Summer 2022

Dear Friends and Colleagues, 

When we last connected, I spoke of hope and determination as we headed into another year, 18 months into a pandemic with an uncertain “end.” A sense of delight played itself out in so many ways through this past year: 

• Students not only were face-to-face in classrooms, but were actively engaged in experiential learning in classrooms, clinical offices and community organizations across Iowa and beyond. 
• Our major events returned one by one, from UNI celebrations like Homecoming, to our fall Made to Teach visit day, to our first full face-to-face professional development conference this spring. 
• Our students continued to amaze and impress. Commencement speaker Marin Ehler, movement and exercise science, celebrated by video–as she was competing at the NCAA track and field regionals in Des Moines. Senior elementary education major Alexis Moller led a group of 10 student leaders with her selection as one of two Lux Awards, the highest student leadership honor bestowed annually. Recent EdD graduates Dan Butler and Nicholas Rafanello took first and second place in the annual Graduate College dissertation awards. 
• Faculty and staff persevered while balancing multiple demands. Dozens saw papers and articles published and were able to once again travel to present nationally and internationally. Our “Learning and Leading with Character” effort, part of the Institute for Educational Leadership, is now up to 1,000 school leaders served and 35,796 miles traveled to do so! 

With the return of the UNI Teacher Education convocation and celebration this spring and a seemingly “normal” spring commencement, the year brought rewards beyond measure. For that we are thankful.

We’re now ready to drive dialogue to ensure we’re meeting the future workplace needs of our students and the disciplines, professions and communities with which we engage. This includes: 

• A transformative review of the teacher education curriculum, underway with our educator preparation colleagues. This is but one step as we continue to evolve to meet the demands and expectations of those whose passion is teaching. 
• A focus on innovation and impact as we update our strategic plan to align with the new UNI strategic plan. We hope to engage some of you as we anticipate a thorough endeavor to shape our future strategy and direction across the entire college. 

Thank you for all you do to support the College of Education, our students and our graduates.

Sincerely,

Colleen S. Mulholland 
Dean, College of Education