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Teaching and Learning | Research | Community Engagement
Message from Dr. Jan Hare, Dean pro tem
Aanii - Greetings!
As the university’s academic year and the public education system’s school year draw to a close, I would like to take a moment to consider where we are at and where we are going as a leading Faculty of Education. I recognize that all of us have been impacted by COVID-19, even as we worked tirelessly this year to create community among our friends, family, colleagues, and students, as well as safe conditions for teaching, learning, and research. Our vision for what lies ahead for our education community has been tempered by injustices at local and global levels. It is understandable that we might feel weary at this moment in time. So, I encourage you to take inspiration, as I have, from the compassion, care, and creativity demonstrated by faculty, staff, students, alumni, and donors over this last year. I also hope you take time in the coming months to rejuvenate your hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits. As we go forward, I share with you some of the initiatives, innovations, and priority areas that are guiding our work.
As a Faculty and scholarly community, we have devoted a lot of attention to the ways in which we can create conditions for transformative teaching, innovative learning, and leading-edge research grounded in principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. As part of my mandate as Dean pro tem, I want to ensure that our Black, Indigenized and racialized scholars, students and staff are lifted up, that their work is well resourced and given visibility, and that they are positioned well to become leaders in our communities. Learn more about the ways we are advancing these goals through our equity initiatives.
Several members of our Faculty of Education community recently achieved recognitions that I would like to share with you. I am delighted to announce that Indigenous teacher candidate Selina Boan, who is a member of the Waterhen Lake First Nation and Flying Dust First Nation, received the 2022 Pat Lowther Memorial Award for her debut poetry collection, Undoing Hours. The announcement was made at the 2022 League of Canadian Poets Book Awards. Selina is a Year Four secondary teacher-candidate in our Indigenous Teacher Education Program (NITEP), and is currently completing her practicum in the Vancouver School District. More.
I extend my gratitude to Dr. Handel Kashope Wright, who is providing guidance to the Faculty of Education on concrete pathways to achieving the goals of Scarborough Charter. He was invited to serve as a member of the national Inter-institutional Steering Committee on Inclusive Higher Education of the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education: Principles, Actions and Accountability. Dr. Wright is a professor in the Faculty of Education and serves as Senior Advisor to the President on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence. More.
The Government of France recognized Dr. Monique Bournot-Trites and two UBC colleagues for their services to French language and culture through the insignia of Knight in the Order of Academic Palms, one of the oldest civil honours bestowed by the French Republic. More.
Dr. Annette Henry was recognized in the 2022 publication of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women, which highlights, documents, acknowledges and supports the accomplishments of Black Canadian women in recognition of their social, educational, political and professional successes. More.
The School of Kinesiology in the Faculty of Education, together with the UBC-O School of Health and Exercise Sciences, was ranked first in North America and third globally, according to the 2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject. More.
Wishing you a safe, restful, and productive summer!
Miigwech – thank you,
Jan
Transformative Educational Leadership Journal: Spring 2022 Edition
The Transformative Educational Leadership (TEL) Journal is published twice a year and features articles from graduates of the Transformative Education Leadership Program (TELP). TELP, a cohort-based program focusing on system transformation, is aimed at K-12 system professionals who want to expand their worldview, gain new experiences and raise their academic credentials to new levels.
Read the latest edition of the TEL Journal.
This month, the Faculty of Education welcomes Dr. Kenneth Miller, who will serve as the inaugural Edith Lando Professor in Counselling for Refugee and Immigrant Youth and Families. Dr. Miller has published extensively on the mental health effects of armed conflict and displacement, and works to effect change in cooperation with non-government organizations operating in war-affected countries. More.
Dr. Christopher Martin, an associate professor in the Okanagan School of Education, recently published The Right to Higher Education: A Political Theory, which sets out a novel account of the point and purpose of higher education. The Faculty of Education’s podcast collection includes an episode dated January 25, 2022 and featuring Dr. Martin discussing the debate around higher education in public settings and in policy.
The Faculty of Education is pleased to announce that Dr. Margaret Macintyre Latta was named UBC Okanagan's 2022 Researcher of the Year, Social Sciences and Humanities. As a champion of interdisciplinary and community-based research, Dr. Macintyre Latta’s focus is advancing curriculum as a shared learning experience that inspires reconciliation. Her research with Indigenous, school district and community partners helps educators to decolonize curriculum and teaching practices. More.
Education Summer Institutes Focusing on EDID
This summer, we invite you to join one or more of our four professional institutes focusing on Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID). Our Sustainability in the Classroom institute will provide K-12 educators with the foundational knowledge and understanding of global goals and climate justice as well as an appreciation of the diversity of perspectives on sustainability. More.
Dean’s Community & Alumni Engagement Series: Candid Conversations: Delving into Priorities Facing Educators Today
In case you missed it, our online speaker series brought together researchers, practitioners, educators and current secondary school students to discuss important questions and significant priorities facing educators today. Discussions focused on reconciliation and decolonization in classrooms, climate change in education, supporting youth mental health, and race and inequality in school systems. Recordings of all sessions are available.
Dean’s Distinguished Lecture
In March, the Faculty of Education hosted scholars and activists Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis speaking on the topic of climate justice and educational responsibility. A recording of the event is now available for viewing. The Faculty of Education is working to extend its commitments to sustainability and climate justice, so look for more information on our engagement in this significant area in the future.
