Ernest L. Boyer

Ernest Leroy Boyer (September 13, 1928 – December 8, 1995) was an American educator who most notably served as Chancellor of the State University of New York, United States Commissioner of Education, and President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.Citation
last = Gale Group
editor-last = Guthrie
editor-first = James W.
publication-date = 2003
title = Encyclopedia of Education
edition = 2
publication-place = New York, New York
publisher = Macmillan Reference
oclc = 55976558
accessdate= 2008-04-03
contribution = Ernest Boyer
contribution-url= http://www.answers.com/topic/ernest-boyer Boyer was recipient of numerous awards, including over 140 honorary doctorates.

Early life and education

Boyer was born on September 13, 1928, to Clarence and Ethel Boyer.Citation
title= Ernest Boyer, National Leader In Education, Dies at 67
newspaper=The New York Times
date=December 9, 1995
year=1995
month=December
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE4DA1F39F93AA35751C1A963958260
accessdate = 20080403 He was one of three males in his family. His father worked in the basement of their home managing a wholesale book store and running a mail-order greeting-card and office-supply. William Boyer, Ernest’s paternal grandfather, was said to be the most influential figure in his younger years. William Boyer was head of the Dayton Mission of the Brethren in Christ Church and directed Ernest toward "a people-centered life."

Boyer attended Messiah College for two years before transferring to and graduating from Greenville College.Citation
last = The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
publication-date = 1996
title = Annual Report
edition = 91
publication-place = Princeton, New Jersey
oclc = 53693460
url= http://www.messiah.edu/boyer_center/about_boyer/
accessdate= 2008-04-03 He began graduate studies at the Ohio State University, but left for the University of Southern California, where he earned his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Southern California. He was a post-doctoral member in medical audiology at the University of Iowa Hospital.

Boyer taught and served in administrative posts at Loyola University in Los Angeles, Upland College and the University of California at Santa Barbara. At Upland College, he introduced the idea of a program that would give students a period in which they would not attend class during the mid-year term, and the students would take on individual projects. When he was at Upland, he decided that he wanted to devote his career to educational administration.

In 1965, he moved east to join the State University of New York system as its first executive dean.Citation | title=Carter's Education Nominee; Ernest Leroy Boyer | newspaper=The New York Times | date=1977-03-16 | page=B5 He became Chancellor of the institution five years later.

In his seven-year term, he founded the Empire State College at Saratoga Springs and four other locations as non-campus SUNY schools in which adults could study for degrees without attending classes. He also set up an experimental three-year Bachelor of Arts program; established a new rank, Distinguished Teaching Professor, to reward faculty members of educational distinction as well as research, and established one of the first student-exchange programs with the Soviet Union.

Dr. Boyer served on commissions to advise President Richard M. Nixon and President Gerald R. Ford. In 1977, he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to lead the United States Commission on Education.Citation | title=Boyer, State U. Head, Named U.S. Education Commissioner; Black Lawyer to Lead Army | newspaper=The New York Times | date=1977-01-20 | page=31

Toward the end of the Carter Administration, Dr. Boyer followed after Alan Pifer as president of the Carnegie Foundation. He expanded his position to go beyond the study of higher education bringing more attention to education at every level with concentration on the earliest years of a child’s education. He served the Foundation from 1979 to his death in 1995.

Reports

One of Boyer's major accomplishments was creating a dialogue between teachers and administrators about teaching methods and programs. He wrote many reports that changed the face of education during his time at the Carnegie Foundation. Boyer addressed issues of secondary and primary education and created discussions about issues in education reform.

After working on a fifteen-month study of the nation’s high schools, Boyer wrote "High School: A Report on Secondary Education in America (1983)." Boyer recommended adopting a "core curriculum" for all students and tougher foreign language and English requirements. He stressed the need for community service before graduation and the excellence for all students and teachers.

Boyer's next report, stated how many faculty members of undergraduate institutions put more emphasis on research than on actual teaching. His report "College: The Undergraduate Experience in America," was published in 1987. Boyer declared that the students were not getting the full attention of their instructors, stressing the importance of more resources into undergraduate education programs, expanding orientation and faculty mentoring for new students, and creating community service programs for students. Boyer connects teachers with students and professors in both high school and college on a more personal basis. Community service programs with high schools and college benefit all who are involved.

"Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate" challenged the current views of faculty priorities and the true meaning of scholarship. Boyer classified four kinds of scholarship: discovery, integration, application, and teaching. This report has created debates around the country and has influenced many colleges and universities to evaluate their faculty differently.

In "Ready to Learn: A Mandate for the Nation (1991)", Boyer makes a strong point about the importance of preparing young children for school. Education of the parents of preschoolers was essential so that they might know "all of the forces that have such a profound impact on the children's lives and shape their readiness to learn." This study led to educational television programs such as Sesame Street, and landmark legislation such as the Ready to Learn Act of 1994.

In 1995 the Carnegie Foundation published, "The Basic School: A Community for Learning." This report talked about the importance of the first years of formal learning. The main point of the report was so the public could understand that the school is a community with a vision, "teachers as leaders and parents as partners." He also wanted a "powerful voice for the arts in education." This report led to the Basic School Network. The trial program was made up of sixteen schools, public and private. Boyer worked with school administrators and staff on the beliefs of the Basic School. This included new ways to create a curriculum, the importance of language and the arts, and the involvement of parents. The Basic School Network now has centers and affiliates around the country and is a successful in improving elementary education.

Awards

Awards and recognitions of Ernest Boyer include:
*Charles Frankel Prize in the Humanities, 1994 (Presidential Award)
*James B. Conant Education Award, 1994
*President's Medal, Tel Aviv University
*Distinguished Service Medal, Teachers College, Columbia University
*Horatio Alger Award
*Educator of the Year, 1990, U.S. News & World Report
*Medalist, New York Academy of Public Education
*Friend of Education Award, National Education Association
*1995 Education Leadership Award, Council for Advancement of Private Education

Works

*"The Basic School: A Community for Learning. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1995"
*"College: The Undergraduate Experience in America. New York: Harper & Row, 1987."
*"High School: A Report on Secondary Education in America. New York: Harper & Row, 1983.
*"Ready to Learn: A Mandate for the Nation. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1991."
*"Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1990."
*Boyer, Ernest L., Philip G. Altbach, and Mary Jean Whitelaw. "The Academic Profession: An International Perspective. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1994."
*Boyer, Ernest L. and Fred M. Hechinger. "Higher Learning in the Nation's Service. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1981."
*Boyer, Ernest L. and Arthur Levine. "A Quest for Common Learning: The Aims of General Education. A Carnegie Foundation Essay. Washington, D.C.: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1981."
*Boyer, Ernest L. and Lee D. Mitgang. "Building Community: A New Future for Architecture Education and Practice. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1996."

References

External links

* [http://www.messiah.edu/boyer_center/about_boyer/ The Boyer Center] at Messiah College

Persondata
NAME=Boyer, Ernest L.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=None
SHORT DESCRIPTION=American psychologist and educator, first President of SUNY
DATE OF BIRTH=13 September 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH=Dayton, Ohio
DATE OF DEATH=8 December 1995
PLACE OF DEATH=Princeton, New Jersey