September 2, 2025
Aanii – Greetings!
Welcome to a new academic year at the UBC Faculty of Education. Whether you’re beginning your journey with us or returning to continue your studies, research, teaching or professional work, I am glad you’re here. As classes get underway, I look forward to meeting and greeting members of our educational community both on- and off-campus.
September is always an exciting time of renewal, with opportunities to reflect, reimagine, and recommit to what matters most to us. What excites me about the immediate future of the Faculty is that, after much consultation, we’re developing a new Faculty Strategic Plan, which will be ready for implementation in January 2026. It will provide direction on what we are already doing well, such as flexible and innovative teaching, impactful research, and broad community engagement. Yet, it will also provide us with abundant opportunities to surface creative, collaborative, and community-rooted work that has long been the hallmark of our commitment to social change and social justice.
I’m continually impressed by how our students, faculty, staff, and alumni thrive as creative and intellectual forces, advancing shared knowledge that deepens our collective understanding, challenges systemic inequities, and builds relationships across differences, enriching how we live, learn, and work in our schools and communities. Our work spans rethinking accessibility through community-led research with spinal cord injury advocates, championing inclusive early childhood education, facilitating teaching diplomas in Kenyan refugee camps, and launching our visionary Learn-and-Earn initiative, which offers Indigenous high school students immersive classroom experiences to spark early interest in teaching careers.
In an era of rapid change, our Faculty is leading the way with programs that reflect the complexity and promise of today’s world. This fall, we introduce two new Bachelor of Education cohorts that respond to the current landscape: one focused on equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization, and another exploring digital pedagogies and the ethical use of artificial intelligence in the classroom. Both are designed to equip educators for today’s challenges and help transform the future of teaching and learning.
We are also proud to launch Ts”kel, a new doctoral pathway in our Educational Leadership and Policy degree program. Grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and community leadership, this innovative program supports Indigenous scholars in shaping education, governance, and community systems that reflect their values and priorities—an essential step toward reconciliation and the recognition of Indigenous self-determination.
To support early-career teachers, our Faculty is leading BC’s new Teacher Mentorship Pilot Program, with a special focus on historically underrepresented groups. Through flexible and responsive professional development, the initiative aims to reduce isolation, strengthen teacher retention and help build a more diverse and resilient provincial education workforce.
Looking ahead, please consider joining us for the Faculty of Education’s annual Dean’s Distinguished Lecture on October 2. This year’s virtual event features Dr. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, acclaimed Michi Saagiig Nishnaabe artist, scholar, and thought leader whose work weaves story, song, and land with Indigenous ways of knowing, offering insights into the future of education. Details on how to attend this online lecture will be shared on our website in the coming week.
Our progress as a Faculty is only possible because of you—your ideas, your dedication, and your support for education as a force for good. As we step into this new chapter, I encourage you to find opportunities to connect and be inspired by the work we do together. Learn about our programs and research, and join us at our many events and activities that are making a positive impact. In transforming education, we empower leaders to imagine—and realize—a more just and compassionate world.
Wishing you a meaningful year ahead.
Miigwech—thank you.
