CES to host University of Waikato delegation for symposium

 The College of Educational Studies will host a delegation of educators from the University of Waikato in New Zealand on May 23-25 to explore a variety of shared research interests.

Six faculty members and the associate dean of the School of Education from the University of Waikato will join CES faculty for the three-day “Chapman-Waikato Symposium” to discuss literacy, bilingual education, multicultural studies and leadership in school settings.

The three days of talks are expected to result in plans for collaborative studies leading eventually to publications and conference presentations. Waikato’s Associate Dean Roger Moltzen and International Programs Coordinator Peter Letteney will also explore the possibility of student exchanges and faculty-led travel-study courses while they are here.

The groundwork for this symposium was laid by CES senior faculty member Suzanne SooHoo, Ph.D., professor (then doing sabbatical research in New Zealand) and Professor Emeritus Ken Tye, Ed.D., when they met with Dean Alister Jones at Waikato in 2009.

A visit to Chapman by Waikato faculty members Russell Bishop, Mere Berryman, and Te Arani Barrett in spring 2010 made it clear that there are many shared interests. Planning began in earnest following the participation of CES faculty members Anna Wilson, Ph.D., associate professor, and Kimberly White-Smith, Ph.D., assistant professor, in the internationally recognized scholarly conference on Culturally Responsive Pedagogy at Waikato in late 2010. CES faculty members are looking forward to developing a continuing relationship with their colleagues at the University of Waikato.