies.

“My new duties will include overseeing and maintaining the curriculum and the coursework for the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program,” she said. “I will also handle admissions, recruitment, advising, and scholarships related to the PFF program.”

The PFF program is a certificate program students can complete on its own or along with a degree program.

“The Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Program provides key training to graduate students and new faculty members regarding undertaking faculty positions successfully. This program offers invaluable guidance and mentoring to support careers at the college level,” Schlein said. “The Program has recently undergone a complete curriculum overhaul, with courses now being offered fully online. It is my hope that this new format will enable the program to be accessible to a wider range of students. Previously, the PFF Program was limited to a restrictive group of doctoral students each year. With this new curriculum underway, it is my aim to encourage advanced graduate students in all programs and across all disciplines to take part in the program. I hope to extend the reach of this program to support all graduate students with skills that are consonant with teaching at the college level while also reaching out to mentor new faculty.”

Dr. Schlein is excited about the PFF program.

“Teaching and learning require a set of skills and dispositions beyond content knowledge. The PFF Program offers advanced graduate students and/or new faculty members courses, seminars, and mentoring experiences that scaffold the transition from student to faculty member. Topics include shaping a teaching philosophy, preparing syllabi, making courses more accessible, shaping exciting online courses, and attending to student motivation, along with faculty job search-specific activities,” she said. “It offers this necessary training that can make a real impact on job attainment and job success. I cannot think of a greater responsibility and a more rewarding challenge than to prepare students and new faculty with the tools for success.”

Dr. Schlein enjoys her role in graduate studies in the School of Education.

“I teach graduate courses on curriculum theory and research and on action research. I further advise Doctoral and Educational Specialist students as Research Chair or as a Research Committee Member,” she said. “Recent research projects include an inquiry into the voicing of experiences of school desegregation in Kansas City and an exploration of characteristics of exemplary urban educators. I believe it to be a great privilege to concentrate on issues of equity, social justice, and diversity as located in the urban context within my teaching, mentoring, and research endeavors.”

With student-to-faculty ratios of 14-to-1, Dr. Schlein thinks UMKC is a great choice for graduate studies.

“UMKC’s positioning as an urban-oriented university provides exciting learning and research opportunities for graduate students,” she said. “Moreover, the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program also offers a unique experience, where doctoral level studies are undertaken within a combination of disciplines. In an era where disciplines are becoming more and more interconnected on a global knowledge landscape, this program focus particularly underscores necessary 21st century skills.”

Note: Anyone interested in the Preparing Future Faculty program can contact Dr. Candace Schlein at SchleinC@umkc.edu.

 

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