1998 ITEP Correlation Meeting in Fiji:
It was decided to again hold a correlation meeting with all TDC missionaries and representatives from CES, BYU-Hawaii, and BYU-Provo. The meeting was held on April 20 through 23, 1998, at the Toka Toka Resort in Nadi, Fiji. The following individuals were in attendance.
Dan Andersen, CES Coordinator. Elder and Sister Dale LeFevre, TDC Missionaries, Tonga Elder ad Sister William Rodgers, TDC missionaries, Fiji Elder and Sister Floyd Sucher, TDC missionaries, Samoa Elder and Sister Cyril Van Orden, missionaries, Samoa Elder and Sister Howard May, TDC missionaries, Kiribati Elder and Sister Bill Walton, ITEP Coordinator for BYU-H Meli Lesuma, Country Educational Director, Fiji Winn Egan, Director of ITEP for BYU-Provo Roy Winstead, Dean of the School of Education, BYU-H Sioni Niu, Technical Education, BYU-H Keith Roberts, Assistant to President, BYU-H Theresa Bigbie, Continuing Education, BYU-H Earl Wyman, EIL, BYU-H
The major effort of the meeting was to develop an ITEP program that would not need to be contingent upon a BYU-Hawaii Baccalaureate Degree. The proposal for this degree had found opposition from many faculty members at BYU-Hawaii. A four track program was developed that would offer CES certificates and advancement in salary for CES teachers who completed any one of the track requirements. The four tracks are:
Track 1.Associate Teaching Certificate:
For individuals who have completed education credits since receiving their high school diploma, but such credits have not resulted in the awarding of an Associate Degree.
Track 2.Three-Year Teaching Certificate:
For individuals who have earned an Associate Degree or have earned sixty-four (64) semester hours of acceptable university credit without the awarding of an Associate Degree.
Track 3.Four-Year Teaching Certificate:
For individuals who have completed a Three-Year Teaching Diploma OR have earned ninety-six (96) semester hours of acceptable university credit without the awarding of any degree.
Track 4.Certificate of Teacher Certification:
For individuals who have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in an academic area.
With these four tracks in place, the ITEP program would not have to rely on other educational entities for approval. (See appendix # 10 for further description of the CES Teacher Certification program). Additional important items were discussed at the meeting. It seemed that for the first time members of the ITEP committee felt that they were in control of the destiny of the ITEP program and knew where it was going. The Spirit of the Lord was felt throughout the meeting. Those involved in the meeting understood that this is the Lord's work and His guidance is always needed. (See appendix # I I for an agenda and an outline of the minutes of the meeting). Following the meeting in Nadi, Elder and Sister Walton traveled to Suva where Elder Walton taught SPED 200, Education of Exceptional Students. There were fifteen CES teachers who took the course.
