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Department Policies

Students in the Department of Education should be familiar with the following policies. Please talk to your faculty advisor if you have questions about these policies.

 

Revised: July 2020

I. APPROVAL OF PRIOR EXPERIENCE TO WAIVE STUDENT TEACHING 

The UHart Department of Education believes student teaching is a vital part of the teacher preparation program. Therefore, no waivers will be given to students who come into the program with prior teaching experience. This includes out-of-state candidates coming to UHart for Connecticut certification in one of our planned programs.  UHart’s student teaching program is 14 weeks except for our integrated program, which is broken up into two student teaching placements. 

II. OUT-OF-STATE STUDENT TEACHING

In order to ensure student teacher candidates are receiving proper supervision, guidance, and feedback, out-of-state student teaching is not supported by UHart’s Department of Education at this time.  No waivers or exceptions will be given for students who ask to complete their student teaching in another state.  All student teaching must be completed in Connecticut. 

III. STUDENT TEACHING PLACEMENT IN SCHOOL WHERE EDUCATOR IS EMPLOYED 

Revised: July 2021

A teacher candidate may complete their student teaching at their place of employment provided three conditions are met. First, the teacher candidate must take a leave of absence from their current job. Second, the teacher candidate must submit a letter from their HR department, which states they will be on a leave of absence from the district or school for the duration of their student teaching and will complete their student teaching in the area they are applying for certification in. Third, the teacher candidate’s place of employment is able to meet all Connecticut student teaching requirements.   

Please note, the department administration will not approve a teacher candidate to substitute their current professional job or their past professional work experience as a replacement for student teaching. 

IV.  District Reference Group (DRG) and Student Teaching

Student teaching experiences will be at different school districts in order to ensure student teacher candidates experience teaching in different District Reference Groups (DRGs).  The State requires students to complete their student teaching in multiple DRGs to experience opportunities to teach in diverse teaching environments while completing their planned program.

Revised: July 2021

The University of Hartford’s Department of Education will not approve initial certification or cross-endorsement applications submitted to us after three calendar years of graduation from our program without written approval from the State of Connecticut’s Department of Education stating the candidate has met the program and testing requirements for the endorsement they are trying to obtain. Applicants must submit written approval to the department’s certification officer before department personnel will consider the approval of the application’s request for certification.

The department will not accept or approve a DSAP application after the student has graduated, completed the department’s planned program, or has been on a leave of absence for over one academic year. DSAP applications will only be accepted if the applicant is an active student in one of our approved planned programs and is in good academic standing.

Revised: March 2023

What is a DSAP?

Durational Shortage Area Permit (DSAP) is a process by which a school or district can hire a teacher candidate to fill a need in a designated shortage area. DSAPs are initiated by the district, agreed upon by the applicant (teacher candidate), and approved by the University.

Should a school or district have an open position in a shortage area that cannot be filled by an appropriately certified candidate, they may submit a DSAP request to the University on behalf of a student who has been accepted into one of our planned programs leading to certification. All DSAP requests are subject to review. The department chair and certification officer reserve the right to support or deny the request. Decisions on DSAP approvals or denials are a department decision, not a state decision.  

For more information, please read the following documents: 

DSAP Policy and Procedures

DSAP Advisor Approval Form

Student Responsibility

Students must:

  1. Inform their advisor that they are requesting a Leave of Absence
  2. Register for active status (on standard registration form) and obtain signatures from the Advisor
  3. Submit in writing the reason for and duration of leave being requested
  4. Submit documents to Academic Advisor

Academic Advisor

The Advisor can initiate the process if they have received in writing the reason for and duration of the leave of absence. The email must be from the University of Hartford account.

Next Steps

The Advisor must:

  1. Submit to the Department of Education Office (Hillyer Hall 206)
  2. Department Chair will review the request
  3. Send it to Associate Dean to Approve
  4. Copies of Approval will be sent to Student, Department Office, and Collegiate Manager of Student Services and Data, Dean’s Office

Contact Details – Department Chair

Interim Department of Education Chair
Carol Ciotto
Hillyer Hall 206
Office Phone: 860 768 4335
Email: ciotto@hartford.edu

Dean's Office

College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions
Collegiate Manager of Student Services and Data, Dean's Office
Melissa Trinks
Email: trinks@hartford.edu

If process is not followed:

If a student does not register for a semester and does not request active status, the student will have to apply for re-admission upon returning to the University.

Click here to download the Incomplete policy and contract form.

Click here to download the Student Substance Abuse and Personal Conduct Policy.

All students applying to our graduate programs are asked to submit either SAT/Praxis 1/Praxis Core/GRE scores at the time of admission. Students can be accepted without submitting these scores; however, to remain in the program students will have one semester to submit a score report for either the SAT/Praxis 1/Praxis Core/GRE scores.

Our fieldwork is completed in schools with which we have existing partnerships. Therefore, fieldwork completed at a student's place of employment is prohibited. Students will need to complete their fieldwork at one of our partner schools. 

Before admission into the Professional Program:

Please note, any agreements made between a prospective student, an academic advisor, and/or a Department representative that impact a student’s planned program or Department policy prior to admission into the professional program is not valid unless the agreement has been approved, in writing, by the Department Chair.  A copy of this written approval will be sent to the student, the student’s academic advisor, and a copy will be kept on file in the student’s Department record.   

After admission into the Professional Program:

Please note, any agreements made between a student and an academic advisor, and/or a Department representative that impact a student’s planned program or Department policy are not valid unless the agreement has been approved, in writing, by the Department Chair. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Department of any exceptions. If an exception is approved, a copy of this written approval will be sent to the student, the student’s academic advisor, and a copy will be kept on file in the student’s Department record.