Dear Members of the TC Community,

Last week, TC held its first meeting of the new academic year with our Board of Trustees on October 9; additional board meetings will be held in December, March, and May. The full board meetings are the culmination of 10 Committee meetings covering a full range of subjects for which the Board provides oversight: student affairs; development; academic affairs; facilities and public safety; audit; business and finance; and investment — to name a few.

At our October Trustee meeting, we talked about federal actions that are impacting higher education in general, and potential implications to Teachers College. We were privileged to hear from two TC colleagues: Liz Willen, Editor in Chief of The Hechinger Report, and Dr. Luis Huerta, Professor of Education and Public Policy and Chair of Education Policy and Social Analysis (EPSA). Ms. Willen spoke about how coverage of education policy has gotten much more difficult, and Professor Huerta discussed the recent historical context for understanding federal K-12 policy priorities, touching on culture wars and the parental rights movement.

We also had a representative from the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) lead us through a discussion about efforts to build coalition among higher education leadership in ways to ensure and preserve academic freedom and the independence of our institutions. NAICU represents presidents of the nation’s private, nonprofit colleges and universities; its membership spans large, small, conservative and liberal institutions, including Teachers College.

The conversation was very well received and we will continue to engage with external groups as we work together to ensure we can advance our mission and serve our community.  

I also talked at the meeting about our five-point plan to move forward during this challenging year through the following actions:

1. Enrollment targeted to specific programs so we can continue to attract and support the best and brightest students.
2. Securing grants and contracts beyond federal government sources to continue our research, which is so critical to our mission and our impact.
3. Fundraise for scholarships and unrestricted funds to carry our work forward and support our community.
4. Control costs to manage our operations in the face of continued federal cuts and reduced income.
5. Active engagement in government and public relations, including coalition work.

Among the most important voices raising up our collective impact in the fields of education, health, and psychology are those of our faculty and students, past and present. I’m looking forward to hearing some of those voices at tomorrow’s Alumni Day celebration on campus. A rich program features our 2025 alumni awardees and a keynote address by Dr. George A. Bonanno, Professor of Clinical Psychology, on “The Resilience Paradox.” Next week, we are co-hosting EdTech Week 2025 (October 20 - 22), featuring 50+ sessions led by visionary founders, funders, educators, and system leaders who are shaping the future of learning — including some of the outstanding members of our faculty. Across these events and many more to come, the voices of our community members will help engage and motivate allies and supporters world over. I am eager to hear you all.
 
I will share our next update toward the end of the month. Again, thank you for your continued efforts to fulfill TC’s mission.

With best wishes,

Thomas Bailey
President
Teachers College, Columbia University