Arthurlene G. Towner is Dean of the School of Education and Allied Studies and Professor of Educational Psychology at California State University, Hayward. The School serves approximately 3,000 students and consists of faculty of nearly three hundred in five diverse departments and an interdisciplinary studies unit: (1) Educational Leadership, (2) Educational Psychology, (3) Kinesiology and Physical Education, (4) Recreation and Community Education (5) Teacher Education, and (6) Interdisciplinary Studies Cluster. Intercollegiate athletics is also housed in the school.

Prior to her appointment as Dean in 1988, Dr. Towner served as Acting Dean (1987-88) and Associate Dean (1986-87). She joined the Cal State, Hayward faculty following a thirteen-year appointment at San Francisco State University, where she had earned tenure and full professor rank in Special Education. She also served as Program Coordinator for the teacher preparation program for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. In addition, she served as the Coordinator of Graduate Studies and Research, Research and Evaluation Specialist for the Institute for School Improvement, California State System Administrative Fellow, and Project Director for several grant-funded projects.

Dr. Towner has represented the California State University as a member of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and was appointed a charter member of its Committee on Accreditation. She currently serves as the Vice Chair for the Joint Committee for the Development of a Master Plan Professional Development Workgroup. She also is a member of UC – CSU Joint Graduate Board and Teaching and California’s Future Task Force. Most recently, she has been selected to chair a subcommittee on secondary teaching for the CSU Presidents Commission on Teacher Education, and is serving as a member and committee chair of the Unit Accreditation Board, National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Her K – 12 school service has included being selected as one of the first co – chairs for the Board of Trustees for the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative, and a member of the Bay Area Coalition of Equitable Schools Honorary Board.

In addition to maintaining an active schedule of community and professional service, Dr. Towner serves as project director, executive director or co-director for several grant-funded projects. Her largest recent grant award ($14,000,000), Project SOAR, a Gear Up grant funded by the Office for Education, focuses on preparing middle school students for college entry.

A regular part of her schedule is the development of relationships and partnerships with business, schools and the community. A special relationship with school superintendents in the Alameda and Contra Costa Counties has been developed which has resulted in numerous collaborative projects between Cal State Hayward and K-12 schools, including the establishment of four Professional Development Schools. She has also engaged in a tripartite partnership, funded by the Associated Students, Southern Alameda County HeadStart and a State Preschool grant, which has resulted in an on-campus state-of-the-art Early Childhood Education Center.

Under Dean Towner’s leadership, the School of Education and Allied Studies has gained the reputation of being among the best colleges of education in the state. The School is recognized for excellent learner-centered programs; responsiveness to diverse communities, needs, and populations; pioneering of new uses of technology to enhance instruction; teacher preparation partnerships with school districts; its constructivist approach to the development of educational leaders; innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration; and a visionary approach to strategic planning.

Towner began her career as a teacher of the deaf and sought further growth through obtaining standard elementary teacher certification. She received her masters degree from Smith College and Ph.D. in special education through a joint doctoral program between the University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco State University.

Her research and publications are in the areas of cultural diversity, language and literacy development, school improvement, program evaluation, attitude change, hearing impairment, and academic administration.

Agenda Pages
Background	Student Learning	Emerging Modes
Personnel Development	Workforce Preparation	School Readiness
Facilities & Finance	Governance	Wrap-up