Dear Members of the TC Community:

As we arrive at our spring break in the semester, I want to thank our students, faculty, and staff for their continued work, and reiterate my unwavering support for the TC community. This is an extremely challenging and stressful time for our TC campus, and higher education overall.  

The many directives coming in rapid succession from the Trump administration affect us all in different ways — personally and professionally — and can be difficult to process.  

I appreciated hearing the feedback from our students who participated in our two Advancing Community Together (ACT) listening sessions held over the past two weeks.  Students are at the heart of our work at TC, and I want to do everything we can to ensure they are heard and supported.

As I shared last Friday, TC is continuing to evaluate the outcomes and impact of the various executive orders and actions, including termination of federal grants and its impact on our work. We are working hard to restore these critical funds. 

Cabinet members and I have been consulting with a range of leaders as we respond, including college presidents and education school deans, higher education associations, and legal advisors. Our Office of Government Relations is engaging our elected officials on the impact of these federal actions on our community members and their work. We are also organizing ways for you to make your voices heard through TC Take Action (see below). 

As we navigate this fluctuating environment, we will be guided by our mission and values and do all that we can to ensure that each of you can continue to pursue the work you are here to do. In fact, continuing our work is the most important thing our community can do.

As a reminder, should you have a concern or need assistance, you can reach out through our TC CARES group, and please refer to the Knowledge Articles on the employee and student portals for our protocols concerning the possible presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on campus. International students with questions should continue to contact the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS). And please keep an eye out for more upcoming community dialogues through ACT.

I am always inspired by the way our community comes together and shows up for one another. I hope that in the coming week, you can take time for yourself to rest, restore and recharge. I look forward to resuming our work together following break.

Warmly,

Thomas Bailey
President
Teachers College, Columbia University

TC Take Action opportunities in the coming weeks:

• 3/19 - 3-5 p.m., Letter Writing to Congress, Everett Lounge
• 3/25 - 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Letter Writing to Congress, Zankel Hall
• 3/26 - 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Learn and Mobilize: Hear about cuts to TC research and how they affect communities. With community strategy building. Smith Learning Theater