Dear members of the TC community:

I wrote to you on January 29 in response to executive orders coming from the White House, which have continued at a rapid pace. We are less than a month into the new Trump administration and it seems fair to say we can expect more of the same for the foreseeable future. 

I have heard from many members of our community who are feeling anxious, confused, and concerned about what is to come. The executive orders, along with rumors of what’s ahead, touch each of us in various ways, from threatening our research, our families and loved ones, to challenging what we teach in K-12 schools, to questioning who we are and how we show up for each other.

It is hard to continue our work and to avoid distraction, but that is what we must strive to do.  We at Teachers College know who we are. We are committed to the greater good, to our scholarship, to academic rigor, to teaching and learning, leadership, and to our support for and recognition of one another. 

As a graduate school of education, health, and psychology, with a history of service, justice, and a focus on those in need, we bear a responsibility of living up to the ideals of our founders:  Grace Hoadley Dodge, John Dewey, and the more recent faculty, students, staff and alumni who have worked to fulfill our mission of building a smarter, healthier, more just and equitable world. 

We launched Advancing Community Together (ACT) with a series of programs to help us bring our community together. We will be sharing news soon of listening sessions and other workshops to support navigating our current landscape. Should you have a concern or need assistance or would like to express a concern for another, please make a referral through our TC CARES group.  

We will continue to marshal our resources to understand these executive orders and determine what is legal or applicable. The thriving of our community is front of mind. Know that we are first and foremost a place of learning, scholarship, and care.

Sincerely,

Thomas Bailey
President
Teachers College, Columbia University