Dr. Normand Labrie appointed Interim Dean of OISE
April 21, 2021
By Marianne Lau
A distinguished professor of sociolinguistics, Labrie steps into the Interim Dean position with over 17 years of public and university administration experience. Currently, Labrie is serving as OISE's Associate Dean of Programs (photo by Chris Katsarov).
Congratulations to Professor Normand Labrie on his appointment as Interim Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). He will begin his one-year term on July 1, 2021, after Dean Glen Jones concludes a remarkable six year-term in leadership.
A distinguished professor of sociolinguistics, Labrie steps into this new position with over 17 years of public and university administration experience. Currently, Labrie is OISE's Associate Dean of Programs. Since joining the Institute in 1991, he has held several other senior positions, including Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies.
In a memo sent to the University of Toronto community, Provost Cheryl Regehr praised Labrie for his commitment to inclusive excellence and his student-centred approach to administration.
“As a result of his calm and consistent leadership over the years, Professor Labrie has been widely recognized by his peers for his ability to build consensus and drive meaningful change,” said Regehr.
In addition to his leadership roles at OISE, Labrie was appointed Scientific Director to the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture, the Quebec funding agency in the social sciences and humanities, in 2012. In 2018, he served as Interim President of Université de l’Ontario français. He has also played active roles in international organisations such as the European Commission, the Agence universitaire de la francophonie, and UNESCO.
For his academic and administrative achievements, Professor Labrie has received several prestigious awards, including a Medal of Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Pléiade from Queen’s Park and a fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada in recognition of his lifelong contributions to the Francophone community in Ontario.
Jones, who completes his term as dean on June 30, 2021, said that Labrie has been an exceptional colleague throughout the time they have known each other, but especially during Jones' time as dean.
"I am delighted that Dr. Labrie has agreed to take on this role," Jones said.
"Normand has consistently offered creative guidance and tireless support to our community. His commitment to issues that are critical to OISE along with comprehensive expertise and knowledge of the University of Toronto, as well as the provincial, national and international educational contexts is simply unparalleled."
As Jones prepares to conclude his term as dean, he is committed to ensuring an effective transition in the Office of the Dean.
Alongside his wealth of administrative experience, Labrie is a committed teacher who has supervised numerous graduate students, many of whom now occupy notable faculty and professional positions. The extensive academic expertise and leadership experience Labrie brings to the deanship portfolio will be of enormous benefit to students, faculty and staff, and will help OISE make strides in the coming year.
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