Peace Corps Overview

The WNMU- Gallup Graduate Studies Center Peace Corps Fellows Program accepted our first cohort of three fellows in August 2001. Currently the program hosts 15 Fellows and will continue to accept 7-10 new Fellows per year. The WNMU- GGSC PCF Program is relatively small in order to provide support, formal and informal, to help Fellows succeed and grow as classroom teachers as well as contribute to and enjoy their schools and communities. Northwest New Mexico, including the Gallup area, has long been home to many returned volunteers. The area attracts returned volunteers who, subsequent to the life changing experiences of Peace Corps service, want to engage in meaningful work in culturally and economically diverse, under-resourced communities in the United States. Most WNMU Fellows teach in rural schools on or adjacent to the Navajo Nation and schools which serve a high proportion of Native American and Hispanic students. The Gallup area offers many outdoor recreational opportunities and stunning natural beauty. The WNMU-GGSC Peace Corps Fellows Programs is a good fit for RPCVs who worked as teachers or youth group facilitators during their PC service. Our program seeks returned volunteers who want to build on their experiences as educators, whether that was in a K-12 classroom, teacher training institutes, or nonformal community education settings. Our program seeks returned volunteers who are able to handle the ambiguities and challenges of teaching and learning in an economically poor, but culturally rich region while exhibiting grace, persistence, humility, and joy. We believe that the purpose of education is not merely to study the world, but to change it in collaboration with others. We seek applicants who have carefully considered how the WNMU-GGSC PCF program and context match their unique interests, needs, and hopes. We ask that you thoroughly review information about our program and area, and proactively seek out additional perspectives.

The Gallup Graduate Studies Center

WNMU was established in 1893 when New Mexico was a territory. The Gallup Graduate Studies Center, part of the WNMU Extended University, was started in 1984 in response to requests from a local school district for a university to provide graduate degrees and professional development training for area educators. Historically, northwest New Mexico had been underserved by New Mexico institutions of higher education. Although five hours by single lane road from the main Silver City campus in the southwest corner of New Mexico, the Gallup campus, students, staff, and faculty are an integral part of the WNMU university community. The story of the development of the Gallup Center resonates with Peace Corps Volunteers who understand the demands of community development work and the importance of responding to locally voiced needs with culturally relevant programs that build on area strengths. The GGSC is known for rigorous, cutting edge, culturally relevant graduate work. Our programs embody the WNMU School of Education mission to ignite and nurture a spirit of learning. WNMU Teacher Education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the premier U.S. teacher education accreditation body.

Masters Degree Programs

WNMU-GGSC offers three programs leading to a Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT). The MAT Elementary, Secondary, and Special Education are geared toward Fellows who do not have an undergraduate education degree or teaching credentials. You must however already have 24-30 university credits in a teaching content area. In most instances, your teaching content area is based on your undergraduate major. Students enroll in a MAT program concurrent with our Alternative License program. However, the PCF Program is a Master's degree-bound program. Most graduate candidates take three years to complete the MAT and we provide tuition reduction for those three years. The Masters of Arts (MA) Interdisciplinary Degree options are intended for those applicants who are already licensed teachers. In most instances, these applicants will have completed an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate program in teacher education. Applicants for either track with a math or science major will be given preference, but we routinely admit applicants with a wide range of majors.

Work

Fellows work in full-time, salaried positions as classroom teachers in rural northwest New Mexico and attend Western New Mexico University Gallup Graduate Studies Center (WNMU-GGSC) part-time in the evenings and on weekends. Teaching assignments are with the Gallup McKinley County School District in schools within or adjacent to the Navajo Nation.

Requirements

Fellows must meet university graduate admission requirements. These include a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA (last 64 credits). Students with a GPA of 2.99 to 2.75 (last 64 credits hours) may be granted provisional admission AND are required to take the GRE (minimum 720 combined on two subtests and 3 on analytical writing sections). Fellows must also complete the School of Education Teacher Educational Program Admission packet AND all application procedures for a teaching position with Gallup McKinley County Schools (GMCS). Teaching vacancies are posted on the GMCS web site. You must successfully complete the appropriate New Mexico Teacher Assessment exams by the end of the first year of teaching. Admission preference for the WNMU-GGSC PCF Program will be given to RPCV's with Peace Corps teaching experience clearly stated on DOS. You do not however need to be a licensed teacher.

Benefits

Fellows receive a 36% tuition reduction. For example, 2006-07 Fellows pay $101 per credit hour, reduced from the regular tuition of $159 per credit hour. Fellows also earn a teaching salary and benefits of participating school districts. First year teachers salary averages $30,000 with eligibility for health insurance. Many Fellows teach in rural locations on the Navajo Nation with low-cost housing available in school-site teacherage. Apartments and rental houses are available for those teaching in Gallup. In addition, WNMU Teacher Education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the premier U.S. teacher education accreditation body. Your final WNMU transcript will indicate that you graduated from an NCATE accredited teacher education program.

Contact

We welcome your interest and questions. Please contact us at wnmupcf@hotmail.com

Dr. Pat Maguire, Chair, GGSC, RPCV Jamaica 1977-79

Ms. Julie Horwitz, Director of Field Experience, RPCV Kiribati 1991-1993

Ms. Kelly Niedermeier, PCF Assistant, RPCV Gutemala 2001-2003

Peace Corps Fellows Program Western New Mexico University Gallup Graduate Studies Center 2055 State Road 602 Gallup, NM 87301

Phone: (505) 722-3389 or 863-9020

Fax: (505) 722-3195

E-mail: wnmupcf@hotmail.com

Web Site: http://gallup.wnmu.edu/pc/GGSCHome.html