Reflections from the Centennial

Published in ConnectED Newsletter - Volume 5 - Issue 1 - February 2022

As co-chairs of the School of Education’s Centennial Committee, Aminata Diop and I faced a host of daunting questions as we began to think about organizing this project. How do we plan a centennial? How do we build a sense of collective ownership towards this event? How do we recognize the school’s past, current reality, and future promise? We had more questions than answers when we began meeting in Spring 2019.   

Our first step was to determine who had the time and interest to work on the Centennial Committee. In early Fall 2019, over twenty staff and faculty (full time and adjuncts) attended the first meeting to brainstorm ideas on various topics connected to the School of Education—past, present, and future.  The school provided us with a buffet lunch to help build a sense of community. Enthusiastic conversations lead into the formation of five autonomous sub-committees: Alumni Outreach, History and Technology, Student Involvement, Swag and Marketing, and the Workshop Center. We then charged each sub-committee with planning events and/or developing projects connected to their respective topic.   

We held monthly committee meetings while enjoying the lunch buffets that the School of Education had thoughtfully provided. To frame the centennial year, the committee discussed and voted upon the theme ("Educating for Democracy in a Diverse World"), the logo, calendar of events, slate of potential keynote speakers, and swag. The School of Education voted on the keynote speakers (Profs. Linda Darling-Hammond and Ofelia Garcia) for the opening and closing ceremonies. Once this was in place, the Centennial Committee began to plan for these special events. In addition, at each meeting the five sub-committees reported on their on-going projects, planned events, and challenges. To keep all members of the School of Education informed, the Centennial Committee reported its progress at monthly division meetings. By the end of Fall 2019, we had a tentative calendar of campus events planned to begin the following year. 

Then the pandemic came and so we paused our work. Beginning in Fall 2020, we resumed our endeavors. We scaled back some of our original ideas. Rather than meeting on campus over lunch, we met virtually from our homes. We decided to begin the centennial events in Spring 2021 and to hold our events on-line. Doris Grasserbauer, Director of the Multimedia Center, provided technical support, leadership, and expertise with these planned virtual events. She constructed the centennial website documenting all the events and projects. 

This project was a stabilizing and joyful anchor during this time. Our monthly committee meetings provided a reprieve from pandemic news—as we planned events to honor and recognize the School of Education’s Centennial. We grew in solidarity with one another as we listened and supported one another’s initiatives. It was a privilege to work on this endeavor and to witness such good will, generosity, and collaboration at so many different levels.   

City College’s School of Education has had a powerful impact on New York City and beyond.  Established in 1921, when the world was recovering from the influenza pandemic, the School of Education found itself in 2021 in a similar place—recovering from Covid-19. Through it all, the school carried on with its resilient spirit, believing in a more equitable and just future as we work to educate future teachers, teaching artists, educational leaders, and informed citizens.   

Written by Associate Professor Catherine Franklin