Leadership transition in the Faculty of Education
A message from Andrew Szeri, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver and Ananya Mukherjee Reed, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Okanagan
After more than ten years of outstanding service, Professor Blye Frank's extended appointment as Dean of UBC's Faculty of Education will conclude on June 30, 2021.
Professor Frank's achievements have been numerous during his term as Dean. Since his arrival at UBC in 2011, the Faculty has risen from 37th to 9th in the QS World University Rankings. Under his leadership, the Faculty of Education now operates as one faculty on two campuses, with the Okanagan School of Education serving teacher-candidates in the Kelowna area. Professor Frank led the establishment of Canada's first certification program for international baccalaureate educators. He oversaw the development and opening of the Ponderosa Commons, a complex that integrates classrooms, conference rooms and student living spaces. In 2020, he served as the chair of UBC's Task Force on Cross-Campus Collaboration. On the national scene, Professor Frank served as President of the Association of Canadian Deans of Education for two years.
We would like to take this opportunity to offer our personal thanks to Professor Frank for his many contributions to the university. Professor Frank will remain in his current position until June 30. The search for a new dean has already begun.
We are grateful to Professor Jan Hare, who has agreed to serve as Dean pro tem, until a new dean is appointed. Dr. Hare is an Anishaabe scholar and educator from the M'Chigeeng First Nation. She is currently the Associate Dean, Indigenous Education and the Director of the Indigenous Teacher Education Program (NITEP). She is also Professor in the Department of Language and Literary Education, and holds a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Indigenous Pedagogy.
Her work in the Faculty of Education advances local, provincial, and national directives in Indigenous education resulting in new programs and pathways for Indigenous learners, as well as transforming teaching, learning, and research to be more responsive to Indigenous knowledges.
Dr. Hare is engaged in shaping UBC priorities, including the Indigenous Strategic Plan Implementation Committee, Lead for the Indigenous Engagement Working Group on the Climate Emergency Task Force, and the Joint Committee for Assessing Indigenous Scholarship.
We look forward to working with Dr. Hare in her capacity as Dean pro tem.
Andrew Szeri
Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver
Ananya Mukherjee Reed
Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Okanagan