Dear Alumni and Friends,

As we welcome in a new year together, this special edition annual report both reflects upon the challenges and accomplishments of the past year while recognizing the tireless work of our students, faculty, staff, and especially our alumni and community partners in K-12 education.

Our world is at a critical moment in history as we move into the third year of dealing with a pandemic while political polarization tears people apart, resulting in shouting matches at school board meetings and uncivil interactions.

A beloved Iowa teacher is allegedly murdered by two students, and a community continues to reel and try to heal in the wake of such tragic violence. Teachers and students struggle with mental health issues, including suicide and depression, and fatigue is setting in while some educators leave the profession due to burnout.

Despite these challenges, there is reason for hope. Daily, I see the commitment, drive, and compassion of our future teachers, including the most recent 81 Hawkeye Teacher candidates who graduated this past December, filled with the desire and knowledge to shape the future. In fact, our enrollments continue to grow, drawing top-notch students from across the state, nation, and world to our more than 80 academic programs.

Our new Scanlan Center for School Mental Health, a partnership between our college and the Iowa Department of Education, is expanding services, training, and support to Pre-K through 12 students and teachers in schools across our entire state, from rural to metro communities. In fact, our inaugural Iowa BEST Summit drew more than 1,600 people to tackle tough issues, share knowledge, and build new partnerships.

Our college has hired 13 new faculty this past year, including mental health experts, who are conducting cutting-edge research and training the next generation of educators, school counselors and psychologists. We’ve also hired new staff in our Baker Teacher Leader Center to support our DEI and global education initiatives as well as online programs and PD.

We have also launched new certificate programs, including ones in Applied Behavioral Analysis, K-12 Equity and Inclusion, and Institutional Research and Effectiveness.

Phase 2 of our major Lindquist Center renovation was also recently completed, resulting in a welcoming new integrated student services and dean’s suite. This includes a café, and 7 new high tech, collaborative classrooms and multi-purpose spaces. This creates a high-tech teaching and learning environment, a sense of community, and a more student-centered experience. We hope you’ll come to visit these beautiful new spaces.

Finally, I am thrilled that UI WILD (Wildlife Instruction and Leadership Development), became part of our college last fall, giving students, educators, and faculty more opportunities to learn, teach, and conduct research in nature.

You’ll read about all of this and more in our special edition magazine. I look forward to continuing to lead and serve this college as we enter a productive New Year, working together to create a brighter future for everyone.

Sincerely,
Daniel L. Clay, PhD, MBA
Dean and Professor