My calendar this semester looks like a Jackson Pollack – not a space that does not have multiple marks, layered thickly. Although this has been a busy time beyond description, the events, tasks and opportunities we have been pursuing have been truly awesome, even in these unsettling times!

It has been a particular privilege to serve for the last year on the campus committee planning the Bicentennial celebrations of President Lincoln that occurred during October. Our College was involved in three events – the Lincoln and the Morrill Act Conference,  ‘Lincoln’s Unfinished Work: The Morrill Act and the Future of Higher Education’; ‘Lincoln’s Illinois Today: A Vision for Education’ colloquium, sponsored by the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, which I moderated, as well as ‘Abraham Lincoln, Teaching and Learning About the Greatest President’, co-sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor and our College as part of our Youth Literature Festival. This event involved presentations at Champaign and Urbana public libraries, attended by many community members and children. A special lecture about what every citizen can learn from Lincoln was delivered by Professor Chris Span, and a teacher symposium featured Dr. Wilma King, University of Missouri (keynote address), Elizabeth Pleck, Human and Community Development and Women and Gender Studies, Professor Susan Noffke of C&I, Illinois, Sandra Yamate, Polycrome Publishing, Chicago, IL, Tiffany Clark and Matt Buckles, Urbana School District #116.

The bicentennial celebrations gave me cause to refresh my knowledge about Abraham Lincoln’s tenacity and remarkable achievements. How can we complain about our times compared to his? One thing he said that arrested my attention which we should always keep in focus as educators is that ‘the capacity, and taste, for reading, gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others. It is the key, or one of the keys, to the already solved problems. And not only so, it gives a relish, and facility, for successfully pursuing the [yet] unsolved ones’ 
(September 30, 1859 Wisconsin State Agricultural Society). Reading clearly made a difference for him, starting adult life as a person with no formal education – and we know from our research, that there is a direct correlation between reading and educational success in all its forms.

Significant also during October, was the visit by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, as part of our campus 10-year accreditation. Given the turbulence that campus has been through these last few semesters, it was uplifting to hear the chair of the review team speak glowingly about our faculty and programs. In fact, no follow-up action at all was recommended regarding our core work. So, well done to all who contributed to this outcome. We need to be reminded that the university is the sum of its scholarly programs/activities and in this regard the U of I at the Urbana-Champaign campus remains one of the most highly respected, high performing universities in the country.

Over the last month or so I also attended a slew of Deans of Education meetings – one in Oregon and two in Washington. These were all marked by the same preoccupations, defined by the Federal Government’s ‘Race to the Top’ reform agenda. As you know, there is much disquiet and criticism surrounding this agenda. Arne Duncan has made strident criticisms of Colleges of Education, and they in turn have criticized what they generally view as more of the same from Washington. It is heartening however that our College is navigating between these currents to ensure that we can contribute to what, after all, are mutual goals – the improvement of leaning outcomes for all students, in all domains.

Also in Washington last month I attended the Australian-American Fulbright Commission 60th’s Anniversary Dinner. This was a powerful personal reminder to me of the importance of benefactors. Mrs. Fulbright spoke inspiringly about her husband’s international mission and her own interests in promoting peace among peoples. So much of my professional career (and personal family life) was affected by my time as a Fulbright Scholar in the early 1990s. The deep and enduring relationships with American scholars that I formed during this period underpinned so much joint research and publication with US colleagues – and it was this, indeed, that eventually brought me here.

Which reminds me to extend a thank you again to all our benefactors, our Board of Visitors and the Advancement team, led ably by Associate Dean Joan Tousey, for contributing so significantly to our ability to support our faculty and students – as witnessed last week by those who attended our student recognition brunch and those who are in receipt of the many awards and scholarships we grant for conference participation and scholarship.

I would also like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge Associate Professor Chris Span and the staff of the Student Academic Affairs Office for the magnificent way in which they have handled the duties of that office in the absence of Associate Dean Violet Harris (sick leave) and the move of Assistant Dean Brenda Clevenger to our Council of Teacher Education. They have all offered more than the duties required of them in order to ensure that the needs of our students and programs are met. Dr Span has certainly shown himself to be an inspiring College citizen, maintaining all his teaching and research duties as well as stepping up when the College needed his service.

Equally impressive has been the calm and steady way in which all our colleagues working in the Bureau of Education Research under Jane Schingel’s leadership are processing and supporting our burgeoning research activity. Particularly noteworthy is the way in which they are responding to the extraordinary opportunities produced by the state and federal stimulus funds and the education reform agenda. Please keep an eye out for the grant writing seminars they are offering and contact them if you need assistance.

And on that score, congratulations to those who have brought in the latest crop of grants. You will note that new grants have been secured by Kiel Christianson (NSF Career grant), Barbara Hug (NIH, Project NEURON), Russ Korte (NSF Stimulus project), Dorothy Espelage (Center for Disease Control) and Barbara Geissler (Kansas University).

Meanwhile, Professor Dorothy Espelage’s work is continuing to influence the public as well as the academy with appearances on the Oprah show and in a Discovery Channel special about bullying. Likewise Professor Liora Bresler’s work on how music sensibility can help shape teaching and research in education has received significant attention. Professor Debra Bragg’s expertise is also in high demand and she is engaging directly with our State Legislators as they consider their Higher Education policy. Moreover, the state of Oregon has already passed legislation adopting Professor Bragg’s definition and models of applied baccalaureate degrees.

Accolades to Professor Nick Burbles who was invested as one of four new prestigious Gutgsell Professors by campus. And to Professor Michael Peters and Dr Tina Besley for winning an American Educational Studies Association Critics Choice Award for their co-authored 2007 book published by Peter Lang, ‘Subjectivity and Truth: Foucault, Education and the Culture of Self’.  Also to Professor Fazal Rizvi, both for being declared by Routledge as their ‘Author of the Month’ this October and for being part of a new Australian Research Council, award along with Professor Cameron MaCarthy and others: ‘Elite independent schools in globalizing circumstances: a multi-sited global ethnography’.

The Goldstick Annual Lecture on Autism delivered by Professor Pat Mirenda from the University of British Columbia, was stunning again this year. Professor Jim Halle is to be admired for his extensive networks and the respect he has garnered in order to attract such deeply knowledgeable scholars to speak in the lecture series. The Goldtisck family was very impressed by the turn out for the public lecture and we enjoyed a delightful dinner with all at my home after the event. (see picture below)

I also hosted at my home a lunch for Esteemed/Retired Faculty, drinks after our Annual Meeting of Faculty, a cocktail party for the three departments involved in designing new synergies and a new integrated organizational structure,  (HRE, EOL & EPS) and a brunch with a number of our alums and colleagues from our Chicago campus. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy these events and hope with time to host all of you.

The achievements of our College are of course extensive and ongoing – see our Web site for more.

All the best,
Dean Mary Kalantzis