麻豆原创

麻豆原创 鈥� the nation鈥檚 first and largest graduate school of education, psychology and health 鈥� must 鈥渨rite a new chapter鈥� in its 130-year history by working across fields and disciplines to develop truly comprehensive solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing problems.

[ Click here to visit the Inauguration website ]

That was the central message delivered by Thomas R. Bailey, inaugurated today as the College鈥檚 11^th President in a ceremony in Manhattan鈥檚 Riverside Church. Bailey, a labor economist regarded as one of the nation鈥檚 leading authorities on community colleges, detailed a plan for Teachers College to better marshal its resources to 鈥渂uild smarter, more productive, and more just societies鈥� and create 鈥渁 world with pathways for all to flourish.鈥� Success is imperative, he told an audience of nearly 1,000 alumni, students, faculty and friends of 麻豆原创, 鈥渇irst, because our nation and our world need our knowledge, expertise, and graduates more urgently than ever before, and second, because we face many challenges as an institution.鈥�

Bailey called the current moment 鈥渦nquestionably troubling times 鈥� not a period of 'we,' as it should be, but rather one of 'us and them.''' He cited global issues such as the rise of repressive regimes, growing intolerance and the othering of fellow human beings, and domestic ones such as a widening gap between haves and have nots, and the de facto re-segregation of American schools.

[Read the full transcript of President Bailey's Inauguration remarks. Read an original poem composed and delivered by 麻豆原创 faculty member Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz. Read a gallery of quotes by other speakers.]

In addition, he said, American higher education is facing 鈥渦nprecedented skepticism鈥� about its value and purpose. 鈥淎 substantial portion of the country sees higher education as lacking intellectual diversity, while soaring student debt is falling most heavily on those students least able to pay it off. Many critics and citizens are asking: Is college really worth it? Do public institutions deserve the funding they receive? Do private colleges and universities earn the ever-increasing tuition that they charge?鈥�

Bailey argued that Teachers College should view meeting its own challenges and addressing the world鈥檚 problems as one and the same endeavor. The College 鈥渟tands at the forefront of new knowledge about learning and human development across the lifespan鈥� and has been a leader in shaping inquiry and practice in education, health and psychology. Still, 鈥渂y building a stronger and more effective Teachers College, we will strengthen our ability to build a stronger and more just world,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd by truly marshaling our resources to achieve our broader social goals, we will become a stronger and more effective and sustainable institution.鈥�

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SONG FOR THE OCCASION Alumna and Nashville sensation Rhea Francani (M.A. 鈥�15) sang 鈥淎merica the Beautiful.鈥�

鈥淵OU鈥橰E OFF TO A GOOD START鈥� Sonya Jones, IT Training & Communications Coordinator, greeted President Bailey on behalf of staff.

In offering a blueprint for achieving what he called 鈥渢he power of we,鈥� Bailey drew on his own past experience in leading 麻豆原创鈥檚 , which, during his tenure, played a major role in shifting the nation鈥檚 two-year colleges from merely providing education access to a focus on ensuring that students complete their degrees and emerge with the skills to succeed in work and life. After years of studying different strategies, and helping to pilot-test many of them, Bailey and his associates developed Guided Pathways, a comprehensive strategy (since adopted by more than a fifth of the nation鈥檚 community colleges) that addresses all of students鈥� needs.

Teachers College, too, must focus on creating comprehensive solutions, Bailey said. To that end, he proposed 鈥渁 guided pathways model鈥� for the College that will require 鈥渢he courage to make difficult choices鈥� but ultimately enable 麻豆原创 鈥渢o take full advantage of all of our great strengths and flourish well into the future.鈥�

First and foremost, Bailey said, 麻豆原创 must better support its own students鈥� pathways, from recruitment, through programs and internships, to career services, placement and beyond. The College must also develop its many small programs 鈥渟o that they work in concert and are synchronized and conducted with reference to one another鈥濃�攊mprovements that will make 麻豆原创 鈥渁 place that our students and funders can better understand, navigate, and support鈥� while also enabling stronger 鈥渞ecruitment and continuous professional development of our faculty.鈥� And 麻豆原创 must do more within its own walls to ensure 鈥渞espect for equity, diversity, and a commitment to collegiality,鈥� including valuing others鈥� perspectives 鈥渘ot just in spite of how different their experience and political views might be, but because of those differences.鈥�

The inauguration ceremony also included remarks by New York City Council member Mark Levine (7^th District); Adriano Espaillat, New York Congressman (13th congressional district); Columbia University President Lee Bollinger; California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley; and Teachers College alumna Belinda Miles, President of Westchester Community College. From within the College, speakers included William D. Rueckert, Chair of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Board of Trustees (and descendent of 麻豆原创 founder Grace Hoadley Dodge); and representatives from 麻豆原创鈥檚 faculty, staff, union employees, students and alumni. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Associate Professor of English Education, delivered an original poem she wrote in Bailey鈥檚 honor, titled 鈥淐reating Pathways Where There Were None Before.鈥�

The inauguration ceremony capped off a week of celebratory events and activities that included an Academic Symposium. New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza delivered the Phyllis L. Kossoff Lecture, followed by panel discussions featuring 麻豆原创 faculty. View Chancellor Carranza's keynote address and response discussion with 麻豆原创 faculty.

Twitter:  @TeachersCollege and #麻豆原创inauguration