New departmental structure approved by Governing Council
February 23, 2012
On Thursday, February 16, 2012, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE) marked a major milestone in its history as its proposal to change its departmental structure was approved by the University of Toronto Governing Council, in a show of overwhelming support.
On July 1st, the new four-department structure comes into effect and OISE’s programs will be grouped under four distinct yet interrelated areas of scholarship within the broader field of educational studies:
- Applied Psychology and Human Development (APHD)
- Curriculum, Teaching and Learning (CTL)
- Leadership, Higher and Adult Education (LHAE)
- Humanities, Social Sciences and Social Justice Education (HSSSJE).
Together, these areas of scholarship encompass the range of theoretical, methodological and educational issues and contexts that define the complex, multi- and inter-disciplinary field of educational studies. OISE’s new departments will be comprehensive, with each contributing to both graduate and undergraduate programs, B.Ed. and research. By reorganizing OISE’s resources to support four areas that are central to the study of education in the twenty-first century, the model allows the Faculty not only to maintain, but also to expand its reputation for excellence.
Beginning in 2010, OISE embarked upon a significant academic strategic planning exercise. That process, lauded by the University as highly consultative and involving faculty, students, staff and alumni, identified strategies for contributing to education in Canada and internationally, and culminated in a new strategic plan, Opening Doors in and through Education, OISE Strategic Plan 2011-2015, which will guide OISE‘s future development. . The departmental restructuring is the first welcome result.
Reflecting on the process, Dean Julia O’Sullivan said, “That so many from our community participated, reflects their deep and abiding commitment to OISE, to the University of Toronto, and to the power of education and educators to change the lives of people everywhere.”
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