Dear all,

This calendar year is coming to an end tinged with sadness and joy as the world celebrates the life of Nelson Mandela. Reflecting on his life and struggles, it is impossible not to lament the harm done in the name of identity and sovereignty, nor to ignore what it took for him as well as so many others, to reinstate a sense of a common humanity in South Africa and to redesign the institutional conditions that could underpin a good life.  The song ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ still rings in my ears, decades later. Knowing what he did with his hard-won freedom after such a long physical imprisonment, one can only be awed. His modesty and clear sighted recognition of both the collective effort and symbolic work required to change society and culture, remains salient.

We all recognize that many stubborn disparities remain in South Africa and around the world.  In all these locations and particularly closer to home, addressing what needs to be done requires the same kind of grit and sense of purpose that Mandela represented.  As educators we cannot but share in a spirit that strives to understand and intervene in the world in order to enable all learners, from all backgrounds, to realize their potential, achieve their personal goals, and make a contribution to the common good.

In such a moment of contemplation I am glad to be among a community of scholars, administrators, staff, students and alumni who have chosen to work together to make a positive difference in the lives of others through education.

In this vein, we should applaud all those involved in the design our new undergraduate major and those who are participating in the redesign of our Teacher Education program. Thank you for committing to an orientation that puts equity, identity and behavior alongside content knowledge, instructional and research skills.  We have arrived at a point where we are now ready to recruit a Director of our Teacher Education Program to help take it into the future. This position will be operating the College level and reporting to the Dean.

Our College has ended the year in a high note on all fronts.We enjoy the prospect of hiring a new cadre of excellent colleagues to share our mission. Thank you all for your stellar work and goodwill during this process. See our news website for stories of your many accomplishments. Our Communications Team needs to be commended for the continuously enhanced ways in which it keep us informed and showcases our work. Congratulations in particular to Sarah Dolinar and Gina Manola who won the Campus Public Affairs ACME Branding Leadership Award for 2013.

Two launches, one in our College and another abroad, signify that we are also determined to be serious global players. Congratulation to Professor Hua Hua Chang for the many years of focus and determination that led to the launch of the Confucius Institute as a new entity in our College. Thank you also to Lucinda Morgan for being on the ground in Shanghai and helping with the launch of the University’s China Desk.

I am pleased to have been nominated as the Chair of the Search Committee for the Vice Provost for International Affairs and Global Strategies. This upgraded campus position is a sign of the increased value that is being put into supporting our international aspirations. Professor James D. Anderson has been a key faculty advisor to Chancellor Wise, chairing the Illinois EDGE initiative (Enhancing Diversity, Guiding Excellence).  He also represents the College on the campus’ MOOC Strategy Advisory Committee. Professor William Trent is serving on Provost Adesida’s Academic Review Council, which was created to provide rigor to the campus’s own self-assessment and to present pilot programs in three departments this year. Ryan Thomas has also been appointed as a member of the search committee for the new Campus Chief Information Officer – another key position for our future.

As you all are aware, the campus has launched a new Strategic Plan and the Chancellor is moving forward to realize the goals of the Visioning Excellence initiative. In that context, we have decided that this is an opportune time for our College to reflect on its own trajectory. Consequently, CEC has agreed to lead a scenario building exercise that will enable us to come together and consider five forces on our fields of endeavor – social, technological, economic, environmental and political. This will be an opportunity to consider what a preeminent land grant College of Education will look like in 2035. Why that year? The children born in 2014 will be our juniors by that time and our junior faculty will be full professors. The purpose is both intellectual and practical, to discern the signposts of our times and to engage in robust deliberations about our collective future.

Of course this will have implications for decision-making and goal setting. I urge you all to participate fully. CEC will provide you with more information in the New Year. We hope to launch our scenario-based planning process after the start of classes, sometime during the second half of January.

Wishing you and your loved ones happy holidays and a fulfilling New Year.

Dean Mary Kalantzis