Updates
June 22, 2023
At the June 22 Restructuring Steering Committee meeting, the decision was made to wind down the working groups by the end of this month. The Elections committee will evolve into a Governance committee, and the Hubs / Pods working group will shift its focus over the next six months to more of a social committee, given the continued feedback from faculty and staff to create more opportunities for connection across the faculty. The Steering Committee will reconstitute its scope and mandate to focus on reviewing the processes and outcomes of restructuring, including but not limited to the leadership structure, communications, and alignment with the College Offices of Research and Education. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.
In addition, as communicated via email, the graduate and undergraduate coordinators have been confirmed for July 1. Thanks and appreciation to Dr. Bill Dunn, Dr. Kent Lee, and Dr. Tami Oliphant who will serve as the GCs and Dr. Janelle McFeetors, who will serve as the Undergraduate Coordinator. We now have our renewed leadership structure fully implemented and the Faculty will be very well served by all the individuals in these critical roles.
June 8, 2023
The Faculty Restructuring Gathering: Looking Backward, Moving Forward took place in a hybrid format and was very well attended. Participants offered important insights and we were able to identify some key priorities for the coming year. Review the slide deck that guided the discussion here.
May 16, 2023
Following considerable effort and consultation by the Leadership Roles Working Group to recommend a leadership structure that aligns with our vision and values as a Faculty, that lifts up our commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion & decolonization, and that seeks to equitably distribute responsibilities across roles, the Faculty Restructuring Steering Committee approved the following positions for July 1, 2023:
DeanVice-Dean Faculty Development & Faculty Affairs (x2)
Associate Dean Academic, Teaching & Learning
Associate Dean Indigenous Teacher Education
Associate Dean Research & Scholarship
Associate Dean Graduate Studies
Associate Dean Undergraduate Programs & Services
Graduate Coordinators (X3)
SLIS Director
Undergraduate Coordinator
* Consideration by members of IEC of a Vice-Dean Indigenous position is ongoing.
This leadership structure carefully considers the student experience, the shared responsibilities of EDI, and endeavours to ensure the depth and breadth of work in our Faculty is supported. It will be reviewed annually and may evolve as the College becomes more defined.
April 4, 2023
Over the last several weeks, FEC has invited feedback on proposed revisions to its terms of reference and has appreciated the engagement of many faculty members in this process. There is an emerging preference for a larger number of faculty members elected to FEC in our non-departmentalized structure, beyond the minimum of three required in the Collective Agreement. In addition, the composition of FEC is impacted by the leadership structure of the Faculty, and which role(s) have responsibility for annual review. As we look ahead to April Faculty Council, FEC continues to invite feedback and will share further information about proposed revisions in the coming days. Current terms of reference can be found here.
April 4, 2023 All other standing committees in the Faculty are or will be reviewing and, where appropriate, proposing revisions to terms of reference that will be discussed and approved by the Education Faculty Council over the next several months. The goal is to have this work completed before the end of 2023 so that any changes are reflected in the Spring 2024 election cycle for Councils and Committees.
March 7, 2023
Through the recent Leadership Roles Working Group (LRWG) engagement series, individual conversations and online feedback, it became clear that a number of questions, misunderstandings and perceptions continue to exist with respect to Faculty restructuring. Some of these are addressed here:
“Can temporary academic staff apply for Faculty leadership positions?”
Term ATS may be assigned service as part of their contract. This may include course coordination, facilitating curriculum review/renewal, or other responsibilities that contribute to teaching and learning within or across programs. However, term ATS are not eligible to serve in Faculty leadership positions. These include such roles as Associate Dean, Vice-Dean, Chair, Associate Chair and Graduate Coordinator.
"Why is program coordination not included in the models of leadership that have been proposed by the LRWG for discussion and consultation?”
The LRWG were tasked with identifying the 13 leadership positions allocated to the Faculty by the Provost. The 13 positions are inclusive of those that receive an administrative stipend (per University policy) and those that may accrue time towards an administrative leave. A year ago, in winter 2022, the Provost directed the Faculty of Education to ensure there were no more than 13 leadership positions inclusive of Dean, Vice-Dean, Associate Deans, Chairs, Associate Chairs and Graduate Coordinators. This target was to be met by July 1, 2022.
Currently, there are 13 leadership positions in the Faculty that fall into this allocation. They are: Dean, Vice-Dean, three Associate Deans (Research, Graduate, Undergraduate), two Faculty Chairs, SLIS Director, three Graduate Coordinators and two Associate Chairs Undergraduate. The two models proposed by the LRWG adhere to the leadership allocation.
“Graduate specializations that existed within departments are no longer operating.”
All graduate specializations continue to operate and are supported by a designated Graduate Coordinator, the Associate Dean Graduate Studies, and graduate administrators in ESS. Several specializations have specific faculty members designated as coordinators or leads, GAAC continues to operate with delegated authority from Education Faculty Council, and the newly launched Graduate Network creates opportunities for faculty and instructors across graduate specializations / programs to come together in conversation about various matters, including the student experience. Any changes to graduate programs must follow Faculty and University governance procedures.
“The Faculty is in chaos.”
During times of substantive change, it is understandable that there are members of our community who may be feeling loss, uncertainty, worry and concern, and who may even feel that the situation is chaotic, given all of the SET changes, the absence of departments, and the ongoing work to realize our new structure. As we move through this period of administrative and academic transition, as the Colleges become more functional, and as the vision for One University is realized, careful attention is being paid to the day-to-day work of the Faculty, the allocation of human and financial resources, and longer term planning to ensure that all members of our community are supported to flourish. Given the seriousness of the budget cuts, we simply cannot function as we previously did, and that may feel chaotic for some.
February 28, 2023
At the Feb. 28 Education Faculty Council, notice was given a motion will be brought forward at the March 28 EFC that “the School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) becomes an administrative unit within the Faculty of Education and maintains the word ‘School’ within its name effective July 1, 2023.” The proposed motion preserves the necessary conditions for SLIS’s accreditation by the American Library Association, maintains the name recognition and reputation of SLIS and the MLIS, is consistent with the Faculty’s non-departmentalized structure, and aligns governance processes for all graduate programs within the Faculty.
February 14, 2023
The Leadership Roles Working Group (LRWG) conducted a Town Hall meeting to gather feedback to inform recommendations for the EFC, with an aim to implement a renewed leadership structure for the Faculty, July 1, 2023. A summary document was also circulated.
February 7, 2023
At its January 31 meeting, the Education Faculty Council endorsed the Governance Principles Documents which will guide the work of our committees and councils as they revise terms of reference and committee composition in our new structure. There is a commitment to continuous improvement through review and refinement and in consideration of the networked and multi-dimensional nature of leadership roles and responsibilities. Consultation with Faculty Relations is ongoing to ensure the leadership structure, and the selection of individuals to positions, will be in compliance with the Collective Agreement.
November 30, 2022
The Governance Working Group presented a Notice of Motion to Endorse the three Governance Principles Documents at Education Faculty Council on November 29th. The slides presented at EFC provide a brief overview of the documents, highlight the key principles, and include a timeline for revising committee Terms of Reference within the faculty. A merged meeting procedural rules document of the GFC Meeting Procedural Rules and the proposed Executive Summary illustrates where changes have been made to the GFC rules.
The motion to endorse the three documents will be on the agenda for Education Faculty Council on January 31.
October 14, 2022
Dean Jennifer Tupper hosted a Faculty Restructure Launch event open to Education faculty members, staff and students. Watch the video of the event or view the presentation slide deck.
September 20, 2022
The Governance Working Group has drafted a set of three documents to replace the General Terms of Reference for Councils, Committees & Boards of Education Faculty Council and to help guide the revision of the Faculty’s committees and councils terms of reference. The three documents mirror the GFC Principle Documents approved by GFC in 2017.
- Principles for Faculty of Education Council/Committee Composition
- Roles and Responsibilities of Council/Committee Members
- Meeting Procedural Rules
The draft version of Principle Documents for Faculty Councils and Committees is available for review, discussion and feedback. You can share your comments through the Restructure feedback form.
September 13, 2022
The Steering Committee and Working Groups have resumed meetings and are identifying opportunities for engagement to determine and continue confirming the details of our new structure throughout the fall. Dr. Katie Brubacher and Dr. Josh Markle have joined the Hubs Working Group as Assistant Professor representatives.
Two Faculty Academic Managers, Izabela Martyniak and Kim Peacock, are working closely with the Interim Faculty Chairs, HR and Finance Partners, and the Faculty General Manager to ensure effective and efficient support in the midst of ongoing changes.
August 12, 2022
The following Faculty appointments have been announced: Interim Associate Chair Undergraduate - Elementary Route: Dr. Jennifer Branch-Mueller
- Interim Associate Chair Undergraduate - Secondary Route: Dr. David Chorney
- Interim Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Trudy Cardinal
- Interim Graduate Coordinator (SLIS): Dr. Tami Oliphant
- Interim Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Lesly Wade-Woolley
July 1, 2022
The U of A Faculty of Education transitioned to a non-departmentalized structure. Read the announcement.
June 28, 2022
Dean Tupper announced that the departmental approach to graduate student support, including the allocation of PhD recruitment funding will shift to a program approach for the next academic year and will be based on an average number of doctoral students in specific program areas over the last three years. A Faculty process for the allocation of graduate student teaching assistantships will be developed to ensure consistency, transparency and equity. Again, please watch for more details on this in the coming weeks and months.
May 31, 2022
Dr. Veronica Smith and Dr. Larry Prochner will serve as Interim Faculty Chairs from July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023. Dr. Smith will support faculty members in the following areas: Studies in Educational Leadership; Adult, Community & Higher Education; Counseling Psychology (including School Counseling); Measurement, Evaluation & Data Science; Psychological Studies in Education; School & Clinical Child Psychology; Special Education; and Teaching English as a Second Language. Dr. Prochner will support faculty members in Elementary Education; Secondary Education; Indigenous Peoples Education; Social Justice & International Studies in Education; and Technologies in Education.
April 25, 2022
The document Supporting the Faculty of Education restructure has been added to the website. This report aims to give advice and support to the faculty leadership as they guide the community through this period of significant change. It is informed by conversations with faculty leaders, reviews of documents being produced as part of the restructuring effort, external advice from university leaders and experts who have been through similar efforts, and case studies of other faculty redesigns – including faculties and schools of education in Canada and abroad.
April 6, 2022
The Faculty Restructuring Timelines for the Steering Committee and Working Groups has been added to the website.
March 18, 2022
The Governance Working Group submitted recommendations for a set of documents to guide the revision of Faculty Committee and Council Terms of Reference, with particular attention to equity, diversity, and inclusivity. These include the Roles and Responsibilities of Council/Committee Members; Meeting Procedural Rules; and Principles for Faculty of Education Council/Committee Composition. The development of the documents was influenced by the work of GFC in reviewing their own standing committees (see GFC Principle Documents). The Steering Committee has requested some minor modifications and when these changes have been made, the principles will be shared Faculty-wide.
March 3, 2022
The Steering Committee approved the recommendation from the Leadership Working Group, that two interim chair positions be created based on current Chair UAAPOL responsibilities and implemented from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023. University procedures allow for the Dean to appoint for these positions and a process for these appointments will be confirmed and shared in the near future. This approach allows additional time for the Leadership Working Group to engage in further learning of mamawohkamatowin, to plan for Faculty-wide and broader consultations including with Elders, Knowledge and Language Keepers, and to think creatively and innovatively about leadership roles and responsibilities across the faculty. These one-year interim appointments make sense in the context of continued institutional changes through UAT, FGSR restructuring, SET and the creation of the College offices of Education and Research.
February 11, 2022
The Steering Committee approved the recommendation from the Governance Working Group that the current election cycle, committees, and committee structure be maintained for the 2022-2023 academic year. This allows for a period of transition in which governance changes can be carefully considered and for greater consultation with faculty, staff, and students, which aligns with the approach taken in 1994, when restructuring last occurred.
January 2022
Working groups convened; Consideration of leadership positions and responsibilities underway; consultation on process for establishing pods / faculty groupings; structure for administrative support in alignment with SET and the College offices underway; governance review underway.
December 2021
Steering committee & working group membership confirmed. Moving Forward: Restructuring Town Hall. Steering committee met to review the mandate and workplan.
November 2021
Steering committee and working groups call for participation; clear and focused mandate communicated.
This website will be updated on an ongoing basis as the restructuring process continues.