Teachers College, Columbia University, is the graduate school of education at Columbia University in New York City. It prepares men and women for professional service at every level of education.
Teachers College offers programs in all phases of teaching, curricular planning, computing technology, and administration for the training of educational personnel. It provides advanced work in psychology, counseling, and guidance. The university also prepares students for careers in nursing, health, and nutrition education. It conducts research in all these areas and provides field service to schools throughout the United States and abroad. In addition, Teachers College sponsors numerous international activities in education.
Organization.
Teachers College is financially independent, with its own charter, board of trustees, and president. It forms a division of Columbia University by formal agreement between the trustees of the college and the trustees of the university. Under this agreement, faculty members at Teachers College are also members of the Columbia University faculty, and university courses are open to students of Teachers College. Degrees earned at Teachers College are granted through the university.
Many research and service activities at Teachers College are conducted through various institutes and special projects. These activities concern such areas as the needs of disabled children, higher education, the philosophy and politics of education, and the education of gifted students. In addition, the activities deal with psychological services, motor learning, urban and minority education, health promotion, and curriculum development.
History.
Teachers College was founded in 1887 as the New York College for the Training of Teachers. Sponsored by the Industrial Education Association, it prepared teachers in various fields, particularly family and consumer sciences and industrial arts. The college greatly expanded its curriculum under the leadership of Nicholas Murray Butler, who served as president from 1887 to 1891, and Walter L. Hervey, the president from 1891 to 1897. In 1892, the New York State Regents granted the college a permanent charter. In 1898, Teachers College became part of Columbia University.
The college became a world leader in educational research and experimentation during the administrations of James E. Russell, its dean from 1898 to 1927, and William F. Russell, the dean from 1927 to 1949 and president from 1949 to 1954. These men–father and son–emphasized research and experimentation to advance knowledge about educational goals and processes and to improve teaching practices in schools, colleges, and other academic institutions. As a result of their efforts, many important educational developments were pioneered at Teachers College.
The school’s website at https://www.tc.columbia.edu/ offers additional information.
