Welcoming a Diverse Class Inside Inside They Come from All Walks to Walk Dewey’S Halls a Student Leader’S Vision

Volume 14, 1 No. Volume October 2008 InsideThe source for news and events at Teachers College, Columbia University Welcoming a Diverse Class Inside Inside They come from all walks to walk Dewey’s halls A Student Leader’s Vision .............. 2 TC in Jordan ............................. 3 et me start by congratulating you on getting into one of the best “ and leading schools of education in the country, and in making TC and West Point ....................... 10 L the right choice in coming here.” New Faculty ................................ 12 Those were TC President Susan Fuhrman’s opening words to the nearly 1,500 members of this year’s entering class at the New Student CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 Obama and McCain Education Advisors will Debate at TC Annual equity symposium and conference on university-public school partnerships round out a busy fall ith the Presidential elec- tion now just weeks W away, TC is hosting three three major events this fall that COMMUNITY BUILDERS At the State of the College meeting in September, (from right) George B. Schuessler, Director of Academic Computing; Yvonne Wallace, Department Secretary for Biobehavioral are likely to have a bearing on nation- Sciences; and Graeme Sullivan, Professor of Art and Art Education; received TC’s Elaine Brantley al education policy. Memorial Award for Community & Civility for 2008-09. Named for a cashier who passed away in June On Tuesday evening, October 21, 2003, the Award recognizes employees who go beyond the expectations of their position to promote a the College will host “Education and sense of community and a culture of civility at the College. Also present were (from left) VP for Diversity and Community Affairs Janice Robinson, President Susan Fuhrman, and Brantley’s daughter Eboné and the Next President,” a debate between granddaughter Bria Elaine Foster. For more on the state of the college, visit www.tc.edu/news/6680. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 8 ALL ARTICLES CAN BE FOUND ONLINE AT: www.tc.edu/inside The Student Voice Rebelling with Truth The new Student Senate President offers the Senate’s VISION 2010 n his posthumously published work The By holding Monthly Student Forums, we Vision, Kahlil Gibran writes: will provide a plethora of opportunities for I “Life without rebellion is like sea- students to tell us their needs and expectations, sons without spring. Rebellion without truth and to give us feedback on our own perfor- is like spring in a bleak, arid desert.” mance. The new Student Senate Web site will I happened to stumble on those words include a portal where students can find regu- this past summer just as the Student Senate lar updates, listings of important events and was in the process of completing VISION discussion boards. 2010, our plan to enhance the student expe- We also want to strengthen relationships rience at TC academically, professionally, Ricco Wright between students and their academic depart- socially, culturally and virtually, and to con- ments. By forming a Student Advisory Group tribute positively toward the overall student condition and for each program, we hope to perpetuate dialogue about campus climate. improved academic advising, faculty/student mentorship For me, Gibran’s words really resonated. A rebellion and more. Our department representatives will collaborate might be interpreted as either a revolution or a movement— with their respective Student Advisory Groups on framing but either way, it has its genesis in a vision. proposals for such improvements. As the Student Senate talked about our vision, we realized Our other goals include improving financial aid and that a movement is in the cards this year. First, though, we campus safety; setting in motion the Go Green Project; and had to envision a TC where not only administrators, but also increasing membership in the Senate from 30 to 200 by 2010 faculty, embrace the idea that students are truly the lifeblood by including students on a wide range of standing and ad of the institution. That’s especially important at a place like hoc committees. TC, where we have such a range of student diversity, yet also Gibran’s insights inspire me to envision a richer, better TC such widespread commitment to unifying our community. experience for others and myself. I invite you to do the same. So It is to the latter end that we officially launch our don’t just complain or suffer in silence. Join our movement and VISION 2010 movement and offer our goals and objectives live life at TC with rebellion—and rebel with truth. for this year. First and foremost, the Student Senate will strive to connect with all our fellow students. We will increase our accessibility to all members of the TC community, especially This is the first in a series of columns by Wright that will appear through- students; strengthen our role as representatives of the student out the year. A profile of Wright appears on the back cover of this issue. voice; respond to student concerns; and fortify our role as 8 For more information on the Student Senate, visit student liaisons to the administration. www.tc.edu/senate 2 INSIDE TEACHERS COLLEGE Columbia UNIVERSITY International Improving Teaching in Jordan A TC delegation rolled up its sleeves in Amman in August n August, Teachers College pedagogical technique in specific Fuhrman visited Jordan in the fall sent a delegation of faculty subject areas,” said Dr. Tayseer of 2006, along with Columbia’s I members and consultants to Nueimi, Jordan’s Minister of President Lee Bollinger, follow- Amman, Jordan to assist Jordan’s Education. ing an invitation Queen Rania Ministry of Education in mak- “The efforts of our faculty in extended at a dinner at President ing mass-scale improvements to Amman are another important Bollinger’s house in New York the nation’s public school system. step in our ongoing partnership City. That visit was followed in Members of the Teachers College with Jordan’s Queen Rania and the summer 2007 by the six-week visit delegation led a five-day retreat to Ministry of Education there—work of 11 Jordanian public school teach- design pre-employment training that we are hopeful will be every ers to TC’s summer TESOL certifi- for Jordan’s newly hired public bit as much a learning experience cate program. school teachers. for Teachers College as for Jordan’s “Columbia is deeply commit- In addition, several visiting public schools,” said TC President ted to engaging in educational faculty members stayed on to teach Susan Fuhrman. exchange and partnership in the Jordanian public school teachers a The visit by the Teachers Middle East—and Jordan, through three-week course in the Teaching College delegation reflects the the vision of Their Majesties King of English to Speakers of Other broader involvement of Columbia Abdullah and Queen Rania and the Languages (TESOL). University in Jordan. President Ministry of Education, is an ideal “We are location for us to pleased to be able base our work,” to draw upon the said Dr. Safwan expertise of the Masri, Professor world’s leading at the Columbia graduate school Graduate School of education in of Business and designing and Director of implementing Columbia’s Office new programs in of International teacher training Relations. and professional The five-day development, as “design retreat” well as in content ONGOING EXCHANGE Jordanian teachers Mohammad Zammanoun (left) CONTINUED ON knowledge and and Affaf Koshman visited TC in 2007. PAGE 19 8 ALL ARTICLES CAN BE FOUND ONLINE AT: www.tc.edu/inside OCTOBER 2008 3 Fall Events CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE Linda Darling- Instruction, is The conference will focus on Hammond, known in edu- the conditions for success in differ- education cation circles as ent models of partnership between advisor to a leading advo- universities and public schools; les- Senator Barack cate of charter sons from past start-ups of partner- Obama, and schools (The ship schools; and how partnerships Lisa Graham National Review can inform curriculum and learning Keegan, edu- Darling-Hammond Keegan wrote that she at the college level. Other speakers cation advisor “created the will include TC Trustee and Yale to John McCain. most effective charter school program University faculty member James The event, which will be held in in the country”), standardized testing Comer; Jennifer Raab, President the Cowin Conference Center, will and looser certification of teachers. of Hunter College; Manuel Rivera, be moderated by TC President Susan At the 2008 National Republican New York State’s Deputy Secretary Fuhrman. Seats will be made available Convention, she was a vice chair- for Education; and Merryl Tisch of by electronic RSVP. Details will be man of the GOP’s political platform the New York State Board of Regents. announced soon. committee and helped develop policy And on November 17 and 18, Darling-Hammond, who taught statements on education. She also TC’s Campaign for Educational at Teachers College for many years, is spoke at the convention, during Equity will host its fourth annual the Charles E. Ducommun Professor prime time, on education and disas- symposium, this year titled of Education at Stanford University, ter relief issues. In 1998 she received “Comprehensive Educational Equity: where she has launched the Stanford the Milton Friedman Foundation Overcoming the Socioeconomic Educational Leadership Institute and Award for free enterprise innovation Barriers to School Success.” the School Redesign Network. She is in education. She has written numer- Speakers at the symposium an expert on issues

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