Faculty updates from Dean Blye Frank and highlights of his winter 2016/2017 schedule.
In this issue:
- Senior Leadership Changes
- Update – Programmatic Sustainability Initiative (PSI)
- Ponderosa Commons Tour
- Learning Forward Alumni Reception
- President’s Working Committee on Disability Culture, Art, and Equity
- Welcome Back for Teacher Candidates
- ABCDE-FNESC-IAHLA Aboriginal Education Working Group
- International Partnerships
- Teacher Education for All (TEFA) Sessions
- Lunar New Year Dinner
- Kelowna UBC Okanagan Meeting
- Education Career Fair
- BEd Students from East China Normal University (ECNU)
- The Legal and Professional Landscape: Sexuality and Gender Identity in Schools
- PhDs Go Public 2017 Research Talk Series: Engaging Education for Public Good
- Town Halls – Programmatic Sustainability Initiative (PSI)
- Faculty Conversations – UBC Okanagan
- February ABCDE Roundtable with Jan Unwin, Ministry of Education
- UBC Strategic Plan
- Kelowna UBC Okanagan Meeting
- HIV & AIDS and the Human Rights Struggles of the LGBT Communities in Uganda and Kenya
- Lunch with the Honourable Linda Reid
- Western Deans of Education (WADE) 2017 Conference
- CampOUT! Community Celebration
Dr. Blye Frank Appointed Dean pro tem Faculty of Education UBC Okanagan
On December 14, Dr. Angela Redish, Provost and Vice-President Academic, announced the appointment of Dr. Frank as Dean pro tem Okanagan campus, effective January 1, 2017 for a one-year term. No merger of the two faculties has taken place. The appointment will facilitate and support the next steps in restructuring the Okanagan Faculty of Education, and discussions are on-going about the various possibilities.
Head, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS)
Dr. Shelley Hymel has been appointed Head of the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2017.
As announced in late January, the Faculty of Education is underway with the Programmatic Sustainability Initiative (PSI). The PSI is an evidence-informed process that provides the Faculty’s leadership teams, faculty, and staff with tools to help us link resource allocation decisions to strategic priorities.
Two Town Halls were held on January 30 and 31, where faculty and staff joined in a public discussion about the PSI, the timeline, and concerns and questions about the process.
Here’s where we are now:
Feb-April—Proposal Development Phase
- The Programmatic Sustainability Leadership Team is currently finalizing the criteria for assessing proposals based upon the Faculty of Education’s Self-Study (2015), as well as the External Review Report and our Response to the External Review (2016).
For further updates, as well as more information on the Programmatic Sustainability Initiative, visit:
faculty-staff.educ.ubc.ca/programmatic-sustainability-initiative
L-R: Jean Seto Kwan, BEd (Elem) ’79, Lily Lee, BEd (Elem) ’79, Dip(Ed) ’90, Claire Rushton, Director, Teacher Education Office, Dr. Wendy Carr, MEd ’97, Associate Dean, Teacher Education, Alanna Wong, BEd (Elem) ’79, Dip (Ed) ’07, Jim Lattimer, BA ’76, MEd ’97, Barb Duncan, BA ’76, BEd (Elem) ’96, Dee Dee Sung, Assistant Dean, DAE, Edie Steinbok, BSc ’72, Dr. Anna Kindler, Senior Advisor, International, Joan Muir, Dip (Ed) ’94, Dean Blye Frank, Denise Luong, Manager, Alumni Engagement.
On December 1, Dean Frank and Dee Dee Sung, Assistant Dean, Development & Alumni Engagement (DAE) welcomed Mrs. Alanna Wong, BEd (Elem) ’79, Dip (Ed) ’07, and guests, retired teachers and alumni of UBC Education, for a tour of the Education Centre at Ponderosa Commons and luncheon. Mrs. Wong is the Director of the Books for Me Literacy Foundation, as well as a retired Teacher Librarian and retired Elementary School Teacher (K-7). The visit provided an excellent opportunity for community engagement and exploration of possible future involvement with the Faculty of Education.
L-R: Shadi Shakeraneh, BA ’14, BEd ’15, Dr. Jan Hare, Associate Dean, Indigenous Education, Dean Blye Frank, Deborah Marno, Dip (Ed) ’14, Jarrod Bell, MET ’10.
UBC Faculty of Education alumni attendees of the Vancouver Learning Forward Conference and Education alumni and friends were invited to a reception hosted by Dean Frank and Denise Luong, Manager, Alumni Engagement, at the Vancouver Convention Centre on December 5. The gathering provided an opportunity for alumni to reconnect and learn about Faculty of Education programs held throughout the year.
Committee members in photo, L-R: Monica Kay, Director, Conflict Management, Equity & Inclusion Office, Dr. William McKellin, Asst. Professor, Anthropology, Rumana Monzur, J.D. Candidate 2017, Allard School of Law, Student Representative, UBC-V, Dr. Ruth Warick, Sr. Accessibility Advisor, Access & Diversity, Dean Blye Frank (not on the committee but a supporter of the Committee’s mandate and work), Professor Santa J. Ono, President and Vice-Chancellor, UBC, Dr. Leslie G. Roman, Professor, Educational Studies, Jessica La Rochelle, Lhkwemiya, Asst. Director, NITEP; Manager, Indigenous Education, Dr. Kirsty Johnston, Assoc. Professor, Theatre & Film, Dr. Jonas-Sébastien Beaudry, Asst. Professor, Allard School of Law.
Dean Frank joined Dr. Leslie Roman, Professor, Educational Studies, for Professor Santa Ono’s announcement of the President’s Working Committee on Disability Culture, Art and Equity on December 9. Dr. Roman co-chairs the committee with Dr. Neil Guppy, Professor, Sociology. As part of their mandate, the committee will work to answer the questions of, “What can be learned from people with disabilities?” and “How can UBC support the access of students, faculty and staff to the built environment but also to the arts, culture, and creative-meaning of images that speak from the lived experiences of students, faculty and staff and other members of the diverse disability community?”
L-R: Kia Krause, ESA Communications Coordinator, Kirstie Feng, ESA Sales Representative, May Yuen, ESA Director of External Affairs, Kate Dawson, ESA President, Icel Lee, ESA Director of Finance, Chelsey Kolenda, ESA Ombudsperson.
Dean Frank joined the Teacher Education Office and Education Students’ Association (ESA) on January 4 to welcome teacher candidates back from winter break with coffee, donuts and light refreshments.
UBC Musqueam Pole, carved by Brent Sparrow Jr.
Dean Frank met with the Association of BC Deans of Education (ABCDE), First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC), and Indigenous Adult Higher Learning Association (IAHLA) Aboriginal Education Working Group on January 5. Together, the group works to identify and affirm specific research that is needed, including (but not limited to) pathways into teacher education, barriers to recruitment and retention of students in teacher education programs, and issues related to the hiring and promotion practices of educators within BC’s K-12 system.
Along with Dr. Anna Kindler, Senior Advisor, International, Dean Frank met with the principals of University Hill Secondary (Mr. T. Mcgeer) and Norma Rose Point Elementary (Ms. Rosa Fazio) on January 6 to discuss possible international partnerships.
On January 11, Dean Frank attended the TEFA session, Diversity Cubed! Teaching and Supporting Intersecting Identities. Three panelists from diverse cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identities who support youth explored the complex puzzle of culture, faith, sexuality and family as considerations in teaching and supporting students’ various identities.
This was followed on January 12 by the second of two one-hour professional TEFA learning sessions, “Gender Identity in the Workplace,” facilitated by TransFocus Consulting. The workshop provided a wealth of knowledge, practices, and procedures to help ensure that all faculty, staff, students, and visitors are treated not only respectfully but in accordance with this new Human Rights legislation.
L-R: Joseph Meyler, MBA ’11, Anna Fung BA ’81, LLB ’84, Member, alumni UBC Advisory Council, Kate Dawson, BA ’16 current teacher candidate, Jeff Todd, Associate VP Alumni, Janey Lee, BA ’94, BEd (Elem) ’95, Dip (Ed) ’00, Barbara Miles, VP Development and Alumni Engagement, Clifton Nipp, BComm ’80, Professor Santa J. Ono, Jim Oulton, Cindy Leon, BSc ’86, Dean Blye Frank, and Paul Best, BEd (Elem) ’07.
Dean Frank joined Professor Santa Ono and over 150 UBC alumni, donors, volunteers, current student leaders, and friends at the annual alumni UBC Lunar New Year Dinner at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre on January 17. After a reception and photo opportunities with Professor Ono, the Year of the Rooster celebration was kicked off with a Lion Dance performed by the UBC Kung-Fu Club. Key program speakers included: Jeff Todd, Associate Vice-President, Alumni and Executive Director, alumni UBC, Anna Fung, BA ’81, LLB ’84, Member, alumni UBC Advisory Council, and Professor Santa Ono, UBC President and Vice-Chancellor.
Dean Frank travelled to Kelowna on January 19 to meet with UBC-O Faculty of Education faculty members to discuss the possible merger of the two faculties.
L-R: Dr. Lorrie Miller, Program Coordinator, TEO, Dean Blye Frank.
On January 20, Dean Frank joined Teacher Education Office (TEO) program advisors at the Education Career Fair, BC’s largest teacher recruiting event. Held at the AMS Student Nest this year, the fair gave teacher candidates the opportunity to meet and present themselves to recruiting officers from BC school districts, officials from school districts in other provinces and territories, and international recruiters seeking teachers for a variety of countries.
Dean Blye Frank and ECNU BEd student 赵旖旎 Yini Zhao.
On January 25, Dean Frank met with 32 visiting third-year BEd students from East China Normal University (ECNU) to wish them a “Happy Lunar New Year” and hand out red envelopes. The ECNU students were visiting the UBC Point Grey campus for a three-week Excellent Teacher Training program at the Faculty of Education, which combined course and classroom teaching experience, visits to schools in and around Vancouver for classroom observation and interaction, and special guest speakers. Located in Shanghai, ECNU is one of the most prestigious universities in China and is the first normal university founded in the country after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.
BEd students from East China Normal University (ECNU).
L-R: Steve Mulligan, TEFA Coordinator, Dr. Wendy Carr, Associate Dean, Teacher Education, Glen Hansman, BCTF President, barbara findlay, QC, Dean Blye Frank.
Dean Frank attended a Teacher Education for All (TEFA) presentation held on January 26, where BC lawyer/advocate barbara findlay, QC, and BCTF President Glen Hansman outlined and answered questions regarding the legal and professional rights and responsibilities of educators in BC around sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).
Dean Blye Frank provides opening remarks at PhDs Go Public.
On January 26, Dean Frank provided opening remarks at the PhDs Go Public 2017 Research Talk Series: Engaging Education for Public Good. Education PhD candidates Ron Darvin (Teaching English as a Second Language) and Sereana Naepi (Educational Studies) joined five fellow PSI (Public Scholars Initiative) scholars to present on how their research is contributing to the public good and making a change in the world.
In late January, Dean Frank hosted a series of Town Halls where faculty and staff were invited to participate in a public conversation about the Faculty’s Programmatic Sustainability Initiative (PSI). The PSI is an evidence-informed process that will provide the Faculty’s leadership teams, faculty, and staff with tools to help link resource allocation decisions to strategic priorities. For more information, visit the PSI information page.
On January 31, Dean Frank hosted an open conversation with faculty and staff at Ponderosa Commons Oak House to discuss the possibility of a merger between the UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan faculties of education. The Dean was joined by Dr. Susan Crichton, Director, Faculty of Education, UBC-O, Ms. Stephanie Oldford, Academic Governance Officer, Office of the Senate, UBC-V, Mr. Stuart Mackenzie, Director, Financial Reporting & Budgeting, Office of the Comptroller, UBC-V, Mr. Christopher Eaton, Associate Registrar for Academic Governance & Director, Senate & Curriculum, UBC-V.
Jan Unwin, Superintendent of Graduation and Student Transitions with BC Ministries of Education and Ministry of Advanced Education.
Dean Frank attended the February 3 Association of BC Deans of Education (ABCDE) meeting, which included a roundtable discussion with Jan Unwin, Ministry of Education, about strategic ways the Ministry and Faculties/Schools of Education can work together to ensure that faculty members, school and university mentors, and pre-service teachers remain current on Ministry initiatives and changes.
Professor Santa J. Ono, UBC President and Vice-Chancellor, looks ahead to UBC’s Next Century in the new UBC strategic plan.
As UBC moves forward with development of a new strategic plan, Dean Frank joined members of the President’s executive team for a strategic plan vision planning process session on February 4.
Dean Frank travelled to Kelowna on February 15 for further discussions with the UBC-O Faculty of Education on the possibility of a merger and what a model might look like.
On February 16, Dean Frank joined members of The Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) and guests for a conversation with three LGBT activists from Eastern Africa. Peter Njane, Executive Director, Ishtar Kenya, Warry Ssenfuka, Executive Director, Freedom and Roam Uganda, and Dennis Wamala, Director of Programmes, Icebreakers Uganda, spoke about their struggles in Uganda and Kenya, and the life-saving work of their community-based organizations on HIV & AIDS.
The Honourable Linda Reid, BEd ’82, MA ’87, MLA for Richmond East.
On February 17, Dean Frank had lunch with The Honourable Linda Reid, BEd ’82, MA ’87, MLA for Richmond East, where they discussed the possibility of future contributions and engagement with the Faculty of Education.
Dean Frank joined other Western Deans of Education (WADE) at their 2017 Conference, held February 23-25 at the Banff Centre in Banff, Alberta. The conference addressed the key role that Faculties of Education can undertake to promote health and wellness within their own programming, and also to support pre-service teachers entering the K-12 school system.
L-R: Dean Blye Frank, Dr. Jean Shoveller, Director, Epidemiology and Population Health and the Drug Treatment Program at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and Dr. Rod Knight, Research Assistant, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine.
Dean Frank attended the CampOUT! Community Celebration on February 28. CampOUT! is a social justice summer camp for queer, trans, Two-Spirit, questioning, and allied youth ages 14-21 from across BC & the Yukon. Housed in the UBC Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice (GRSJ) under the Faculty of Arts, CampOUT! provides a supportive space for LGBTQ2S+ youth to celebrate and be celebrated for who they are.