September 8, 2026
Aanii—Greetings!
Welcome to a new academic year at the UBC Faculty of Education. I’m glad you’re here as we begin another exciting season of teaching, learning, research and community engagement together.
Earlier this year, we launched our 2026–2031 Strategic Plan, Transforming Learning for a Shared Future. Since then, colleagues across the Faculty have been bringing its commitments to life through innovative initiatives focused on accessible and flexible education, equity-centred and decolonizing practice, environmental stewardship and thoughtful engagement with emerging technologies. I look forward to keeping you updated in the months ahead.
This work is especially timely as the education landscape rapidly evolves. Canada’s recent AI strategy, for example, emphasizes AI education and training for K–12 teachers and students, raising important questions about how we prepare learners and educators for today’s realities and the opportunities and challenges ahead. Our Faculty is responding through pioneering research, courses, initiatives and partnerships that will shape how new tools and approaches are understood, taught and responsibly integrated into teaching and learning.
I remain inspired by the strong momentum across our programs. BEd enrolment has reached record levels in Vancouver and the Okanagan, alongside a growing range of learning pathways across BC. These include an 11-month Okanagan BEd, shortened from 16 months; an Indigenous Land- and Place-Based Diploma in Early Years Education for rural and remote regions; an Indigenous Community-Based BEd; and a new Indigenous Teacher Education Program (NITEP) Field Centre in Chilliwack. These advancements are helping more people across the province access educational opportunities that reflect and respond to their local cultures and contexts.
Even as we celebrate this growth, I want to acknowledge those preparing for the upcoming term in wildfire-affected regions of BC. We are mindful of the disruption and loss these areas have experienced over the summer, and the toll this has taken on individuals, families and communities, as well as on the land itself. I am heartened by the care shown to one another, and I hope the coming weeks bring greater safety, stability and relief.
Looking ahead, we’re also broadening where and how students learn — through flexible inquiry courses, a new Inclusive Disability Justice option, seminars on curriculum, SOGI and identity, and expanded international Community Field Experience placements. Together, these efforts reflect our commitment to preparing educators in ways that extend beyond the classroom — connecting with communities, learning from different perspectives and gaining a deeper appreciation of the people and places they will serve.
On September 23, ahead of Truth and Reconciliation Week, I invite you to join us for a reception featuring guided tours of Indigenous art installations followed by a conversation with the co-authors of Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation. Andrew Stobo Sniderman and Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii) will enrich our shared understanding of the responsibilities we carry in advancing reconciliation. Registration is available on our website home page.
On November 17, we look forward to welcoming Olympic gold medallist and speaker Adam Kreek for the 2026–27 Dean’s Distinguished Lecture in our new MacIsaac Health Building (formerly Gateway Health Building). Drawing on his experiences in high-performance sport and extreme environments, he will bring a compelling perspective on leadership, resilience and collaboration. I hope many of you will attend. Further details will be shared soon.
None of this happens without you. Thank you for the ideas, expertise, effort and care you bring to our Faculty and for the many ways you help shape what education is and inspire what it can be.
Wishing you a wonderful year ahead.
Miigwech—thank you.
