Bruce Barnett
UTSA Spotlight: Professor Bruce Barnett named associate director of national education group
By Ashley Harris
Public Affairs Specialist
(June 23, 2008)--Bruce Barnett, UTSA professor of educational leadership and policy studies in the College of Education and Human Development, recently was appointed associate director of international affairs of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). During his three-year term in the newly created position, Barnett will be responsible for increasing the collaborative efforts between UCEA and individuals, agencies and higher education institutions around the world.
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RSS FeedsActive in UCEA for more than 20 years, Barnett has mapped out a multi-tiered approach to accomplish the goals of the position including surveying current members, facilitating new networking and shared-research opportunities, and developing exchange programs.
"I'm thrilled with the opportunity to be able to assist UCEA in this critical juncture," said Barnett. "This position will lay roads where none have been before. It's an incredibly daunting task, of course, but at the same time it will also be wonderfully challenging."
One of Barnett's first opportunities to network on behalf of UCEA will be the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management Convention in Durban, South Africa, in September. At the conference, Barnett will co-present a paper on peer coaching with educators from England and New Zealand.
In addition to the multi-tiered approach, Barnett also hopes to explore high-tech avenues to increase visibility and interaction between UCEA and other organizations.
"A perfect example is the upcoming conference in South Africa. While there is no substitute for actually being there, it's oftentimes not a financially or logistically viable option for members," said Barnett. "I'd like to explore options such as video conferencing or posting specific segments on the UCEA Web site in order to increase participation from individuals who are unable to attend. I see the Web site not just being a two-dimensional Web site but a three-dimensional experience."
In addition to his new UCEA duties, Barnett also is involved in outreach opportunities around the world. One of his current projects includes working with Gary O'Mahony, a renowned Australian education specialist, former project director at the Australian Principals Centre and primary school principal. O'Mahony and Barnett currently are conducting international research and program development. They have co-authored books on school improvement; researched mentoring and coaching programs operating around the world; and co-presented workshops in Australia, United States, New Zealand and Canada.
Barnett and O'Mahony will co-host a UTSA visit for 12 school administrators from Australia in April 2009. The administrators will attend a conference in California and then visit the university to observe educational training and outreach programs.
"As a university, UTSA has so much to offer with regard to educational research programs," said Barnett. "Yet at the same time, it will provide us with the opportunity to learn about and possibly implement strategies and methodologies that other countries have found successful within their own educational systems."