The University of San Francisco Joins Inaugural Cohort of the California Educator Preparation Innovation Collaborative

SAN FRANCISCO (March 1, 2022) – The University of San Francisco (USF) has been selected as one of five educator preparation programs (EPPs) in the California Educator Preparation Innovation Collaborative (CalEPIC). This new teacher preparation transformation collaborative was developed by the Thompson Policy Institute on Disability at Chapman University, through funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The network of innovative EPPs, which in addition to USF includes Claremont Graduate University, Loyola Marymount University, Saint Mary’s College of California, and the University of Redlands, will work to build the capacity of California educators to support equity, diversity, inclusivity, and the whole child.

"The USF CalEPIC project is a perfect fit with the School of Education’s Center for Humanizing Education and Research as both strive to increase institutional and collective capacity to impact public consciousness, policy, and practice in order to build stronger movements towards justice,” said USF School of Education Dean Shabnam Koirala Azad.

“These five programs were selected due to their history of excellence and commitment to serving all students,” said Meghan Cosier, Ph.D., Director of the Thompson Policy Institute on Disability.

In partnership with CalEPIC, USF will strive to increase equitable access and opportunities for all California students. Through professional development and technical assistance programs, CalEPIC and its partner teacher education programs will prepare teachers to create and sustain school environments where all students thrive. Teacher candidates in the CalEPIC partner programs will focus on inclusion of students with disabilities, anti-racist practices, social-emotional learning (SEL), and culturally and linguistically relevant teaching (CLRT).

“Our participation in CalEPIC responds to research which suggests that teacher preparation needs a new model for recruitment, training, and in-service support for teachers to more effectively respond to socially inequitable social and schooling conditions that students experience today,” said USF Associate Professor of Teacher Education Patrick Camangian.

“Participating in these leadership roles provides us the opportunity to have conversations across departments, think more intentionally about our programs and policies, and transform our educator preparation programs in ways articulated by the CalEPIC framework,” said USF Professor of Special Education Kevin Oh.

The high-quality, clinically-rich experiences provided to teacher candidates through the CalEPIC partnership will ensure that California’s teachers are prepared to excel in their schools and communities. As a key partner in CalEPIC, USF will thrive in its mission to recruit, develop, and support a diverse teaching workforce that models, embodies, and enacts equity for all students.

About the USF School of Education

At the USF School of Education, our faculty, staff, and students are scholars and social justice advocates engaged within the diverse San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. With over 20 master's and doctoral programs, including programs at USF's additional locations, we welcome students who seek to make an impact and who are committed to serving those most in need. The school’s mission is to act collectively and leverage our resources in ways that are driven by our Jesuit mission and responsive to our constituents’ needs. We strive to have a measurable impact in schools and communities, particularly for those most affected by injustice.

About the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco is a private, Jesuit Catholic university that reflects the diversity, optimism, and opportunities of the city that surrounds it. USF offers more than 230 undergraduate, graduate, professional, and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, law, education, and nursing and health professions. At USF, each course is an intimate learning community in which top professors encourage students to turn learning into positive action, so the students graduate equipped to do well in the world — and inspired to change it for the better. For more information, visit usfca.edu.