CONTACTS: Patricia Lamiell, lamiell@tc.columbia.edu / 973-449-7086, Will Whitmire | wwhitmire@skdknick.com
New York, NY – Teachers College, Columbia University on February 8, 2022, announced the extension of the presidency of Thomas Bailey for a second five-year term, effective July 1, 2023. By unanimous vote, the College’s Board of Trustees extended Bailey’s presidency to July 2028, signaling a forceful endorsement of his successful leadership of the first and largest graduate school of education, health, and psychology.
“President Bailey’s leadership over the past four years has confirmed our early confidence that his qualities as an astute leader and administrator, a prolific scholar, a gifted teacher and mentor, and a renowned changemaker in higher education make him the ideal choice to continue to lead Teachers College into the future,” said Teachers College, Columbia University Board Chair William D. Rueckert.
Since becoming the 11th president of Teachers College in July 2018, Bailey has made significant progress in advancing his strategic priorities for the College, fortifying its tradition of excellence in academics and research, institutionalizing diversity, equity, and inclusion; optimizing the student experience; and leading in digital innovation.
“Serving as TC’s President has deepened my appreciation for our extraordinary students, faculty, staff and alumni and the commitment they have to making a difference for the communities we serve. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue our work strengthening the College so that each member of our community is empowered to expand and deepen their impact,” said President Bailey.
Among his many accomplishments, President Bailey has built the most diverse cabinet of senior leadership in the College’s history. He is streamlining the College’s academic structure to reduce the administrative burden on faculty and presided over roughly $55 million dollars in research funding each year. He also introduced a student pathways initiative to provide comprehensive and coherent support to students from enrollment to career launch, and he established the Digital Futures Institute, which will pursue a robust research agenda and advance digital solutions for online and hybrid learning.
Under Bailey’s leadership, TC has experienced substantial growth in both geographic and ethnic diversity across the student body, with almost a quarter of new students in 2021 identifying as members of a historically underrepresented group. The College has emerged from the challenges of the pandemic in a strong fiscal position, with steady enrollment and significant growth in student applications.
“We are extraordinarily grateful for President Bailey’s stalwart leadership, his commitment to productive collaboration, and his galvanizing and courageous vision for Teachers College,” Rueckert said. “On behalf of the Board, I congratulate President Bailey and the entire community, and look forward with optimism to our shared future.”
______________________________________
About Teachers College, Columbia University
Founded in 1887, Teachers College, Columbia University, the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States, is perennially ranked among the nation’s best. Teachers College’s mission is to create a smarter, healthier, and more equitable and peaceful world. Teachers College engages in research and prepares professionals in its three main areas of expertise—education, health and psychology—to work with public and private entities in local, national and global communities and inform public policy. Students choose from among 150 separate programs to earn graduate degrees, which are conferred by Columbia University. While it is closely affiliated with Columbia University and collaborates with it on many programs, the College is an independent, autonomous institution with a separate, independent governing board, president, and financial endowment.