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1. When was CASTLE established?
CASTLE was founded in 2003 at the University of Minnesota as a result of funding from a FIPSE grant to spread the student of educational technology into leadership preparation programs in the United States. Scott McLeod was the Primary Investigator on the grant and Jayson Richardson was his graduate student at the time. CASTLE has moved institutional hosts to Iowa State University and now to the University of Kentucky.
2. Who is UCEA?
The University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) is a consortium of higher education institutions committed to advancing the preparation and practice of educational leaders for the benefit of schools and children. As part of that mission, they sponsor a variety of national program centers to advance research and collaboration on specific issues related to educational leadership. We are one.
Dean Mary John O’Hair of the UK College of Education addresses UKSTL Doctoral Students in the Keep in Dickey Hall, CASTLE’s operational headquarters on the campus of the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
3. What is our relationship with the University of Kentucky?
UK is the institutional host of the UCEA national program center. The University of Kentucky is a founding member of UCEA in 1959, a former host institution for Educational Administration Quarterly, and formerly housed the UCEA Center on the Superintendency.
CASTLE is hosted by the Department of Educational Leadership Studies (EDL) in the College of Education and the primary faculty directors at UK are all members of the EDL faculty. The Department also serves as the host of the teaching activities for CASTLE as the degree granting unit for our school technology leadership programs.
4. Who are the CASTLE Directors?
The CASTLE Directors shape the vision and daily activities of the program center. CASTLE maintains a variety of Directors all of which contribute to the overall mission in different ways. The daily activities of CASTLE are directed by the faculty based at the University of Kentucky, our institutional host. Associate Directors of CASTLE though are based at multiple institutions throughout the world and help to manage specific elements of our mission.
5. Does CASTLE grant degrees?
No. Our relationship with the University of Kentucky and their Department of Educational Leadership Studies in particular allows CASTLE faculty to assist in the delivery of their Graduate Certificate in School Technology Leadership, which can be combined into Masters, Specialist, and Doctoral degrees.
6. How is CASTLE funded?
We are funded primarily through research faculty support provided by the UK College of Education. This pays a portion of the salary of the UK-based Directors. Associate Directors at partner institutions are funded in a similar way. Other support from UK also helps to fund CASTLE related activities, such as start-up funding for the School Technology Leadership program.
CASTLE’s operating budget is generated primarily through professional development with schools, universities, and other institutions. We are also funded by the occasional government or private grant. On the whole, we operate efficiently and are creative with the few resources that we manage to procure.
7. Where is CASTLE physically located?
Our office is Room 063 of Dickey Hall on the campus of the University of Kentucky. CASTLE led the redevelopment of this space from an old computer lab into a collaborative space that houses a few different research labs in the College of Education.
8. Does CASTLE take policy positions?
No. CASTLE faculty are encouraged to express their own ideas and positions as faculty, but CASTLE does not take official positions as a program center. We support the mission of UCEA and support the mission of the UK College of Education. We do publish material that contains position statements, but all material published by CASTLE contain the name of the author and the views expressed therein are solely the opinion of the author.
