Dr. Elizabeth Bellows, associate professor, and Dr. Tracy Smith, professor, in the Reich College of Education’s (RCOE) Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Appalachian State University have been named Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellow and Faculty Fellow for Mentoring Initiatives respectively for the RCOE. The Faculty Fellows are a collaborative effort between the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) and the RCOE.
“I am excited Dr. Bellows and Dr. Smith have taken on these roles,” said Dr. Melba Spooner, Dean of the RCOE. “The Faculty Fellow program is very important to the mission and goals of the Reich College of Education.”
“I am excited Dr. Bellows and Dr. Smith have taken on these roles,” said Dr. Melba Spooner, Dean of the RCOE. “The Faculty Fellow program is very important to the mission and goals of the Reich College of Education.”
“They bring a wealth of scholarly and instructional expertise to their respective responsibilities,” continued Dean Spooner. “With their passion, determination, experience, and expertise in the areas of Inclusive Excellence and Mentoring Frameworks and Support Systems, Dr. Bellows and Dr. Smith will move the RCOE forward in intentional and informed ways that directly impact our day-to-day operations and relations as well as instructional, scholarly, and engagement endeavors.”
Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellow
The Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellow will focus on inclusive excellence work and initiatives across the RCOE, as well as enriching professional learning opportunities that advance the goals of the college and university in alignment with the strategic plan. The position responsibilities include:
- conducting relevant review of the literature;
- assessment of current inclusive excellence practices;
- examining curriculum and potentially developing a framework for inclusive methodology and pedagogy;
- leading the Inclusive Excellence Team within the RCOE;
- assisting with the creation of an inclusive excellence statement for each department as well as for the RCOE; and
- developing a report of recommendations to be shared with the Dean and other college leadership to effectively carry out inclusive practices in the RCOE.
Bellows begins her two year term spring 2020.
“I am humbled and excited to be named the Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellow for the RCOE, and believe inclusive practices can begin to shift the culture within our college and among our partners in order to better serve our students, staff, faculty, and community in equitable ways,” said Bellows.
She continued, “I hope to serve as a conduit between all who work and study with/in the RCOE to develop unique ways to reach our collective goals of Inclusive Excellence.”
“I am humbled and excited to be named the Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellow for the RCOE, and believe inclusive practices can begin to shift the culture within our college and among our partners in order to better serve our students, staff, faculty, and community in equitable ways,” said Bellows.
Bellows teaches social studies methods courses in elementary, middle grades, and secondary programs. She has taught undergraduate courses in classroom management, assessment, lesson design, graduate courses in assessment and elementary mathematics methods, as well as curriculum theory in the doctoral program. She joined the RCOE faculty in 2013.
Prior to her arrival to Appalachian, Bellows taught in Texas public schools for nine years and supervised preservice teachers for five years. She received a Ph.D. in social studies education from the University of Texas at Austin, a M.S. in elementary education from Texas A&M University at Commerce, and a B.S. in elementary education from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Bellows currently holds multiple leadership roles in regional and national organizations in her field. She has published five book chapters and her articles have been published in Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, Social Studies and the Young Learner, The Social Educator, American Educational History Journal, Journal of International Social Studies, Social Studies Research and Practice, and Social Education. Her research involves intersections of critical social studies and teacher education, historical research as it relates to social studies education, and international inquiry about social studies education in Japan and Romania. Bellows recently co-edited a book titled Re(imagining) Elementary Social Studies Education: A Critical Reader.
Faculty Fellow for Mentoring Initiatives
The Faculty Fellow for Mentoring Initiatives supports an intentional mentoring program and initiatives for the RCOE, which includes early, mid, and senior-career assistance and support. During this first year of the Fellowship, Smith will be conducting a literature review and collecting interview data from stakeholders within the College in order to design a custom mentoring model for the RCOE. The position responsibilities are:
- assessment of current college and department mentoring practices that focus on the professorial responsibilities of teaching, scholarly activities, and service/engagement;
- developing a report of recommendations to be shared with college leadership and colleagues;
- developing a sustainable and intentional mentoring program that will provide for both formal and informal interactions, responsibilities, and best practices;
- working directly with faculty to implement and institutionalize practices that enhance faculty success;
- envisioning, supporting, and facilitating professional development initiatives to serve the needs of faculty and staff;
- delivering professional development that actively enhances diversity and attends to the differences faculty and staff bring to the educational experience; and
- collaborating on campus-wide faculty development efforts with Faculty Fellows and the CAE faculty and staff.
Smith began her two-year term this semester, fall 2019.
Smith noted that Rene Carayol, famed speaker and author whose focus is on inspirational leadership captured her thinking in his definition and concerns about mentorship: “Mentoring is all about people -- it's about caring, about relationships and sensitivity. As it becomes increasingly in vogue it is becoming too formulated -- concerned with performance metrics, critical success factors, investment and spending. It'll be a disaster.”
Smith continued, “I am grateful that our college leadership understands the importance of investing in its people and in supporting the development of a customized RCOE approach to mentoring and supporting faculty at all career levels.”
Smith continued, “I am grateful that our college leadership understands the importance of investing in its people and in supporting the development of a customized RCOE approach to mentoring and supporting faculty at all career levels.”
Smith teaches for the middle grades education and curriculum specialist programs,. She has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses, and served on many dissertation committees.
Smith earned her Ph.D. in curriculum and teaching at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, her master’s in curriculum specialist at Appalachian State University, and her bachelor’s in education at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She joined the RCOE faculty in 2000.
In 2017, she was awarded the University of North Carolina Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2005 and 2015, she was the recipient of the Reich College of Education Outstanding Teaching Award. She was the recipient of the Reich College of Education Outstanding Mentor Award in 2014. Most recently, she received the C. Kenneth McEwin Distinguished Service in Middle Grades Education Award.
Her research interests include middle level teacher preparation, the history of the middle school movement, mentoring and educational development in higher education, curriculum theory and instructional design, the relationship between teaching expertise and student learning, and evaluating the depth of student understanding. She has had articles published in journals such as the To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, The Journal of Faculty Development, International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Middle School Journal, Journal of Teacher Education, Clearing House, and Teacher Education and Practice.
About Center for Academic Excellence
The CAE is the university's lead teaching and learning resource for faculty, staff, and students. It was formed by combining the staff and resources from Learning Technology Services and Faculty and Academic Development into a single, comprehensive center dedicated to growing excellence in teaching and learning and supporting faculty and student success.
Tracy Smith and Elizabeth Bellows
