Message from the Dean
As Canada’s largest and most influential faculty of education, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto occupies a unique place in educational landscape. Recognized at home and around the world as a leader in initial and continuing teacher education, graduate programs in education, and educational research, OISE has a special responsibility to lead. Proud of our history and guided by our commitment to equity and social justice, we must ensure that we not only sustain but expand our impact by opening more doors in and through education for peoples around the world.
When I began my term as Dean my top priority was to engage the OISE community in a strategic planning exercise to articulate our values, establish our goals, and develop strategies for achieving them. More than 500 members of our community including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and leaders from other divisions of the University of Toronto came together during the 2010-11 academic year to develop the Strategic Plan that will guide OISE’s future development.
The Plan was finalized in May 2011 and the implementation began immediately. To support the Plan a new decanal structure and a senior academic leadership team were instituted in the summer of 2011. In addition to the Dean, the team includes, Associate Dean Programs with two Academic Directors, one for Graduate Education and one for Initial Teacher Education, reporting to this associate dean; Associate Dean Research; and the Associate Dean Innovations and Opportunities. Two special advisors to the Dean, one on Aboriginal Education and one on Equity and Accessibility, were recently appointed and are responsible for advising on policies and practices relating to aboriginal education, as well as equity and accessibility
In 2011-12, all twelve of our graduate programs are being reviewed under the new University of Toronto Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP). The outcomes of the reviews, along with the Strategic Plan, will feed into OISE’s new academic plan, enrolment management strategy and complement plan for the next five years.
On February 16, 2012 the University of Toronto Governing Council approved a new four-department structure for OISE. As of July 1, OISE will have four departments:
- Applied Psychology and Human Development (APHD)
- Curriculum, Teaching and Learning (CTL)
- Humanities, Social Sciences and Social Justice Education. (HSSSJE)
- Leadership, Higher and Adult Education (LHAE)
With this, we have realized the number one goal in our Strategic Plan this year. Colleagues within and across the departments will need the time working together to determine how individually and collectively we will support the principles that guided departmental restructuring in the first place.
This is a milestone in OISE’s history and everyone in our community can take pride in this achievement.
From Julia
--
Julia O’Sullivan, PhD
Professor and Dean
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
University of Toronto