State of the College 2022
In this year's State of the College address, President Bailey presents the many accomplishments of our community over the past year, and the ways we are building for the future. We invite you to explore TC’s strategic priorities below as we chart our path forward together.
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 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 emerged. The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred tremendous economic, social, racial and health-related inequities, tensions and uncertainties. But, it has 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 spur positive change. We have a moral imperative to lead the way in addressing inequality. And, we must turn inward to evaluate and refine the College’s own structures in order to empower its students, faculty, staff, alumni, partners and external constituents in practice.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
We have developed five guiding Strategic Priorities centered on strengthening economic growth and opportunity and combating the vast health, education, and economic disparities that afflict our society. They are designed to enable TC to realize our vision, act upon the contemporary challenges and opportunities presented to us, and thrive as an institution.
The following descriptions are intended to provide focus to our continued discussion and work, which will evolve over time as we learn more from our community and beyond.
Priority 1: Build the Optimal Academic Organization
We aim to develop the College’s organizational design and substantive content to deliver the teaching, research and educational experience to most effectively meet the needs of our constituencies and to maximize impact on the public good.
To accomplish this, we will:
- Clarify and Refine our Mission and Common Purpose
- Align Departments and Programs for Efficiency and Effectiveness
- Streamline and Reduce Administrative Burden
Future outcome:
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.
Recent Work
TC’s Revamped Arts Administration Program
The new program, which launched in fall 2020, positions to better prepare students for the current job market while also taking less time to complete and costing less.
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.
To accomplish this, we will:
- Diversification of Staff, Students, Faculty, and Trustees
- Analysis of Curriculum and Content of Instruction
- Develop DEI Report
- Focus on Equity through Transparency
- Align Existing DEI Structure
- Support for Engagement
Future outcome:
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.
Recent Work
New! The TC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report
Our DEI report, released in June, 2022, provides a comprehensive overview of the state of diversity, equity and inclusion at Teachers College, establishes a data baseline against which we will gauge progress, and lays out the action plan for advancing our strategic priority to institutionalize DEI at the College.
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.
To accomplish this, we will:
- Create Coordinated Student Pathways
- Enhance Student Life
- Improve Academic Advising and Co-Curricular Support
- Enhance Career Services and Support
- Optimize Financial Aid and Support Student Access to a TC Degree
- Evaluate and Create Student-Centric Academic Policies
- Monitor and Track Student Progress and Outcomes
Future outcome:
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.
Recent Work
Look Inside TC’s First Family Day
Our 120th Street campus welcomed the families of TC students for an engaging day of learning
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, 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.
To accomplish this, we will:
- Strengthen Our Research Infrastructure and Communication
- Increase Support and Mentorship for Grant-writing Across the College
- Facilitate Development of Large, Interdisciplinary Research and Center Grants
Future outcome:
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 serve the greater good of society.
Recent Work
To Help Teachers and Students Prevent Violent Extremism, Department of Homeland Security Awards Grant for Innovation to TC’s Amra Sabic-El-Rayess
The nearly $750,000 grant will expand existing training of teachers to students in ways that can help prevent alienation and future unrest
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.
To accomplish this, we will:
- Centralize Technology Resources Through the Digital Futures Institute (DFI)
- Develop a Research Program and Infrastructure
- Build a Culture of Customer Service and Innovation
- Leverage Digital Products to Promote Faculty Expertise
- Position TC at the Forefront of Education Technology and Digital Learning
Future outcome:
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.
Recent Work
How to Maximize Your Tech Game, Thanks to TC’s Digital Futures Institute
At TC’s DFI, scholars reimagine how technology can (and will) change research and learning – and the way we live
Feedback
Share your feedback or questions via email at TCGeneration@tc.columbia.edu.
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