The Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development comprises research institutes, undergraduate and graduate programs, and community enrichment and service centers that focus on the areas of professional education, school leadership, applied physiology and health management, counseling, dispute resolution, liberal studies, sport management, sport performance leadership, and wellness. The mission of the school is to integrate theory, research and practice of education and human development; to promote academic rigor and interdisciplinary study; to prepare students for initial certification and professional practice; and to nurture collaboration across the academic community.
Undergraduate programs include a major and three minors in applied physiology and sport management and a major and a minor in educational studies. The school offers three doctoral programs, ten master’s degrees and a number of graduate professional-preparation programs. Its academic departments include Teaching and Learning, Applied Physiology and Wellness, Dispute Resolution and Counseling, Education Policy and Leadership, and Lifelong Learning.
The school is housed in Annette C. Simmons Hall and Harold C. Simmons Hall, which are two of several LEED-certified buildings on campus. Key features include the Locomotor Performance Laboratory, an integrated physiology laboratory, an applied physiology laboratory equipped with a data acquisition system, an environmental research chamber and teaching pods, a cerebrovascular research lab, a curriculum design lab, and a teaching assessment center.
Distinctions
In an annual awards ceremony, the Simmons School recognizes those students, faculty and staff members who are regarded as leaders among their peers. Awards are given to students who have excelled academically, demonstrated uncommon leadership or engaged in community service in unique and meaningful ways. The faculty and staff members who have distinguished themselves through their research activities and teaching or professional accomplishments are honored. Additionally, a select number of University alumni who have made significant contributions of their time and resources to the school during the year are recognized.
Policies and Procedures
Except where noted, policies and procedures are the same for all of the graduate programs within the Simmons School.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements differ among programs within the Simmons School. Students should refer to the individual program sections in this catalog for information regarding each program’s respective admission procedures.
Transfer Policy
Ordinarily, students will not be allowed to transfer more than six credit hours from other SMU schools or from other institutions. Only courses with grades of A or B may be transferred, and all are subject to the approval of the academic department. An official record of such work must be on file in the student’s department office by the end of the first term of study. All transferred work must be completed within six years prior to entering a graduate program. Any exceptions to these requirements and policies must have the approval of the dean of the Simmons School of Education and Human Development.
Degree Requirements
Degree requirements differ among the Simmons School’s graduate degree programs. Students should refer to the individual program sections for specific requirements.
Center on Research and Evaluation
www.smu.edu/CORE
Akihito Kamata, Executive Director
CORE’s mission is to improve the well-being of children, adults and families through knowledge creation and dissemination and through evaluations of programs designed to enhance positive outcomes for individuals and communities. This interaction between knowledge creation and the work of organizations and individuals is essential for these organizations to improve lives and communities. CORE adheres to principles of science to understand how best to improve education and human development and believes the evidence exists to substantially increase the number of individuals who are equipped to make a positive contribution to society. The center supports Simmons’ faculty in its research efforts and conducts third-party evaluations for clients such as nonprofits and schools, as well as internal SMU entities. CORE provides undergraduate and graduate students with real-world opportunities to participate in research and evaluation.
Research in Mathematics Education
www.smu.edu/RME
Leanne Ketterlin Geller, Director
RME conducts and disseminates high quality, evidence-based research to improve students’ mathematics performance in Texas. Formed in 2011 under the direction of Dr. Leanne Ketterlin Geller, RME is committed to engaging in research and outreach that will make a significant and lasting difference at the student, classroom, school, district, state and national levels. RME’s mission is to cultivate positive change by educating and empowering teachers and administrators through the provision of evidence-based practices and systems to support mathematics achievement through academic growth and development of all students. Key focal areas include
- Creating systems of formative assessment to inform teacher decision-making.
- Designing evidence-based interventions for students struggling in mathematics.
- Designing and delivering professional development to support teachers’ and administrators’ implementation of best practices.
- Offering a dynamic community where researchers and educators can collaborate and share ideas and resources.
RME’s externally funded research and development budget has grown beyond $5 million. Efforts by RME researchers have directly impacted thousands of students across Texas and the nation. Through participation in research activities and conferences, engagement with professional development courses, dissemination of materials through the RME website, and collaborations with other organizations and publications, RME has impacted more than 25,000 educators since 2011.
RME’s director actively collaborates with the Bush Institute’s Middle School Matters Initiative and the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at the University of Texas in Austin, and she was named director of K-12 STEM initiatives for SMU’s Caruth Institute for Engineering Education in 2014.
RME faculty members teach in the Simmons School’s Department of Education Policy and Leadership as well as the Department of Teaching and Learning. Additionally, faculty members disseminate their research findings locally, nationally and globally.
The Budd Center: Involving Communities in Education
www.smu.edu/CCE
Regina Nippert, Executive Director
The mission of The Budd Center is to equip schools and nonprofits with tools and information so they can work together to meet the extraordinary social, emotional and educational needs of children living in poverty. The Budd Center uses the following strategies to accomplish its mission:
- Develops processes to drive collaboration between school systems, nonprofits and SMU.
- Trains teachers and nonprofits to use individualized student information to create curricula and targeted intervention plans.
- Connects SMU faculty and students to meaningful teaching and learning experiences.
Center for Family Counseling
www.smu.edu/FamilyCounseling
The Center for Family Counseling offers a variety of counseling services to members of the community, including adults, adolescents, children, groups, couples, and families struggling with personal, social or career-related issues, while providing SMU graduate counseling students with meaningful training experience via supervised therapeutic interactions.
SMU Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services
www.smu.edu/ADRservices
Mediation, arbitration, facilitation and conflict coaching services are available to parties involved in civil, family and community disputes. Alumni, current students of the Dispute Resolution Program who have completed at least 200 training hours, and other conflict resolution professionals serve as volunteer mediators and arbitrators.
The Writer’s Path
www.smu.edu/CreativeWriting
The Writer’s Path is a creative writing program that guides individuals in the process of writing for fiction or nonfiction publication. Progressive noncredit courses take students from the development of writing ideas, through the preparation of a draft, to the revisions and then the polish. Qualified students are eligible to participate in a trip to New York where they meet professionals in the publishing industry.
Institute for Leadership Impact
Eric Bing, Executive Director
A growing demand for skilled leaders that create social impact and empower organizations and communities to grow, learn and prosper spurred the development of the Institute for Leadership Impact. The Institute provides educational opportunities that equip emerging and established leaders with the essential skills needed to be more effective in leading organizations and solving real-world problems. Institute offerings focus on training leaders in school districts, independent schools, hospitals, clinics and health-related organizations.
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