OISE’s Leesa Wheelahan appointed to provincial College Task Force

Prof. Lance McCready to also participate in Access and Student Supports working table

April 6, 2018
 

Professor Leesa Wheelahan says she's honoured to have been appointed to Ontario's College Task Force, aimed at tackling important college sector issues and creating a forward-looking plan.

OISE Associate Professor Leesa Wheelahan has been appointed to the Ontario government’s newly established College Task Force, which will create a forward-looking plan for the province’s publicly assisted college system, it was announced Friday.

“I am honoured to participate in this important Task Force that will help shape the future of the college sector in Ontario,” Wheelahan said, noting the group would be highly consultative in developing its recommendations.

“Ontario’s public colleges make a real difference in the lives of students and their communities,” she continued. “They prepare students for work and further study, and they contribute to social inclusion and help build strong and resilient communities…The Task Force will ensure that colleges continue to support Ontario’s economic and social development into the future.”

Wheelahan to have ‘huge impact’

OISE Dean Glen Jones says OISE is proud of Wheelahan’s appointment.

“Given Leesa’s enormous contribution to our understanding of the Ontario college sector, and to vocational education around the world, I know that she will have a huge impact on the work of this important Task Force,” he said.

 

OISE Professor Lance McCready says that his appointment to the Ministry of Advance Education and Skills Development's Access and Student Supports Working Table is significant. 

Lance McCready in working table

OISE Professor Lance McCready was also selected to participate on the Access and Student Supports working table for the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development. This working table will examine how to effectively improve student success through strengthened access and supports, including student mental health.

McCready, whose research program is focused on education, health and well-being of black men, boys and queer youth, said the appointment is significant.

"It serves as a platform to discuss and advocate for the collection and analysis of race-based large scale assessments that measure access to colleges and universities, disaggregated by gender, sexual orientation, citizenship status, disability, geography, etc.," he said, adding, "I’m particularly interested in access issues related to young black men and queer youth." 

The Task Force was created in response to a request by OPSEU and the College Employer Council after college academic staff went on strike in 2017. The Task Force is aimed at considering and developing recommendations on important issues facing the college sector in its goal to provide top notch post-secondary education and training.

Read the full government announcement