In his annual State of the College address, President Thomas Bailey outlined College advancements across student pathways, operations and impact to a standing-room only crowd in Milbank Chapel on Oct. 23. 

“One thing I know about our community is that we are focused on making the world a better place,” said President Bailey, who was inaugurated in 2018. “That’s in the DNA of Teachers College. It’s why our students come here. It’s what our faculty are doing here. And it’s what draws our staff to work here.” 

President Bailey reaffirmed the College’s commitment to his five strategic priorities with updates related to progress, including: 

1. Building the optimal academic organization, which includes efforts to support faculty as they evolve programs to meet student needs, and the development of additional online and non-credit programming through TC Academy, led by Will Trevor, who joined the College as its new Director of Online Learning in May. 
2. Institutionalizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, which was further advanced through the College’s training, outreach and campus resources to support the TC community over the past year. 
3. Enhancing student pathways by improving financial aid, including increasing the doctoral fellowship stipend, and collaborating with departments on custom financial aid strategies to support student recruitment, retention and graduation. 
4. Advancing research for a better world, which includes efforts to broaden participation among faculty, departments, centers and institutes in proposal submissions under the leadership of Caroline Ebanks, the College’s new Vice Dean for Research. 
5. Leading in digital innovation with new collaborations with the New York Public Schools AI Policy Lab, Google Trusted Testers Program and EdTech Week. 

In addition to discussing TC’s strategic priorities, President Bailey discussed core initiatives such as: 

• The Public Good Initiative, which is fostering interdisciplinary work across education, health and psychology to meet pressing current challenges that faculty will continue to develop further this year. In addition to advancing collaboration that will have a profound impact on partner communities, the Public Good Initiative will further bolster the College’s ability to effect change. Celebrating all of the meaningful work produced by the TC community over the past year, President Bailey highlighted innovative efforts like the Black Education Research Center’s groundbreaking Black Studies curriculum for NYC Schools, and the Gordon Institute’s forthcoming efforts to help create the first-ever Hispanic studies curriculum. 

• The College’s community dialogues, led by KerryAnn O’Meara — Vice President of Academic Affairs, Provost and Dean of the College — throughout the last academic year, and yielded a set of community values to strengthen work across students, faculty and the College. 
• Advancing Community Together, a range of efforts launched this summer to support the wellbeing and success of work at the College. Additional trainings to address discrimination complaints, clarifications to procedures and community dialogues aim to support the Teachers College community and their critical work. 

“On 120th Street, if you look up at the street sign, it says TC Way.  What I’m laying out here — our values, our priorities, our commitments, our focus on the public good. This is our TC Way forward,” President Bailey concluded. “I am confident that as we work together, we will rise to any challenges together, just as we celebrate our successes together.”  

Celebrating This Year’s Elaine Brantley Award Winners 

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Tamara J. Britt, Vice President and General Counsel, “an authentic leader” who “makes everyone feel safe, valued [and] appreciated.” 

Kimberly Irizarri-Douglas, Associate Director of Advancement Services, who is “celebrated as a true leader, team player and colleague.”

Feliciah Moore Mensah, Professor of Science and Education, who “makes it her responsibility to lift up folk and help whoever reaches out to her.”

Jose Moreno, a custodian for Residential Services and Whittier Hall, whose “tireless efforts have created a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place.”

To honor the late Michael Torres, who served as Executive Director of Institutional Research, the College presented his award to Torres' wife Elizabeth and his daughter Ann. Torres was remembered as having “energy, enthusiasm [and] optimism [that] brought excitement to the world” during his brief time at the College. 

As part of the festivities, Teachers College honored this year’s recipients of the Elaine Brantley Award for their generosity and commitment to the TC community: Tamara J. Britt, Vice President and General Counsel; Kimberly Irizarri-Douglas, Associate Director of Advancement Services; Feliciah Moore Mensah, Professor of Science and Education; Jose Moreno, a custodian for Residential Services and Whittier Hall; and the late Michael Torres, who served as Executive Director of Institutional Research. 

The award — named for the late Brantley who served TC for 24 years with warmth, kinship, and collaboration — is given each fall in recognition of those who “excel in making Teachers College a better place to work and learn,” said Janice Robinson, Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs, who led the festivities.

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Before the State of the College address, community members enjoyed a TC trivia gameshow hosted by Denise Boneta, Executive Director of Graduate Student Life & Development. 

Denise Boneta, Executive Director of Graduate Student Life & Development, led pre-show festivities.