Educators' Consortium to Leave Emporia After Six Years

The executive offices of a prestigious national consortium of colleges and universities dedicated to the preparation of educators will move from Emporia to Fresno, California later this year.

The organization, The Renaissance Group, currently has its offices in the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia with a satellite office in Washington, D.C. The move to California State University, Fresno is effective July 1, 2005. The Renaissance Group (TRG) has 36 member universities preparing one in 10 of all new teachers for America.

"Emporia State University has a rich tradition in teacher preparation programs. It has been an honor to have the coordination and direction of The Renaissance Group based out of Emporia State University for the past six years," said ESU President Kay Schallenkamp. "Dr. [Leo] Pauls has made significant progress with the growth and strength of our membership. The relationships he has built within Washington, D.C. have given us, as teacher educators, a voice at the table with the U.S. Department of Education and other key groups."

TRG's retiring executive director, Dr. Leo Pauls, said the organization is positioned to become a leader in teacher education reform in the United States.

"It's been a privilege to serve as the executive director for the last six years and I feel very good about the move of the executive offices to Fresno," added Pauls. "I've always been impressed with work going on in teacher education at Fresno State and the leadership of President John Welty."

Formed in May 1989, The Renaissance Group is a national consortium of colleges and universities with a strong tradition of high-quality teacher education programs and a major commitment to teacher education. The primary purpose is to address issues facing teacher education and to be a proactive force in the renewal and reform of education on a national level.

A unique feature of TRG is the requirement that the president, academic vice president/provost, and the dean of each institution's college of education be an active participant in TRG programs and activities. The leadership of university presidents is seen as a critical component in any initiative aimed at affecting the quality of teacher preparation programs.

Membership in The Renaissance Group is by invitation to institutions of mid-to-large size and comprehensive in programming. In addition to Fresno State, two other California universities are members of The Renaissance Group: California State University, San Bernardino and Sonoma State University.

TRG executive offices were located at the University of Northern Iowa for 10 years and at Emporia State University since July 1999. 

Last Updated July 2, 2007>