CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – With Board of Regents approval this week, the University of Northern Iowa plans to launch EdVantageUNI, a centralized hub for professional learning, educational growth and support for school districts, practicing and aspiring educators, and families. 

This new center, an outward-facing arm of the College of Education, will serve as a gateway to:

• Professional Learning: offering a customized menu of UNI coursework to meet short- and long-term needs within school districts and individual schools 
• K-12 Tutoring Services: personalized academic support provided by UNI Teacher Education students
• Graduate Certificates & Endorsements: access to a growing array of online coursework for individual educators to advance their careers.

“EdVantageUNI allows us to take advantage of the comprehensive programming UNI offers as part of our leading educator preparation program. From school districts needing specific coursework to help ‘grow their own’ to families needing a tutor or educators seeking ongoing skill development, we offer this single point of contact to connect with needed services,” says Colleen Mulholland, dean, College of Education. “For our teaching alumni, this adds to our ability to offer a ‘lifetime subscription’ to UNI with continuing support throughout their careers.” 

In addition, EdVantageUNI will serve as UNI’s conduit for sponsorship of new Iowa public charter schools, a role UNI will share with the State of Iowa, per legislation signed into law in May. The addition naturally fits within this external-facing entity, Mulholland said. 

“Our initial concept for EdVantageUNI was to create a front door to the many education-based services and programs that can be found across campus and then to build on those strengths with additional services to meet professional, family and community needs,” she says. “As a new center representing UNI’s expertise encompassing multiple facets of the educational enterprise, EdvantageUNI gives us a framework for this new role in charter school authorization.” 

EdVantageUNI is partly a response to market opportunities as changes at the state level have created more choice for school districts when seeking professional learning for administrators, teachers and other education-related professionals, a cornerstone of the new venture. The center will operate as a revenue-generating, nonprofit operation, similar to Business and Community Services, an outreach ancillary of the Wilson College of Business with oversight over several business-oriented services. 

EdVantageUNI will enter into contracts with school districts seeking custom professional development packages and charge families standardized fees for K-12 tutoring. No additional fees are involved for individuals using this entry point to connect with post-baccalaureate and graduate programming offered by UNI’s colleges in conjunction with the College of Graduate, Research and Online Education.  

In addition to its leading services, families and educators also can use EdVantageUNI as a resource to connect with educational outreach offered by colleges and units across campus, such as summer youth camps, summer workshops or professional development conferences. 

With board approval, Mulholland says preparations for launching tutoring services on August 1 and establishing the leadership and supporting staff structure needed to advance the center's broader mission are immediate priorities. Development of the customized professional learning component and work to establish processes to support its role in charter school authorization will proceed concurrently.

The College of Education serves as an anchor to UNI Teacher Education, the largest program in Iowa preparing students who are made to teach for future classrooms and beyond. Look for more information on EdVantageUNI’s services on the center’s website: edvantage.uni.edu.