When Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, Ph.D., was introduced as dean of the UNC School of Education at an April 26, 2016, announcement event, he told attendees that he would be knocking on their door, seeking opportunities to collaborate.
“That is what I do … I will be looking for collaboration,” Abd-El-Khalick said at the time. “It is going to be fun but challenging. I promise that.”
Eight years later, as Abd-El-Khalick departs Carolina to become the next provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the successes of the UNC School of Education under his leadership are all marked by collaboration – within Peabody Hall, across the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus, with North Carolina school districts and governmental agencies, with a range of organizations in and beyond education, other colleges and universities, and more.
“Much has happened at our School of Education in the past eight years, collective achievements that I hope will continue to define the School and Carolina in their work to serve learners, educators, and the communities in which they live,” said Abd-El-Khalick, who is also Alumni Distinguished Professor. “I believe our work has focused on and added to the ‘greater good.’”
When Abd-El-Khalick arrived at Carolina in 2016, the School ranked No. 35 overall in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of best schools and colleges of education. The School’s annual research expenditure was $5.7 million – or $127,000 per faculty member. As one of the University’s oldest professional schools, the School of Education boasted more than 20,000 living alumni.
Near immediately upon his arrival, Abd-El-Khalick launched an inclusive process to develop a new strategic plan, a new brand message, guiding pillars, and revitalized website – all of which would convey the School’s values, commitments, and ambitions.
“It was apparent upon my arrival and remains true as I leave, the people in the UNC School of Education propel the world,” Abd-El-Khalick said. “This is a community of simply incredible faculty, students, staff, alumni, supporters, and more committed to education, to schools, teachers, counselors, principals, and always to PK-12 students.
“Through thoughtful collaboration, between higher education, state government, school districts, and philanthropic supporters, we have shown how this UNC School of Education can realize the transformative power of education.”
A focus on people, potential
Early in his tenure, Abd-El-Khalick saw opportunities to draw upon faculty strengths and expand research operations of the School. He established an associate dean for research and faculty development position, appointing Jill Hamm, who is now interim dean, and invested in pre- and post-award grant staff members and support. He also invested in collaboration to leverage new and existing faculty talent and deliver on the School’s research mission.
By 2023, the School had nearly quadrupled its total research expenditure to $22.2 million and its per-faculty expenditure to $529,000, expanding the School’s scholarly leadership and impact through cutting-edge research and innovation.
Drawing upon exceptional faculty expertise, Abd-El-Khalick partnered with campus, state, and world leaders to create and sustain public conversations critical to educational research, leadership, and school safety and well-being. Large-scale events included:
- In 2017, in collaboration with schools across the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, the School hosted Toward a Carolina Improvement Science Initiative: A Lightning Symposium, bringing together Carolina faculty, staff, and graduate students engaged in research on improvement at scale together for a day-long event.
- Also in 2017, the School led the state-wide Carolina Educational Leadership Summit, convening a range of stakeholders to identify and discuss existing and emerging challenges. Education officials from across the political aisle and from across North Carolina worked to broker partnerships, promote innovation, and strengthen leadership.
- In 2018, the School – with Carolina’s schools of social work, medicine, and public health – hosted the Summit on School Safety and Well-being, enabling extensive discussions focused on how we can keep students safe between students, parents, teachers, school leaders, school health and mental health professionals, school safety resource personnel, legislators, representatives from key state agencies, clinicians and researchers from UNC schools and departments, as well as state, national, and international leading experts – student safety and wellbeing.
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In 2023, the School hosted the World Anti-Bullying Forum – the first time the biennial event was held outside of Europe – drawing nearly 600 attendees, including researchers, practitioners, policymakers, educators, youth, and additional professionals representing more than 30 countries who presented at or engaged in more than 70 events, including keynotes, workshops, symposia, paper sessions, a poster session, and more.
Abd-El-Khalick also led a faculty hiring campaign intent on attracting the best, brightest, and most diverse faculty to the UNC School of Education. Between 2016 and 2024, the School attracted and welcomed 37 new faculty members – rising stars and established scholarly leaders whose expertise spans disciplines – to an already talent-rich faculty. During Abd-El-Khalick’s tenure, faculty racial and ethnic diversity increased from 22% to a historical high of 32%. Simultaneously, the School expanded its staff from 38 to 63, increasing its professional bandwidth in support of the mission and in expanding research, teaching, service, public engagement, and development efforts.
As with faculty and staff, the School also attracted the best and brightest students under Abd-El-Khalick’s leadership. The School’s faculty and staff reconceptualized and substantially grew new undergraduate and graduate programs:
- The Human Development and Family Science program has grown from about 20 students to annual enrollments of nearly 300.
- The Master of Arts in Teaching increased enrollment by more than 500% since 2016
- The Master of Arts in Educational Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship program increased enrollment by more than 450%.
- In 2021, the School launched a new undergraduate Human and Organizational Leadership Development program, which now enrolls nearly 70 students and continues to grow.
Overall residential student enrollments have grown by 26%.
Creating impact in the lives of learners and education professionals and in North Carolina communities
In addition to fostering collaborations that advanced important research with wide-ranging implications, Abd-El-Khalick also created strong partnerships to immediately serve PK-12 students, aspiring education professionals, educators, and districts.
The School launched online and HyFlex learning spaces to meet the needs of today’s learners and working educators:
- With the College of Education at NC State University, the School created Pathway to Practice NC – an online program that enables the state’s residency license teachers to pursue full licensure at their own pace – to help address shortages of highly qualified teachers. To date, nearly 500 residency license teachers across 84 North Carolina school districts have enrolled in Pathway to Practice NC.
- The School also delivered its Master in School Administration and Master of Education for Experienced Teachers in Early Childhood Intervention and Family Support programs as HyFlex programs, offering in-person and virtual options and increasing access for working professionals from across North Carolina.
- Recently, the School also announced an online Ed.D. program focused on organizational learning and leadership, which will provide working professionals from a range of sectors and organizations with knowledge, skills, and experiences to take a human-centered approach to leadership, helping to deliver upon their organization’s goals and mission.
With substantial federal, state, and philanthropic funding, the School has also partnered with inner-city and rural school districts to bolster the preparation of North Carolina’s most effective teachers and school leaders, and critical wraparound service professionals, including school counselors, through established and innovative initiatives that include the North Carolina Teaching Fellows, DREAM, UNC LEADS, Fellows for Inclusive Excellence, and Helping Heels.
In 2022, the School led campus efforts in creating Carolina Community Academy, UNC-Chapel Hill’s K–2 laboratory school, in partnership with Person County Schools. The School continues to build an ever-growing cross-campus coalition of schools, academic and service units, and centers to bring Carolina’s full bandwidth to serve students, families, and the community across Carolina Community Academy and Roxboro.
“We have invested strategically and sought meaningful partnerships and support, helping us to ensure aspiring educators gain access to our exceptional faculty and leave Chapel Hill well-prepared and ready to serve students in North Carolina communities that need them the most,” Abd-El-Khalick said.
In addition to securing support for research and aspiring educators, Abd-El-Khalick also led efforts to reimagine Peabody Hall, home of the School, and its spaces. The lobby, now the Tarver Entryway, provides natural light and collaborative space for students and visitors. State-of-the-art, agile teaching and learning spaces enable students to join classes in Chapel Hill no matter their location, and renovated research and administrative spaces – including the new Research Commons – accommodate the School’s growing research enterprise.
Over the course of Abd-El-Khalick’s time at UNC-Chapel Hill, the School raised $26.8 million as part of the Campaign for Carolina (2014-21) and raised a record $8.2 million during fiscal year 2022, nearly doubling the previous best fundraising year ever.
When he leaves Carolina on June 30, 2024, Abd-El-Khalick leaves a UNC School of Education that is talent-rich, programmatically robust, and financially sound and, most importantly, a community of scholars, students, and professionals committed to advancing education in myriad ways and a number of programs and partnerships already delivering on their high potential impact. Abd-El-Khalick said he looks forward to watching the School’s progress from his new professional home in Massachusetts.
“There is great momentum at the School,” he said. “Serving as dean and working with so many good people to enable that momentum and success has been the highlight of my professional life thus far. My time at Carolina has been an inspiring reminder that, together, we propel the world.”