Dean's Letter
EdUcation is UTAH
Dear College of Education Community,
I am excited to announce an unprecedented milestone of our college. The College of Education is embarking on a journey to unify its objectives for innovation, expansion, and influence through a comprehensive strategic plan rooted in the needs, priorities, and aspirations of Utah’s faculty, staff, students, and valued stakeholders.
With a rich legacy of service to the state of Utah, the College of Education has long been dedicated to forging pathways for the education and preparation of future educators, researchers, scholars, mental health professionals, counselors, and K-12 and higher education leaders. It is these very strengths that captured my attention upon joining the College of Education in 2021 and led me to enthusiastically embrace the role of dean in 2023.
This endeavor presents us with an exciting opportunity to rally together as a community and envision strategies to elevate the College's strengths to unprecedented levels. Our strategic planning initiative signifies a moment of transformative innovation and growth, one that builds upon the robust professional and educational groundwork we have historically laid for our graduates.
Furthermore, the way we engage in transparent dialogue throughout this inaugural strategic planning process for our college offers a distinct opportunity to shape our approach to strategic planning for years to come.
That’s why we’re centering this strategic planning process on the idea that EdUcation is Utah.
EdUcation is
IMPACT
It is the foundation of learning and serves as a pillar of the University of Utah and the College of Education, which is why we’re uniting the vision for our strategic plan with the University of Utah’s Impact 2030 strategic plan.
EdUcation is
PROGRESS
It is inextricability linked to change and transformation. Our strategic planning process marks an opportunity for transformational innovation and growth that builds upon and complements the strong professional and educational foundation we’ve historically laid for our graduates.
EdUcation is
COMMUNITY
It is a driving force that informs our mission of teaching, research, and service at both the university and the College to unite current and future educators to better the communities we support across the state of Utah.
EdUcation is YOU
Its impacts spread to alumni, K-12 districts and schools, colleges and universities, and into educating youth, preparing leaders and professionals who become the future of Utah. That’s why this strategic plan will be built upon the unique needs and visions of College of Education faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders communicated through months of interviews, surveys, listening sessions, focus groups, and workshops.
To impact education, we must act together.
I strongly urge every one of you to participate in these unique opportunities to make your voice heard in shaping the future of the College of Education.
This strategic planning process is a historic undertaking for our college. I look forward to seeing the ways it unites us even further as a community.
Sincerely,
Frankie Santos Laanan, DEAN
