Strategic Priorities

Exterior architecture details of Teachers College.

Overview

Since its founding in 1887, Teachers College has paired humanitarian concerns with a broad-based scientific approach to human development premised on three complementary and interrelated areas of study: education, health and psychology.

Teachers College combines research, theory and practice to pursue our vision to create a smarter, healthier and more just and equitable world. Having educated more than 100,000 students globally, we prepare scholars, educators and practitioners; pioneer research and fields of study; provide critical expertise and advance the dissemination of knowledge for the public good.

Charting a Strategic Path Forward

Today, we face challenges and a volatile environment not unlike the world from which TC originally emerged. The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred tremendous economic, social, racial and health-related inequities, tensions and uncertainties.  It also created forward-thinking opportunities.

Teachers College has a responsibility to explore and uncover the far reaches of educational and pedagogical possibilities that will strengthen the world’s ability to respond to new challenges and effect positive change. We have a moral imperative to lead the way in addressing inequality. 

To meet this challenge, we have first turned inward, with the goal of evaluating and refining the College’s own structures in order to empower its students, faculty, staff, alumni, partners and external constituents in practice.

Background Image: Iron Gate with the TC Shield

Our Strategic Priorities Have Strengthened Our Ability To Lead Forward

When I became president of the College in 2018, I envisioned five Strategic Priorities that would not only help us to realize TC’s vision of combating the vast health, education and economic disparities that afflict our society, but also help us to thrive as an institution:

As I have completed my first five-year term, I am proud of what we have accomplished and I am eager to continue to build on this foundation to demonstrate impact well beyond the campus.

Students in the classroom

Priority 1: Build the Optimal Academic Organization

We aim to deliver the teaching, research and educational experience that most effectively meets the needs of our constituencies and maximizes impact on the public good.

Our vision:

Building the optimal academic organization will create a strong foundation for an enriched faculty and student experience, boost program excellence and impact for the public good and enable TC to grow and thrive as an institution into the future.

Primary Objectives/Accomplishments


  • Clarify and Refine our Mission and Common Purpose
  • Align Departments and Programs for Efficiency and Effectiveness
    • Admissions processes were streamlined and required credits reduced for Ed.D. attainment, from 90 to 75, to better align with the field and lessen cost burden on students.
    • Website navigation was redesigned, facilitating exploration of academic pathways for prospective students.
    • Synergies between departments and programs are in development, with the goal of providing more interdisciplinary opportunities with broader impact.
  • Streamline and Reduce Administrative Burden to Support Faculty Teaching and Research
    • Faculty committees supporting Ed.D and Ph.D candidates were combined to support administrative efficiency.
    • Processes were revamped to streamline and expand Admissions Office role in enrollment and financial aid, diminishing the administrative impact on faculty.
    • Hiring processes were redesigned, both to simplify student employment and to streamline procedures.
    • We are realizing our goal of more efficient operations by consolidating committees overall; we reduced faculty participation requirements in College-wide committees and in service positions by 30%, affirmed via faculty resolution.

Recent Work


Students sitting on a bench on the Columbia University campus laughing and chatting

Priority 2: Institutionalize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

We aim to reinforce TC’s foundational commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through its policies, training, outreach, campus development and other mechanisms that position the College to model the type of anti-racist community and broader society we want to build and foster.

Our vision:

TC’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will develop and cultivate a diverse community where each individual is supported to meet their potential, and in turn, will help to lead the fight against systemic racism and advance social justice for all.

Primary Objectives/Accomplishments


  • Develop a plan to increase diversity across the College
    • An Inclusive Search Process was launched along with a Target of Opportunity Recruitment program to emphasize a DEI lens on the hiring process, from job description development to onboarding, which significantly increased our pool of candidates of color (see DEI report for data).
    • Senior Enrollment Division staff positions were created to coordinate and improve enrollment of underrepresented students with a focus on connecting with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
  • Analyze the Curriculum for Inclusion and Responsiveness
    • A Work Group was formed to diversify academic curricula and syllabi and build cultural competencies within and across departments.
  • Publish an Annual DEI Report 
    • TC’s latest annual DEI Report was published in fall 2023. 
  • Ensure Organizational Practice is Transparent and Inclusive
    • A mandatory series of Cultural and Racial Microaggressions sessions was instituted as a component of onboarding all staff and faculty, aligning our values and setting expectations for conduct. 
    • A Pregnancy and Parenting policy was established to ensure equitable and fair treatment. 
    • A competitive faculty grant program was launched to enhance diversity of the curricula, improve cultural competencies and personal engagements.  
  • Engage the Public in the College’s DEI Priority
    • An employee climate survey was launched to secure community input and engagement in program planning.
    • TC’s  Community Coffee and Tea Hour was established to facilitate informal community-building among staff, students and faculty.
    • Community Health Fairs led by TC faculty in collaboration with St. Luke AME Church, St. John’s Baptist Church, Mount Neboh Baptist Church and the Movement Disorders Center at Columbia’s Irving Medical Center provided screenings and other services to engage with the greater Harlem community.

Recent Work


TC Students on West 120th Street

Priority 3: Enhance Student Pathways

We aim to assess, understand and refine the student pathway experience, such that each step along a student’s educational path offers robust, coordinated and highly effective systems of support that enable student success and promised outcomes.

Our vision:

Providing comprehensive support to students throughout their academic experience and beyond will help to ensure TC students and alumni reach their full potential, and will create a pipeline of exceptional candidates for employers in the education, health and psychology sectors.

Primary Objectives/Accomplishments


  • Create Coordinated Student Pathways that support student success from their point of entry through graduation and beyond.
    • TC’s Division of Student Affairs was launched to integrate and coordinate services for greater student success and engagement.
    • TC NEXT – Navigating and Exploring for Tomorrow – was established as a College-wide approach to career services for students and alumni. 
    • The Student Support & Advocacy program was created to help students manage the pressures of academics, family, finances and more.  
    • The Student Life Ambassador program was designed to provide a range of student-driven community programs, from small-group meetings to Broadway outings.
    • Through career fairs and services, we increased the number of potential employers engaging with TC students by 400 in one year.
    • New curricula and technologies were provided to support improved career development programming, including global opportunities, for students and alumni.
  • Improve Academic Advising and Co-Curricular Support
    • Academic support services were expanded to offer a robust range of options, including: research analysis support, tutorial services, graduate reading and writing, and conference presentation support.
    • A Special Advisor to the Provost for Doctoral Education position was created to advise, draft, and implement policies, programs, and potential structural improvements for doctoral students. 
  • Optimize Financial Aid to Increase Degree Attainment
    • An evaluation of institutional financial aid was completed and new systems and policies were designed supporting improved access. 
    • New technologies were implemented to enhance Title IV student aid usage, including improved notifications, reduction in forms, enabling staff to counsel students on smart and responsible financing.

Recent Work


Students Working on Group Project

Priority 4: Advance Research for a Better World

We aim to strengthen the College’s research infrastructure to facilitate the flow of resources to TC, promote faculty success and productivity and provide students with financial support and rich learning experiences, which will magnify the impact of the College’s research on policy and practice to address and solve societal challenges.

Our Vision:

By bolstering our research enterprise we will bring more resources to the College, offer more opportunities and financial support for our students, and boost the impact of our faculty research, which in turn, will magnify the impact of the College’s research on policy and practice.

Primary Objectives/Accomplishments


  • Strengthen and Streamline our Research Support Infrastructure and Improve Grant Writing Skills
    • A revamped research website and monthly research newsletter were launched to increase submissions and total grant awards.
    • With the addition of five new staff positions and a range of services including grant writing webinars and coaching, we increased grant applications by 10% and student assistantships by 10%.
    • An annual research networking event was instituted for 150+ faculty participants from Columbia University, Barnard College, and TC to foster collaboration and new ideas. 
    • A showcase series was established for faculty to learn about TC research initiatives in health and wellness, international research and language and literacy research.
  • Facilitate the Development of Large, Interdisciplinary Research and Center Grants
    • TC led an interdisciplinary education research group on a multi-million dollar grant proposal and facilitated partnerships with Columbia Global Center in Nairobi, Kenya; University of Pennsylvania; and Ministries of Education and Health in Ghana and Kenya.

Recent Work


Students using Virtual Reality headsets in the classroom

Priority 5: Lead in Digital Innovation

We aim to situate the College at the forefront of pedagogic innovation, advancing the intersections of education and technology such that our faculty and students are equipped with — and influence — the latest scholastic approaches, and are positioned as visionaries in this space.

Our vision:

By integrating and harnessing our collective firepower in digital pedagogy and research, the Digital Futures Institute will position Teachers College not only to better serve the needs of our students and faculty, but also to lead the way in driving digital innovation throughout higher education and the broader public.

Primary Objectives/Accomplishments


  • Centralize Technology Resources Through the Digital Futures Institute (DFI)
    • The Digital Futures Institute (DFI) was launched to provide training in the effective use of technology in teaching and coordinate TC efforts in media creation, technology development, digital learning and academic computing. 
    • Support was provided for more than 800 courses over the summer and fall of 2021 alone with ongoing support year after year.
    • More than 50+ workshops were held in DFI’s first 18 months (between March 2021–August 2022), for 1,000+ participants.
  • Promote Faculty Expertise in Digital Practices and Tools
    • The DFI Fellows Program was launched as a cohort-based program providing five fellows with the opportunity to deepen and broaden their digital expertise.
    • A Future of Teaching Faculty Seminar was held with 16 faculty and lecturers from eight departments who met monthly to discuss the future of teaching at the College. 
  • Build a Culture of Innovation
    • A series of innovation ‘on-ramps’ were institutionalized from faculty and student collaborations in four focus areas: Digital Pedagogy, Play, Multimodal Scholarship, and Technology for Social Good.
  • Develop a Research Program and Infrastructure
    • A Future of Teaching Task Force was assembled to explore the teaching landscape at TC and developed a report outlining proposed areas for further exploration and growth in digitally mediated teaching.
    • Funding was secured from the National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, and the Spencer Foundation to support work in the areas of climate change research, public scholarship and digital pedagogy. 
  • Establish TC Expertise in Education Technology Use
    • A robust range of programming was offered including podcasting workshops, research software trainings and hands-on experiences in the DFI Tech Playground to explore emerging digital technologies.  
    • An Immersive Experience Club was established, enabling participants to explore mixed and virtual reality experiences with VR tools and environments as they explore connections to learning and design.
  • Leverage Digital Products to Promote Expertise Among Faculty and Students 
    • DFI launched the Teachers Supporting Teachers (TST) initiative in collaboration with Office of Teacher Education with a pilot cohort of 13 new teachers who receive hands-on support to integrate digital approaches into their K-12 teaching.
    • The Technology for Social Good program was established, placing TC students with local nonprofits that are leveraging digital solutions to address societal challenges (including  Justice Through Code, The Center for Measurement Justice and New Alternatives for Children).

Recent Work


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