Ethical Leaders
Ethical leaders who engage in decision-making driven by principles, justice, honesty and respect and work toward the well-being of all learners and the greater school community.
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Program Overview
The program aligns with Fairfield’s mission of preparing educators for leadership and service through broad intellectual inquiry, the pursuit of social justice, and cultivation of the whole person. The program is tailored for individuals who have already taken or seek to take on expanded roles and responsibilities in their current work as PK-12 or higher education professionals. Two tracks are offered: the Teacher Leader track and the Higher Education Administration track.
One of the core goals of the program is to prepare teacher leaders who are advocates for social justice and anti-racist policies and practices, and who take actions as leaders with and for students, teachers, faculty, families, communities, and organizations for transformative change.
Individuals who pursue the program will gain deeper insights into the theoretical and practical foundations of leadership and the profession. Candidates will learn how knowledge of education theory, inquiry, leadership, and data positively impact their teaching and the practices of those around them.
Contact Us
Mack Hines
Special Assistant to the Dean
School of Education and Human Development
Office of Graduate Admission
P: (203) 254-4184
F: (203) 254-4199
gradadmis@fairfield.edu
Student Learning Outcomes
The goals of the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership are to prepare professionals who are:
1
2
Reflective Scholar-Practicioners
Critically reflective scholar-practitioners who use data and co-construct knowledge to address educational challenges and opportunities in order to improve teaching and learning for all students.
3
Advocates for Social Justice
Advocates for social justice and anti-racist policies and practices who take actions as leaders with and for students, families, communities, and organizations for transformative change.
4
Compassionate Relationship-Builders
Compassionate relationship-builders who inspire, serve, and lead within learning communities and build capacity to improve educational opportunities for all.
5
Organizational Collaborators
Organizational collaborators who forge partnerships that will inspire and motivate key community stakeholders to transform learning experiences for all students.
6
Agents of Change
Change agents who address educational issues through multiple perspectives within the social, political, and emotional context of communities.
Requirements & Curriculum
The EdD in Educational Leadership for Teacher Leaders or Higher Education is a three-year, hybrid, low residency program with a focus on leadership and social justice. The curriculum is organized into three main components: Inquiry in Action; Foundational Core; and Teacher Leadership. Courses will be offered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous modalities to provide for both community-building and flexibility.
Students will enroll as a cohort during the fall semester and will complete six credits each semester, including summer, for a total of 57 credits. Students will also complete two residencies, which provide an in-depth focus on relationship and team-building, leadership and communication, specific teacher leader challenges, and dissemination of ideas and research findings. In the third year students will write and defend a dissertation based on a local problem of practice.
Required Courses
| Inquiry in Action |
| A Systems Approach to Innovation & Improvement |
| Framing & Critical Analysis of Problems of Practice |
| Action Research for Educational Change I |
| Action Research for Educational Change II |
| Communities of Inquiry: Dissertation in Practice I |
| Communities of Inquiry: Dissertation in Practice II |
| Dissertation Advising |
| Foundational Core |
| Mission & Values-Based Leadership |
| Power, Privilege & Identity in Educational Leadership |
| Moral & Ethical Decision-Making |
| Leader as Collaborator & Relationship-Builder |
| Leadership for Social Justice in Education |
| Organizational Change for Social Justice in Education |
| Teacher Leadership |
| Contextualizing Legal and Policy Issues in Education |
| Creating a Culture for Continuous Improvement |
| Advocacy for Equity & Access |
| Leveraging Instructional Design for Equitable Outcomes |
| Re-Imagining Technology for Social Action |
| Writing for Social Change |
| Inquiry in Action |
| A Systems Approach to Innovation & Improvement |
| Framing & Critical Analysis of Problems of Practice |
| Action Research for Educational Change I |
| Action Research for Educational Change II |
| Communities of Inquiry: Dissertation in Practice I |
| Communities of Inquiry: Dissertation in Practice II |
| Dissertation Advising |
| Foundational Core |
| Mission & Values-Based Leadership |
| Power, Privilege & Identity in Educational Leadership |
| Moral & Ethical Decision-Making |
| Leader as Collaborator & Relationship-Builder |
| Leadership for Social Justice in Education |
| Organizational Change for Social Justice in Education |
| Higher Education Administration |
| Contemporary Issues in Higher Education |
| Assessment, Data Literacy, and Decision Making |
| Legal and Policy Issues in Higher Education |
| Moving from Strategy to Action |
| Student Development and Practices of Student Affairs Administration |
| Teaching, Learning, and Student Engagement |
Admission
Applicants to the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership must hold a master's degree from an accredited institution, with a degree related to PK-12 education or higher education preferred. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. Applicants to the Teacher Leader track should currently be working in a PK-12 school or other setting that serves students and have at least three years’ experience as a teacher and/or instructional leader. Applicants to the Higher Education Administration track should be working in a college or university setting.
Stag Spotlight
Anna Cutaia
Adjunct Instructor
Dr. Anna Cutaia holds the position of superintendent of schools in Milford, Conn. She began her appointment in Milford on August 1, 2018. She received her bachelor of arts degree from Mount St. Mary College in 1991, followed by a master’s degree in education from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1997. While working as an educator for several years, Dr. Cutaia continued her post-graduate studies and received her certificate in the Executive Leadership Program (2007) followed by a Doctorate in Education (2013), both from the University of Connecticut.
Dr. Cutaia’s career path has touched every segment of the educational leadership spectrum. She started her career in Myrtle Beach, SC, where she served as a teacher (1991-1998), an assistant principal (1998-2000), and principal (2000-2003). In 2003, Dr. Cutaia moved to Connecticut and served as principal of Casimir Pulaski Elementary School in Meriden, Conn. During her early years in Connecticut, Dr. Cutaia also worked with the Connecticut State Dept. of Education (CSDE) as an educational consultant and as an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut and Southern Connecticut State University. Dr. Cutaia served for six years as the director of Elementary Education in the Fairfield Public School district. Prior to going to Milford, she served as the superintendent of schools for Regional District 14 for four years, encompassing the communities of Bethlehem and Woodbury, Conn.
Dr. Cutaia has also served as an adjunct professor in the area of reading for Southern Connecticut State University in 2013 - 2014. Since 2015, she has taught for UCONN as an adjunct professor and lead instructor in their Principal Preparation Program. Additionally, she teaches in the Superintendent Certification Program at Sacred Heart University. Beginning in 2021, Dr. Cutaia helped establish a Teacher Leader Doctoral Program and serves as an adjunct professor at Fairfield University.
Dr. Cutaia is involved in many professional and local organizations. Since 2014, she has been an active participant of the Superintendent's Network of the Connecticut Center for School Change and is a member of the College Board Connecticut Advisory Committee. She is a member of the NEAG School of Education Alumni Board at UCONN. She also serves on the local boards of the Milford Chamber of Commerce and the Milford United Way.
Dr. Cutaia was named the Connecticut Parent Teacher Association 2021 Superintendent of the Year.
More About the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
Message from the Director
Read the Message
Message from the Director
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
Welcome to Fairfield University’s Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership.
I am really excited and proud to be the director of this unique and innovative program!
The reason is that I envision this program to be the most influential catalyst of educational change in the 21st century.
To bring this vision to fruition, I have established the following overarching goals for this program:
- Customized to provide doctoral students with a Jesuit framework that informs their career goals and objectives.
- Organized in accordance to the DEI theories and practices that impact doctoral students’ daily work in educational settings.
- Personalized to guide doctoral students’ efforts to find their niche and voice in leadership.
Because of this student centeredness, this program will remain steadfast to transforming doctoral students into highly influential 21st century educational leaders.
Thus, please consider the opportunity to become a part of this exciting and unique life-changing journey!
I, along with Fairfield University, would really be delighted and honored to serve, support, and nurture you!
Yours in Service,
Mack T. Hines III, Ed.D
Director, Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership
Fairfield University
Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
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Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
As a Jesuit, Catholic university, Fairfield is dedicated to diversity and inclusion; to radical hospitality in service of racial, social, and economic justice.
In the News
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In the News
Featured on Hispanic Outlook On Education Magazine
Educators looking to further develop their leadership skills can now apply to the School of Education and Human Development’s new Doctor of Education (EdD) in Educational Leadership program.
Read the full article on hispanicoutlook.com
Fairfield U.'s school of education gets new name, degree program
"FAIRFIELD — Fairfield University is renaming its Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions."
Faculty
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Faculty
Our caring and committed faculty offer a rigorous course of study, with a broad range of courses that integrate critical reflection, extensive field experience, and the most current research in the field of Educational Leadership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applicants will be required to provide:
- The online application and appropriate application fees
- Official transcripts from all previously earned degrees
- Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to leadership experiences and commitment to equity and excellence for all students
- A professional resume
- A two-page statement of purpose in which the applicant describes their work as an educator to date, including a discussion of leadership activities, professional goals, research interests, and reasons for pursuing a scholar-practitioner doctoral degree at Fairfield University
- A product or example (in the form of a sample of work, presentation, project, or proposal) from their teaching or leadership work that shows their efforts to bring about sustained change intended to result in equitable outcomes for all students
The Jesuit Education Teacher Leader Scholarship is for new students admitted who are also teachers at Jesuit high schools. The scholarship applies $1,000 towards tuition in the first semester. For more information please contact Program Director Mack Hines
Applicants may transfer up to nine credits into the EdD program with approval from the director.
The EdD program typically enrolls a cohort of students in the fall of each year. Applications submitted for the spring semester however will be considered on an individual basis depending on availability.