Ontario Institute for Studies in Educationcmsnew.oise.utoronto.ca/oise/UserFiles/File/OISE... ·...

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Self-Study

10/16/2015

DRAFT

The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Self-Study, October 2015

1

Table of Contents

List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................ 4

List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................... 7

Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 9

Overview and Context ................................................................................................................................ 10

About OISE ............................................................................................................................................. 10

Context of the Review ............................................................................................................................ 10

Self-Study Process .................................................................................................................................. 11

Academic Programs .................................................................................................................................... 12

Teacher Education .................................................................................................................................. 12

Towards an All-graduate Teacher Education ...................................................................................... 13

Undergraduate Teacher Education Program Pathways ....................................................................... 14

Graduate Teacher Education Program Pathways ................................................................................ 15

Teacher Education Student Quality Indicators ................................................................................... 16

Graduate Programs Offered by OISE’s four Academic Departments .................................................... 26

Department of Applied Psychology & Human Development ............................................................. 26

Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning ........................................................................... 27

Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education ...................................................................... 28

Department of Social Justice Education ............................................................................................. 30

The 2011-2012 External Review of OISE’s Graduate Programs ........................................................... 31

Graduate Student Demand and Quality .................................................................................................. 32

Applications, Offers and Registrations ............................................................................................... 32

Enrolments .......................................................................................................................................... 38

Scholarships and Fellowships: Success Rate ...................................................................................... 40

Time to Completion ............................................................................................................................ 43

Graduate Student Satisfaction ............................................................................................................. 48

Supporting the Student Experience ......................................................................................................... 50

Teaching Opportunities ....................................................................................................................... 50

Research Opportunities ....................................................................................................................... 51

Professional Development Opportunities & Conference Funding ...................................................... 53

Writing Support .................................................................................................................................. 55

Career Centres & Placement Opportunities ........................................................................................ 56

Graduate Student Funding & Financial Support ..................................................................................... 56

OISE’s Funding Policy ....................................................................................................................... 58


2

Supporting Excellence in Teaching ........................................................................................................ 60

Central Supports .................................................................................................................................. 60

OISE Supports .................................................................................................................................... 60

Evaluation of Teaching in Courses ..................................................................................................... 62

OISE Research ............................................................................................................................................ 63

Scope and Quality of Research Activities ............................................................................................... 63

Research Funding Success ...................................................................................................................... 63

Research Funding, Participation and Success ..................................................................................... 63

Research Support .................................................................................................................................... 64

Research Chairs and Endowed Chairs .................................................................................................... 66

Research Honours and Awards 2009-2014 ............................................................................................. 67

Scholarly Activity ................................................................................................................................... 67

Publications and Citations ................................................................................................................... 67

Research Centers ..................................................................................................................................... 68

Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development ............................................................................. 71

Organizational Structure ............................................................................................................................. 72

Academic Departments ........................................................................................................................... 72

Extra Departmental Units ....................................................................................................................... 73

Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study .......................................................................................... 73

Divisional Support Units ......................................................................................................................... 75

Education Commons ........................................................................................................................... 75

OISE Library ....................................................................................................................................... 77

Registrar’s Office and Student Services ............................................................................................. 78

Continuing and Professional Learning ................................................................................................ 78

Office of the Chief Administrative Officer ......................................................................................... 81

Administration & Governance ................................................................................................................ 82

Senior Academic Leadership Team .................................................................................................... 82

Dean and Associate Deans .................................................................................................................. 82

OISE Council and Committees ........................................................................................................... 83

Advisory Boards ................................................................................................................................. 84

Infrastructure & Resources ..................................................................................................................... 85

Financial Resources ............................................................................................................................ 85

Academic Staff .................................................................................................................................... 88

Administrative Staff ............................................................................................................................ 93

Space Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................ 94


3

Relationships with the University of Toronto Campuses & Divisions ....................................................... 96

Early Teacher Programs .......................................................................................................................... 96

Concurrent Teacher Education Programs ............................................................................................... 96

Combined Degree Programs ................................................................................................................... 97

Collaborative Programs .......................................................................................................................... 97

Undergraduate Course Development Fund ............................................................................................. 98

Bi-campus Framework for Clinical and Counselling Psychology .......................................................... 99

Higher Education Program ..................................................................................................................... 99

External Relations ..................................................................................................................................... 100

Alumni Engagement ............................................................................................................................. 100

Strengthening Connections between Alumni and Students .............................................................. 101

What’s Ahead .................................................................................................................................... 102

Community Outreach and Public Events .............................................................................................. 102

Knowledge Mobilization: Improving Policy and Practice .................................................................... 104

Indigenous Education Initiative ............................................................................................................ 104

Development ......................................................................................................................................... 105

Strategic Communications .................................................................................................................... 106

Going Forward ...................................................................................................................................... 107

Looking Ahead.......................................................................................................................................... 109

Opportunities & Challenges .................................................................................................................. 109

Future Directions .................................................................................................................................. 109

List of Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 110

Appendix 1: OISE Strategic Plan 2010-2015 ....................................................................................... 110

Appendix 2: UTQAP Reviews: Final Assessment Reports/Implementation Plans .............................. 110

Appendix 3: OISE Strategic Plan: Progress Report September 2014 ................................................... 110

Appendix 4: OISE Viewbook 2016-2017 ............................................................................................. 110

Appendix 5: OISE Teaching Excellence Awards – Past Winners ........................................................ 110

Appendix 6: OISE’s Departmental Restructuring Proposal .................................................................. 110

Appendix 7: OISE Organizational Chart 2015-2016 ............................................................................ 110


4

List of Tables

Table 1: Applications, Offers and Registration Bachelor of Education, Consecutive Program ................. 17

Table 2: Concurrent Teacher Education Program (CTEP) (Arts & Science data not available) ................ 17

Table 3: Graduate Teacher Education Programs: Applications, Offers and Registrations ......................... 17

Table 4: 1-year Bachelor of Education Enrolment: Consecutive Program ................................................. 19

Table 5: 5-year Concurrent Teacher Education Program Enrolment .......................................................... 20

Table 6: Graduate Teacher Education Program Enrolment ........................................................................ 20

Table 7: BEd Consecutive Program: Degrees Awarded & Academic Achievement.................................. 21

Table 8: Concurrent Teacher Education Program: Degrees Awarded & Academic Achievement ............ 22

Table 9: Graduate Teacher Education Programs: Degrees Awarded .......................................................... 22

Table 10: Bachelor of Education Consecutive Program and Concurrent Teacher Education Program:

Grade Level Admissions ............................................................................................................................. 23

Table 11: OISE Graduate Programs: Overview by Department ................................................................. 31

Table 12: Applications, Offers and Registrations – Doctoral Programs ..................................................... 32

Table 13: Offer Rate – Doctoral Programs ................................................................................................. 32

Table 14: Acceptance Rate – Doctoral Programs ....................................................................................... 33

Table 15: OISE’s Research Master’s Programs: Applications, Offers & Registrations ............................. 34

Table 16: Research Master’s Programs: Offer Rate ................................................................................... 34

Table 17: Research Master’s Programs: Acceptance Rate ......................................................................... 34

Table 18: OISE Professional Master’s Programs: Applications, Offers and Registrations ........................ 36

Table 19: Professional Master’s Programs: Offer Rate .............................................................................. 36

Table 20: Professional Master’s Programs: Acceptance Rate .................................................................... 37

Table 21: Full-time Enrolment .................................................................................................................... 39

Table 22: Part-time Enrolment .................................................................................................................... 39

Table 23: OISE & Division II Social Sciences: Students with Fellowships & Scholarships (Full-time) ... 40

Table 24: OISE & Division II: Social Sciences: Research & Master’s Students with Scholarships and

Fellowships ................................................................................................................................................. 40

Table 25: OISE and Division II: Social Sciences Professional Master’s Students with Scholarships and

Fellowships ................................................................................................................................................. 41

Table 26: OISE EdD, PhD, Division II: Social Sciences & All U of T (Doctoral, Full-time & Part-time)

Mean Time-to-Completion ......................................................................................................................... 43

Table 27: Research Master’s Degrees (Full-time) Mean Time-to-Completion (OISE, Division II: Social

Sciences & U of T) ..................................................................................................................................... 44

Table 28: Research Master’s Degrees (Part-time) Mean Time-to-Completion (OISE, Division II: Social

Sciences & U of T) ..................................................................................................................................... 45

Table 29: OISE Professional Master’s Degrees Full-time: Mean Time-to-Completion ............................. 46


5

Table 30: Division II: Social Science & all U of T Professional Master’s Degrees Full-time: Mean Time-

to-Completion ............................................................................................................................................. 46

Table 31: OISE Professional Master’s Degrees Part-time: Mean Time-to-Completion ............................. 46

Table 32: Division II: Social Science & all U of T Professional Master’s Degrees Part-time: Mean Time-

to-Completion ............................................................................................................................................. 47

Table 33: Student Satisfaction Benchmarks – Doctoral Students ............................................................... 48

Table 34: Student Satisfaction Benchmarks – Research Master’s Students ............................................... 49

Table 35: Student Satisfaction Benchmarks – Professional Master’s Students .......................................... 49

Table 36: OISE TA Totals 2010-2011 to 2014-2015.................................................................................. 51

Table 37: OISE GA Totals .......................................................................................................................... 52

Table 38: R&D GA Totals .......................................................................................................................... 52

Table 39: All Sources of Income for Funded Cohort Students Only .......................................................... 58

Table 40: OISE Research Funding, 2010-2014 (compiled April 2015) ..................................................... 64

Table 41: SSHRC Insight Grant (Fall 2011 on) .......................................................................................... 65

Table 42: SSHRC Insight Development Grant (Winter 2011 on) .............................................................. 66

Table 43: OISE CRCs, ORC and Endowed Chairs .................................................................................... 66

Table 44: OISE Faculty Honours & Awards .............................................................................................. 67

Table 45: Publications and Citations – Ranking for all U of T Faculty ...................................................... 68

Table 46: OISE Research Centres: An Overview ....................................................................................... 69

Table 47: Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Laboratory School at a Glance ................................ 74

Table 48: Centrally Provided IS Infrastructure Supported by the Education Commons ............................ 75

Table 49: Organizational & Service Changes in the Education Commons: Driving Factors & Strategies 76

Table 50: CPL Program Offerings .............................................................................................................. 79

Table 51: CPL Financial Overview ............................................................................................................ 80

Table 52: OISE Operating Fund Statement of Income and Expenses ........................................................ 87

Table 53: Academic Staff Complement by Academic Year (Headcounts) ................................................ 88

Table 54: Faculty FTE by Academic Year ................................................................................................. 89

Table 55: Table: Tenure Stream & Teaching Stream Faculty by Age and Academic Year (Headcounts) . 89

Table 56: Tenure Stream & Teaching Stream Faculty Departures by Reason and Academic Year

(Headcounts) ............................................................................................................................................... 90

Table 57: New Faculty Hires by Gender, Employment Category and Academic Year (Headcounts) ....... 90

Table 58: Faculty by Gender, Rank and Academic Year (FTE) ................................................................. 92

Table 59: OISE Administrative Staff complement in the last five years ending April 30, 2015 ................ 93

Table 60: University of Toronto Collaborative Programs in Which OISE is participating. ....................... 98

Table 61: Alumni Communication/Social Media Activity Statistics ........................................................ 101

Table 62: Activity statistics and projections ............................................................................................. 101


6

Table 63: MOUs Signed 2010-2015 ......................................................................................................... 103

Table 64: Major gift results by fiscal year for the period 2010-2011 to 2014-2015 ................................. 106


7

List of Figures

Figure 1: BEd Consecutive Program: Applications, Offers, Registrations and Yield Rates ...................... 18

Figure 2: Concurrent Teacher Education Program: Applications, Offers, Registrations and Yield Rates . 18

Figure 3: Graduate Teacher Education Programs: Applications, Offers, Registrations and Yield Rates ... 19

Figure 4: Graduate Teacher Education Program Enrolment ....................................................................... 21

Figure 5: Degrees Awarded ........................................................................................................................ 23

Figure 6: BEd Consecutive Program & Concurrent Teacher Education Program: Entering Averages ...... 24

Figure 7: Teacher Education: Degree Completion Rates – University of Toronto and Provincial Average

.................................................................................................................................................................... 24

Figure 8: Graduate Employment Rates 6 Months after Graduation – U of T and Provincial Average ...... 25

Figure 9: Graduate Employment Rates 2 Years after Graduation – U of T and Provincial Average ......... 25

Figure 10: OISE Doctoral Programs: Applications, Offers & Registrations .............................................. 33

Figure 11: Doctoral Programs: Offer Rates ................................................................................................ 33

Figure 12: Doctoral Programs: Acceptance Rates ...................................................................................... 34

Figure 13: OISE’s Research Master’s Programs: Applications, Offers & Registrations ............................ 35

Figure 14: Research Master’s Programs: Offer Rates................................................................................. 35

Figure 15: Research Master’s Programs – Acceptance Rates ..................................................................... 36

Figure 16: OISE’s Professional Master’s Programs: Applications, Offers & Registrations....................... 37

Figure 17: Professional Master’s Programs: Offer Rates ........................................................................... 37

Figure 18: Professional Master’s Programs: Acceptance Rates ................................................................. 38

Figure 19: Enrolment in OISE’s Graduate Programs ................................................................................. 39

Figure 20: OISE Percentage of Full-time Doctoral Students with External Fellowships & Scholarships.. 42

Figure 21: Percentage of Full-time Research Master’s Students with External Fellowships and

Scholarships ................................................................................................................................................ 42

Figure 22: Percentage of Full-time Professional Master’s Students with External Fellowships and

Scholarships ................................................................................................................................................ 43

Figure 23: Mean Time-to-Completion: Full-time & Part-time Doctoral degrees (OISE, Division II: Social

Sciences & U of T) ..................................................................................................................................... 44

Figure 24: Mean Time-to-Completion: Full-time Research Master’s Degrees (OISE, Division II: Social

Sciences & U of T ....................................................................................................................................... 45

Figure 25: Mean Time-to-Completion: Part-time Research Master’s Degrees (OISE, Division II: Social

Sciences & U of T ....................................................................................................................................... 45

Figure 26: Mean Time-to-Completion Full-time Professional Master’s OISE, Division II: Social Sciences

& U of T ...................................................................................................................................................... 47

Figure 27: Mean Time-to-Completion Part-time Professional Master’s OISE, Division II: Social Sciences

& U of T ...................................................................................................................................................... 47


8

Figure 28: OISE Graduate Student Funding 2010-2011 to 2014-2015 ...................................................... 57

Figure 29: Types of OISE Graduate Student Funding 2010-2011 to 2014-2015 ....................................... 57

Figure 30: OISE Funded Cohort: Student Headcount by Primary Source of Funding ............................... 59

Figure 31: Actual/Budgeted/Planned Surplus/(Deficit) 2010-2020 in $millions ........................................ 87


9

Executive Summary


10

Overview and Context

About OISE

The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE) is Canada’s only all-

graduate institute of teaching, learning and research. Recognized as a global leader in graduate programs

in education, initial and continuing teacher education, and education research, OISE is an integral part of

the University of Toronto with collaborative programs, joint appointments and linkages to a variety of

faculties and departments. For more than a century, OISE has helped to transform education in Ontario,

throughout Canada and around the world.

Education at the University of Toronto traces its origins to 1894, when a Degree of Pedagogy was

introduced. In 1907, the Faculty of Education was established, following the recommendation of the

Royal Commission on the University of Toronto that the education of teachers “is best performed where

theory and practice can be made to supplement each other.” In the ensuing decades, the faculty went

through many organizational changes as the University and the government changed their views of how

the study of education and the education of teachers should be carried out. For forty-five years, the

faculty, then called the Ontario College of Education (OCE), was the sole publicly funded institution in

the province preparing secondary school teachers.

In 1965, a special act of the Ontario legislature established the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

to provide graduate level programs, to conduct research and disseminate its findings, and to engage in

field development activities in education. Educational research and graduate studies were moved from

OCE to the new Institute, while teacher education remained at the University of Toronto. As a graduate

department of education affiliated with the University of Toronto, the Institute provided most of the

master’s level and nearly all of the doctoral programs in education in the province. The Institute was also

a major centre of educational research and development in Canada with a professional research staff to

assist in carrying out its research and development mandate.

OISE in its current form dates from 1996, when the Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto and

the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education merged to form the Ontario Institute for Studies in

Education of the University of Toronto. Today, OISE provides an exciting context for teaching and

learning. With approximately 100,000 alumni worldwide, over 3,000 students in teacher education and

graduate degree programs, 7,500 continuing education registrants annually, 4 academic departments and

19 research centres and institutes, OISE is among the University of Toronto’s largest faculties and is one

of the largest and most research-intensive faculties of education in North America. OISE offers an

intellectually rich and supportive environment guided by the highest standards of scholarship and a

commitment to equity and social justice. Its distinguished faculty and researchers examine major issues in

education, human development and professional practice with a view to their contemporary and future

impact on pedagogy, policy and society. OISE is committed to posing and responding to the critical

questions that inform change and inspire action in the professional practice of the many thousands of

teachers, researchers, professionals, policy makers, leaders and influencers who make up OISE’s

community worldwide.

Context of the Review

This self-study has been prepared as part of the University of Toronto’s process for reviewing its

academic programs and units as part of the regular cycle of quality assurance. The final report of the

reviewers, and the response of the Dean and Provost to the review, are presented to University

governance and are made broadly available to faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners.


11

OISE’s last review took place in 2009 to coincide with the end of the term of then Dean, Professor Jane

Gaskell on June 30, 2010. Professor Julia O’Sullivan completed her term as Dean of OISE on June 30,

2015. In March 2015, Professor Glen Jones was appointed as Interim Dean of OISE from July 1, 2015 to

June 30, 2016 or until a new Dean is appointed. Under the University of Toronto Quality Assurance

Process (UTQAP), the Provost has commissioned a review of OISE to coincide with the term of the

Interim Dean. This review will serve to inform the search for a new Dean.

The self-study provides an overview of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) from the

academic years 2010-2011 to 2014-2015. The document was developed over the course of the summer

and fall terms of 2015-2016 in consultation with faculty, staff and students, and with contributions from,

OISE’s Dean, Associate Deans, Chairs and administrative unit heads, and with the support of staff

throughout the Institute.

Self-Study Process

In preparation for the review, the Interim Dean engaged the OISE community in discussion regarding the

content of the self-study. The community was first informed of the review shortly after the beginning of

the Dean’s term and kept up to date on the progress of the review by means of memoranda and other

communications. A web page was set up over the summer to share updates and documentation on the

review with the OISE community (http://uoft.me/OISE-Review). Consultations regarding the review were

conducted in the course of regular meetings including Faculty Council, Deans and Chairs meetings,

Professional & Managerial group meetings, departmental meetings and meetings of the Dean and

Associate Dean, Programs with representatives of graduate students.

Note: this section will be completed following conclusion of community consultations regarding the

review.

http://uoft.me/OISE-Review


12

Academic Programs

OISE is committed to excellence in its academic programs. The OISE Strategic Plan 2011-2015 calls for

“innovative and integrated programs that feature integration of Initial Teacher Education and Graduate

programs, research-informed programs, and linkages between programs, across departments and with the

University and the broader community supported by a renewed faculty” (p. 4).1 The following pages

provide an overview of OISE’s teacher education program pathways and describe the changing landscape

for teacher education at OISE. An overview of other graduate programs offered by OISE’s four academic

departments is also provided, along with a presentation of student quality indicators and a discussion of

OISE-wide initiatives and resources designed to support student success and OISE’s longstanding

commitment to excellence in teaching.

Teacher Education

Initial teacher education has been a central part of education at the University of Toronto since the

implementation of the Degree of Pedagogy in 1894 and the establishment of the Faculty of Education in

1907. Since the merger of OISE and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Education in 1996, initial

teacher education at OISE has continued to deepen and diversify. By 2014-2015, OISE offered five

distinct pathways—three undergraduate and two graduate—to the teaching profession:

1. Consecutive Bachelor of Education (BEd)/Diploma in Technological Education (Dip.Tech.Ed.)

program with areas of study in Primary/Junior, Junior/Intermediate and Intermediate/Senior

divisions;

2. Technological Education Apprenticeship Program (TEAP);

3. Concurrent Teacher Education Program (CTEP) with areas of study in Primary/Junior and

Intermediate/Senior divisions;

4. Master of Teaching (MT) program with areas of study in Primary/Junior, Junior/Intermediate and

Intermediate/Senior divisions; and

5. Master of Arts in Child Study and Education (MA-CSE) program with areas of study in the

Primary/Junior division.

Teacher education programs at OISE reflect not only the Institute’s and the University’s priorities and

values, but also the Ontario College of Teachers’ (OCT) regulatory Standards of Practice for the

Teaching Profession and Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession. Each program draws on different

combinations of strengths and resources from within OISE and across the University, all of which are

underpinned by seven shared principles derived from research on best practices in teacher education:

Coherence

Cohort-based learning communities

Equity, diversity and social justice

Faculty collaboration

Research-informed

School/field/university partnerships

Teaching Excellence

The two graduate pathways include additional research components that, over the course of two years,

deepen links between research and practice and prepare teacher candidates to undertake informed

leadership roles within their profession. In addition, as University of Toronto graduate programs, the MT

and the MA-CSE are governed by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS), which defines and administers

1 See Appendix 1: OISE Strategic Plan 2011-2015


13

university-wide policies and regulations for graduate education, ensuring consistency and high standards

across the University. Applicants to the MT and the MA-CSE must be eligible for admission to SGS as

well as to OISE.

Towards an All-graduate Teacher Education

While OISE’s two graduate teacher education programs (MT and MA-CSE) are administered within

individual academic departments, the undergraduate teacher education programs (consecutive BEd and

CTEP) are administered by an office external to OISE’s academic units. This arrangement has historically

contributed to the relatively low involvement of OISE’s continuing faculty members in its teacher

education programs, and to the relative isolation of teacher education within OISE’s academic structure.

The need to realign initial teacher education programs within the departmental structure at OISE emerged

as an important objective during the strategic planning process conducted in 2010-2011. In addition to the

call for innovative and integrated programs that feature integration of initial teacher education and

graduate programs, OISE’s Strategic Plan highlighted the need “to investigate models for a new Initial

Teacher Education / Graduate Studies framework” (p. 6). Following the departmental restructuring at

OISE that took place in 2011-2012, much of 2012-2013 was dedicated to discussions regarding possible

structural-organizational models for realigning OISE’s existing teacher education programs with its four

newly restructured graduate departments: Applied Psychology and Human Development (APHD),

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning (CTL), Leadership, Higher and Adult Education (LHAE), and Social

Justice Education (SJE). The 2011-2012 external review of OISE’s graduate programs including the MT

and MA-CSE indicated that the infusion of research into teaching and student preparation should be a

model for teacher education programs.

To address the oversupply of teachers in the province, on June 5, 2013, the Government of Ontario

announced its plan to lengthen Ontario’s teacher education from two to four academic terms with a

minimum of 80 days of practice teaching commencing in September 2015. This change included a 50%

reduction of the annual intake of teacher candidates (from 9000 to 4500 province-wide) and a 32%

reduction in per student funding for the extended program. At OISE this meant that an annual intake of

1167 was reduced to 583 with a total enrolment of 1167 now extended across two years of the program;

together with the reduction in per student funding this amounted to a base reduction of more than $3

million to OISE’s annual budget. The cuts to teacher education and the overall provincial context of fiscal

restraint made it imperative for OISE and the University to examine the current program offerings closely

and to consider future options for change and restructuring.

In July 2013, a working group consisting of representatives from OISE’s four academic departments was

established to consider the implications of the Government’s plan for teacher education at OISE.

Representatives included the Dean, the Associate Dean, Programs, department Chairs, the Academic

Director, Initial Teacher Education, program coordinators and faculty involved in teacher education

(including tenure-stream and teaching stream faculty as well as sessional lecturers). The Group met on

July 24 and 25, 2013 and unanimously endorsed a recommendation to focus on teacher education at the

graduate level. Consequently, the University developed a proposal envisaging the expansion of OISE’s

two graduate teacher education programs (the MT and the MA-CSE) while ensuring their academic rigour

and compliance with the proposed revisions to the accreditation regulation. The proposal also suggested

discontinuation of OISE’s undergraduate teacher education programs effective September 20152. The

proposal was approved by the Government in May 2014.

2 While the University of Toronto Concurrent Teacher Education programs have been closed to new admissions, in order to meet

obligations to students currently enrolled in these programs, OISE will continue to offer BEd component as part of the 5-year

Concurrent Teacher Education Program until 2017-2018 academic year.


14

As one of Canada’s largest and most research-intensive faculty of education, OISE’s new focus on

teacher education at the graduate level allows it to make a unique contribution to the teaching profession.

OISE’s graduate programs in teacher education are infused with high quality, cutting edge research and

scholarship aimed at preparing educator-leaders with the expertise to teach other educators and the ability

to direct change and improvement in the educational system.

Moreover, OISE’s focus on its graduate program offerings in teacher education aligns with the

Government’s overall policy objective of differentiation within the post-secondary education system, and

provides an opportunity to expand its existing research-informed professional master’s programs. In the

summer of 2014, the University signed the Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA) with the Ministry of

Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU)—a strong endorsement of the University’s differentiated

role within the Province as a “research-intensive institution with a distinct leadership role in Ontario’s

post-secondary education system.” The SMA confirms that the University will add to its current strengths

by growing graduate enrolment including refocusing teacher education on the existing master’s programs

at OISE3.

OISE’s graduate teacher education programs provide students with premier teacher education coupled

with the eligibility to apply for certification as elementary or secondary teachers in Ontario. Additionally,

graduate teacher education at OISE provides students with a broad range of career options in Canada and

internationally—not only in the school system but also in the public and private sectors including health

care, governmental and non-governmental organizations, business and community. It also prepares

students for the furtherance of their academic research in education—MT and MA-CSE graduates are

eligible to apply for admission to doctoral programs in education at OISE, other Ontario universities, as

well as at leading universities in Canada and around the world.

Undergraduate Teacher Education Program Pathways

Bachelor of Education/ Diploma in Technological Education

The Bachelor of Education/Diploma in Technological Education Program pathway is a one-year, post-

degree program. The primary goal of the program is to prepare teacher candidates to become highly

effective and skilled professional teachers who continue to learn and develop expertise through inquiry

and reflective practice. Utilizing a strong research base, a focus on the learner, close connections with

field partners and a commitment to modeling responsive, innovative teaching practice, the program is

designed to assist teacher candidates construct professional knowledge and develop deep understanding of

teaching and learning for the diverse needs of Ontario’s communities. Graduates earn a Bachelor of

Education (BEd) degree or a Diploma in Technological Education (Dip TechEd), and are recommended

for an Ontario teaching certification to the Ontario College of Teachers. Graduates of this program are

certified in one of the three following areas: (1) Primary/Junior [P/J Kindergarten – Grade 6]; (2) Junior/

Intermediate [J/I Grades 4 – 10]; or (3) Intermediate/Senior [I/S Grades 7 – 12]. These Divisions are

divided into two programs: Elementary (P/J & J/I) and Secondary (I/S), with Technological Education

included in the Secondary Division.

Technological Education Apprenticeship Program (TEAP)

The Technological Education Apprenticeship Program (TEAP) is a multi-session initial teacher education

program offered in two summer sessions for Technological Education teacher candidates. TEAP follows

the same program of study as the regular initial teacher education program, however the program

schedule differs. Academic coursework is split into two compressed modules that are completed over two

consecutive summer sessions, usually running from late June to the end of July. The Practicum and

3 MTCU has signed strategic mandate agreements with the other universities and colleges in Ontario in an effort to differentiate

the institutions according to their particular strengths.


15

Internship components are completed in the school year following successful completion of the first

summer module. TEAP candidates have the choice of two options to fulfill the Practicum and Internship

requirements. One option is to obtain a Long Term Occasional teaching contract in a secondary school in

their teaching subject. The second option is to be placed by OISE in partner schools with mentor associate

teachers. For either option, formal evaluation of the Practicum and Internship occurs on the same

schedule as the Fall/Winter program. TEAP candidates are eligible for a Transitional Certificate of

Qualification issued by the Ontario College of Teachers after successful completion of the first summer

module.

University of Toronto Concurrent Teacher Education Program

The University of Toronto’s Concurrent Teacher Education Program (CTEP) is the result of unique

partnerships established to enhance the undergraduate student experience by expanding teacher education

across the University of Toronto. The program draws on the knowledge and expertise of all the partner

campuses, faculties and colleges, and integrates the study of education with other disciplines. OISE’s

CTEP partners include:

University of Toronto Scarborough

University of Toronto Mississauga

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Faculty of Music

St Michael’s College (Faculty of Arts & Science)

Victoria College (Faculty of Arts & Science)

The University of Toronto’s Concurrent Teacher Education Program is a five-year program that leads to

an undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Education degree and professional teacher qualification

simultaneously. Undergraduate degrees available as part of CTEP include the Honours Bachelor of Arts

(HBA), Honours Bachelor of Science (HBSc), Bachelor of Music (BMus) and Bachelor of Physical and

Health Education (BPHE).The undergraduate degree provides students with the necessary knowledge in

their teaching areas along with several introductory education-focused courses and field experiences. The

Bachelor of Education degree is focused on developing essential skills to effectively apply the subject-

specific knowledge gained in the undergraduate degree program to the teaching profession connecting

theory to practice. Students in this program begin taking the BEd courses in Year 3 (0.5 FCE4) and 4 (0.5

FCE) transitioning into a professional year in their final year of study (with 4.0 FCE BEd courses).

Graduates are certified in one of the two following areas: (1) Primary/Junior [P/J Kindergarten–Grade 6]

or (2) Intermediate/Senior [I/S Grades 7–12].

Graduate Teacher Education Program Pathways

Master of Teaching

Housed within the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, the Master of Teaching (MT)

program is one of the premier teacher education programs in Canada, combining a master’s degree with

elementary or secondary teacher certification. Upon successful completion of this full-time program,

graduates are recommended to OCT for an Ontario Teacher’s Certificate of Qualifications in one of the

three following areas: (1) Primary/Junior, (2) Junior/Intermediate or (3) Intermediate/Senior. The MT

program is built around courses, seminars, special events and practice teaching placements. In these

courses, the students engage in oral and written communication and an exploration and understanding of

educational research through essays, collaborative learning activities and practical experiences, all of

which help prepare students to be effective teachers. Every course interweaves theory and practice

4 FCE- Full Course Equivalents


16

helping students to gain a deep understanding of the teaching-learning process, while acquiring an

extensive repertoire of teaching strategies. Strictly adhering to and incorporating OCT accreditation

requirements, the MT program is research-infused and qualitatively strong. It involves rigorous academic

standards, high expectations for students, and enhanced learning outcomes including emphasis on new

content areas such as supporting English language learners and Aboriginal Education. Studying in the

program involves membership in a research and knowledge mobilization community that includes partner

schools, graduate students and OISE faculty who collaborate in teaching, research and knowledge

mobilization activities.

Master of Arts in Child Study and Education

Housed within the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, the Child Study and

Education program is a full-time two-year, non-thesis MA that qualifies graduates to teach in elementary

schools (Kindergarten to Grade 6) in Ontario. The program’s combination of teacher education and

graduate degree is intended to produce teacher-leaders who can apply research and theory in child study

to their careers as educators. Child Study is an orientation that includes broad child development theories

and methods, along with understanding children through experience and direct observation. Strictly

adhering to and incorporating OCT accreditation requirements, the program offers two fields of study:

(1) Practice-Based Inquiry (PBI) in Psychology and Educational Practice: this field is based on the

use of collaborative inquiry and data-based decision-making to enhance teachers’ practice and

student learning and success. This field provides students with a foundation in the use of a broad

range of information sources to address questions of practice using an inquiry cycle. Students

complete a Professional Practice Project in their second year that connects to their practicum

experience;

(2) Research-Intensive Training (RIT) in Psychology and Education: this field provides a unique

opportunity for future scholars interested in psychology and education to pursue concurrent

training in research and elementary teacher certification. Typically interested in further graduate

studies at the doctoral level, in the second year of the program students complete a Major

Research Paper in an area of interest supervised by a faculty member.

Teacher Education Student Quality Indicators

The last intake of candidates for OISE’s undergraduate teacher education programs was in September

2014. While the University of Toronto Concurrent Teacher Education programs have been closed to new

admissions since 2013, in order to meet obligations to students currently enrolled in these programs,

OISE will continue to offer the BEd component as part of the 5-year Concurrent Teacher Education

Program until 2017-2018. As OISE’s teacher education programming has transitioned to an all-graduate

format, intake into the MT and MA-CSE programs has increased. The data presented below reflects these

trends.

Teacher Education Programs: Applications, Offers and Registrations

The number of applicants to Ontario’s BEd programs continued to decline over the years due to the

oversupply of teachers in the province. With respect to undergraduate teacher education programs, the

quality indicators presented below demonstrate how despite a shrinking applicant pool, OISE continued

to have highly competitive applicants and registrants.


17

Table 1: Applications, Offers and Registration Bachelor of Education, Consecutive Program

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Applications 5,637 4,544 4,671 4,274 3,998 3,466 3,155

Offers 2,207 2,092 2,114 1,728 1,578 1,446 1,169

FT Registrations 1,328 1,274 1,264 1,069 960 890 668

Registered /

Offered Yield 60.2% 60.9% 59.8% 61.9% 60.8% 61.5% 57.1% *Includes the Diploma TechEd program. Source: OISE Office of the Registrar and Student Services

Table 2: Concurrent Teacher Education Program (CTEP) (Arts & Science data not available)

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Applications 801 970 1,441 1,332 1,201 849 0

Offers 331 450 592 490 260 247 0

Registrations 142 206 246 206 121 120 0

Registered / Offered Yield 42.9% 45.8% 41.6% 42.0% 46.5% 48.6% 0

Source: OUAC Admissions cube (2008, 2009), Admissions cube (2010-2013)

Notes:

1. Arts and Science data is not available. Applicants do not apply directly to Arts & Science CTEP programs through OUAC. OUAC data is based on OUAC program subject codes. Admissions cube data is based on admit posts or post codes. There are no Arts &

Science codes at the admissions level that are directly linked to the CTEP program.

2. In response to the Government’s June 2013 announcement that commencing in September 2015 a two-year B.Ed. program will replace the current one-year B.Ed. programs in the Province, the University of Toronto ceased admission into the Concurrent Teacher

Education Program (CTEP) for direct entry from high school applicants. Consequently, there were no applications to CTEP programs

through OUAC in Fall 2014.

Table 3: Graduate Teacher Education Programs: Applications, Offers and Registrations

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Applications

MA-CSE 214 250 195 221 248 211 253

MT 240 306 398 430 478 530 1023

Total 454 556 593 651 726 741 1276

Offers

MA-CSE 67 60 56 55 63 71 76

MT 91 105 126 118 121 254 394

Total 158 165 182 173 184 325 470

New

Registrations

MA-CSE 45 44 47 46 47 59 61

MT 54 63 76 75 75 139 213

Total 99 107 123 121 122 198 274

Registered /

Offered Yield

MA-CSE 67.2% 73.3% 83.9% 83.6% 74.6% 83.1% 80.3%

MT 59.3% 60.0% 60.3% 63.6% 62.0% 54.7% 54.1%

Total 62.7% 64.8% 67.6% 69.9% 66.3% 60.9% 58.3%


18

Figure 1: BEd Consecutive Program: Applications, Offers, Registrations and Yield Rates

Figure 2: Concurrent Teacher Education Program: Applications, Offers, Registrations and Yield Rates


19

Figure 3: Graduate Teacher Education Programs: Applications, Offers, Registrations and Yield Rates

Teacher Education Programs: Enrolment by Degree

Enrolment patterns that are both strong relative to trends in the teaching profession and strategic in

response to a changing fiscal situation are essential to ensuring the quality, reputation and financial

sustainability of OISE’s teacher education programs. The data presented below depicts continued high

enrolment rates in BEd and CTEP teacher education programs, despite a decline over the last several

years due to the oversupply of teachers in Ontario. It also shows the strategic reduction of undergraduate

enrolment and associated increase in graduate enrolment in teacher education in response to recent

Provincial restructuring and funding cuts in the BEd program.

Table 4: 1-year Bachelor of Education Enrolment: Consecutive Program

FT/ PT 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Bachelor of

Education

FT 1,288 1,236 1,226 1,035 912 846 642

PT 0 0 0 1 2 4 4

Total 1,288 1,236 1,226 1,036 914 850 646 *Includes the Diploma Tech. Ed program. Source: Enrolment cube (Unique count)


20

Table 5: 5-year Concurrent Teacher Education Program Enrolment

FT/

PT 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Arts and

Science

HBA/BED FT 38 69 118 175 156 147 105

PT 1 0 1 1 3 4 3

HBSC/BED FT 6 13 22 21 25 18 9

PT 0 0 0 2 0 0 0

Kinesiology

and Physical

Education

BPHE/BED FT 57 106 118 146 144 145 103

PT 0 0 1 0 3 3 3

Music

MUSB/BE

D FT 43 67 86 103 99 107 71

PT 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

OISE (B.Ed.

Portion)*

BED FT 0 0 0 0 0 0 160

PT 0 0 0 0 6 2 1

UTM

HBA/BED FT 63 99 149 186 138 123 61

PT 1 3 1 0 0 1 2

HBSC/BED FT 66 100 185 222 208 215 126

PT 2 6 2 0 0 1 0

UTSC

HBA/BED FT 28 48 70 100 104 110 68

PT 0 0 1 0 1 1 1

HBSC/BED FT 35 55 85 105 103 89 48

PT 1 0 1 1 2 1 1

Total

CTEP** FT 336 557 833 1,058 977 954 751

PT 5 9 7 4 15 13 12

Total 341 566 840 1,062 992 967 763

*CTEP programs were re-sequenced to a “4 plus 1” model with students completing the BEd portion at OISE in the final year rather than

gradually over years 3-5 while enrolled in their home division. Consequently the table shows a large increase in OISE BEd enrolments in 2014-

15.

**Enrolment numbers include total number of students enrolled in the 5-year CTEP program

Source: Enrolment cube (Unique count)

Table 6: Graduate Teacher Education Program Enrolment

FT/ PT 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

MA-CSE FT 83 87 88 92 92 93 107 120

PT 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

MT FT 83 95 118 139 150 150 214 344

PT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Total Graduate

Teacher Ed.

FT 166 182 206 231 242 243 321 464

PT 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Total 167 182 206 231 242 243 321 465


21

Figure 4: Graduate Teacher Education Program Enrolment

Teacher Education: Degrees Awarded and Academic Achievement

The award of Bachelor of Education degrees has declined as expected along with enrolments in the

program, but OISE has maintained a consistently high standard for its graduates, with an average CGPA

of 3.87 or higher in every year since 2006-07. The award of undergraduate degrees through CTEP has

increased as the program has progressed, with variation in the average CGPA of graduating classes from

division to division. The rates of award of the Masters of Teaching and Master of Arts in Child Study and

Education degrees have steadily increased since 2006-07, and are expected to sharply increase further as a

result of increased enrolments in graduate teacher education programs.

Table 7: BEd Consecutive Program: Degrees Awarded & Academic Achievement

Degrees Awarded 2006-07

2007-

08

2008-

09

2009-

10

2010-

11

2011-

12

2012-

13

2013-

14

Bachelor of Education # 1,280 1,181 1,349 1,251 1,247 1,064 945 877

CGPA 3.90 3.87 3.87 3.86 3.89 3.87 3.87 3.87

*Includes the Diploma Tech. Ed program.


22

Table 8: Concurrent Teacher Education Program: Degrees Awarded & Academic Achievement

Degrees Awarded

2006-

07

2007-

08

2008-

09

2009-

10

2010-

11

2011-

12

2012-

13

2013-

14

Arts and Science

HBA/BED # 30 30 47

CGPA 2.99 3.18 3.25

HBSC/BED # 4 6 10

CGPA 3.19 3.33 3.07

Kinesiology and Physical Education

BPHE/BED # 28 23 31

CGPA 3.19 3.15 3.06

Music

MUSB/BED # 19 17 22

CGPA 2.99 3.08 3.06

UTM

HBA/BED # 17 20 34

CGPA 3.20 3.10 3.00

HBSC/BED # 14 21 26

CGPA 3.12 3.07 2.98

UTSC

HBA/BED # 10 9 22

CGPA 2.98 3.37 3.14

HBSC/BED # 10 20 15

CGPA 2.90 3.12 3.02

TOTAL CTEP Degrees Awarded # 132 146 207

CGPA 3.07 3.15 3.09

Source: ROSI

Table 9: Graduate Teacher Education Programs: Degrees Awarded

Degrees Awarded 2006-07

2007-

08

2008-

09

2009-

10

2010-

11

2011-

12

2012-

13

2013-

14

2014-

15

MA-CSE 36 40 43 43 45 46 45 47 58

MT 25 40 42 52 64 73 72 78 124


23

Figure 5: Degrees Awarded

Undergraduate Programs: Grade Level Admissions

OISE seeks a high caliber of student for its high quality teacher education programs, and despite

shrinking applicant pools and declining registrations in recent years, its entering undergraduate cohorts

have maintained very high entering high school averages: consistently above 80% among BEd students

and 84% among CTEP students.

Note: Detailed data tables will be provided in the Appendix.

Table 10: Bachelor of Education Consecutive Program and Concurrent Teacher Education Program: Grade Level

Admissions

2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

BEd FT Registrations 1232 1328 1274 1264 1069 960 890 668

BEd Entering Averages 80.50% 81.00% 79.50% 80.40% 80.50% 81.40% 81.10% 80.10%

CTEP Registration 79 111 340 197 303 176 126 45

CTEP Mean HS Ent Avg 85.90% 86.10% 85.50% 85.60% 84.10% 85.80% 86.80% 86.30%

*Includes the Diploma Tech. Ed program. Source: OISE Office of the Registrar and Student Services (BEd data)

Admissions and Awards, Arts and Science Finance Office (CTEP data)


24

Figure 6: BEd Consecutive Program & Concurrent Teacher Education Program: Entering Averages

Undergraduate Programs: Graduation Rate and Employability Quality Indicators

Seven-Year Graduation Rate MTCU Methodology

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) calculates graduation rates by identifying a

single entering cohort of students and determining whether or not they graduated within seven years. The

methodology employed involves the selection of all new full-time, Year One undergraduate students on

the official Fall 2005 enrolment file, who have a valid (and unique) student ID number, and were seeking

either a bachelors or first professional degree. The subset was then matched against the records for

students who received a degree (in any program) from the same institution during the period 2006-2012.

As the chart below illustrates, degree completion rates at OISE (i.e. the University of Toronto) have been

consistently well above the provincial average.


Figure 7: Teacher Education: Degree Completion Rates – University of Toronto and Provincial Average


25

2010 Graduates of Undergraduate Degree Programs

Each year, graduates of university undergraduate programs are surveyed about their success in finding

work through the Ontario University Graduate Survey. Graduates were asked 11 questions regarding their

employment situation six months and two years after graduation. This survey is commissioned by the

Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU). As the chart below illustrates, OISE’s teacher

training graduate employment rates six months after graduation have been very close to provincial

average rates, while the employment rate for graduates of teacher education programs at OISE at the two

year mark has generally been above the provincial average.


Figure 8: Graduate Employment Rates 6 Months after Graduation – U of T and Provincial Average

Figure 9: Graduate Employment Rates 2 Years after Graduation – U of T and Provincial Average


26

Graduate Programs Offered by OISE’s four Academic Departments

OISE has four academic departments offering twelve graduate programs and three collaborative programs

for which OISE is a lead faculty. These programs are enriched by the varied and active research that is

conducted throughout the Institute.

Department of Applied Psychology & Human Development

The Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development (APHD) offers graduate degrees in

five programs that focus on basic and applied research in the areas of counselling and clinical psychology,

human development, special education and educational psychology pertaining to children, adolescents

and adults.

Child Study & Education

The Child Study and Education program is a full-time two-year, non-thesis MA that qualifies graduates to

teach in elementary schools (Kindergarten to Grade 6) in Ontario. The program’s combination of teacher

education and graduate degree is intended to produce teacher-leaders who can apply research and theory

in child study to their careers as educators. Child Study is an orientation that includes broad child

development theories and methods, along with understanding children through experience and direct

observation. The program offers two fields of study: (1) Practice-Based Inquiry (PBI) in Psychology and

Educational Practice; and (2) Research-Intensive Training (RIT) in Psychology and Education. See above

for more information.

Counselling & Clinical Psychology

The Counselling and Clinical Psychology (CCP) program prepares students to be scientist-practitioners in

the area of counselling and clinical psychology. The program provides students with a firm foundation in

both research and clinical skills, and develops an understanding and appreciation for the dialectical

relationship between the scientific and professional practice of psychology. The MA and PhD degree

programs are normally full-time programs. The content areas include: counselling and psychotherapy

interventions, psychological assessment and diagnosis, cognitive/affective foundations, social

foundations, biological foundations, advanced research methods and the history and systems of

psychology. The CCP Program comprises two fields: (1) Clinical and Counselling Psychology (MA,

PhD) offered by OISE; and (2) Clinical Psychology (MA, PhD) offered by the University of Toronto

Scarborough (UTSC).

Counselling Psychology

The Counselling Psychology (CP) program prepares students to be scientist-practitioners in counselling

psychology, and trains counsellors and psychologists in the general domain of psychological services.

The program provides students with theoretical, research and professional training in preparation for work

as psychologists and counsellors in educational, mental health, private practice and research settings. The

CP program at OISE is renowned for excellence in professional training and its integration of diversity,

equity and critical practice issues within the field of counselling psychology and counsellor education.

The program offers two fields: (1) Counselling & Psychotherapy (MEd, EdD) and (2) Guidance &

Counselling (MEd).The program fields are well-organized and present coherent areas of study and

training opportunities for graduate students. Graduates of the program are successful in entering

professional careers in diverse aspects of the field.

Developmental Psychology & Education

The Developmental Psychology & Education (DPE) program provides an opportunity for students to

construct an overall perspective on developmental psychology and human development and their


27

implications for practice with children in educational settings. Students take foundation courses in human

development and research methodology. Elective courses cover a range of areas including cognitive,

social and emotional development; cognition and instruction (language, literacy and mathematics); special

education and adaptive instruction; developmental neuroscience; advanced research methodology and

evaluation; and early childhood policy and programs. A full-time MA program is intended for students

who wish to pursue a career in research, university or community college teaching, and related activities.

An MEd degree program, usually taken on a part-time basis, is designed for students who are teaching in

the school system or working in early childhood education settings, or in settings with children or adults

with disabilities. A PhD degree program, which emphasizes knowledge in disciplines related to theory

and research in the area of developmental psychology and education, may be taken full-time or on a

flexible-time basis (for students in careers related to the field of study).

School & Clinical Child Psychology

The School & Clinical Child Psychology (SCCP) program provides students with academic and

professional training on psychological aspects of typical and atypical child, adolescent and human

development in preparation for professional, policy and academic positions in school, hospital, mental

health, private practice, policy, and research settings. The SCCP program is the only program in Canada

accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) to offer combined training in school and

clinical child psychology and the only school psychology training program in Ontario. Viewed in Canada

as the national leader in research and training in school psychology, in November 2001, the SCCP

program became the first school psychology and the first combined program in Canada to be accredited

by the American Psychological Association (APA). In September 2011, the SCCP program spearheaded

the development of the School & Clinical Child Psychology Internship Consortium, with the Toronto

District School Board and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, to offer advanced doctoral

internship training to students from across Canada in school and clinical child psychology.

Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

The Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning is the largest of four departments within OISE.

With a diverse community of faculty the department offers a wide range of graduate courses and

programs relating to academic scholarship and professional practice.

Curriculum Studies & Teacher Development

The Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development (CSTD) program is a forum for systematic reflection

on curriculum, viewed in the broadest sense as educational experiences that occur in both formal and

informal settings. This includes a critical examination of the substance (subject matter, courses, and

programs of study), purposes, and practices used for bringing about learning in educational settings. The

CSTD program includes three areas of interest which reflect overlapping and intersecting strengths of

faculty that teach within the Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development Program. One of these

areas—Critical Studies in Curriculum Pedagogy (CSCP)—corresponds with a program Emphasis of the

same name, which can be taken optionally by students within the program. The other areas include

Learning Schools and Innovations, and Teaching and Teacher Education. The program offers MEd, MA

and PhD degrees.

Language & Literacies Education

The Language and Literacies Education (LLE) program investigates questions around the relationships of

literacies in language, and language in literacies across communities, societies, instructional

environments, and informal learning settings. The scope of the program encompasses: (a) the learning,

teaching, and use of first and additional (non-native) languages in diverse settings; (b) curriculum,

instruction, and assessment related to the development of first and additional language and K-12 literacy


28

skills; (c) the development of bilingual, multilingual, and translinguistic abilities; (d) language and

literacy education policies and planning; (e) pedagogy oriented towards multiliteracies development,

including early literacy and adolescent reading, writing and oral language development, and children’s

literature across the curriculum; (f) social justice issues related to plurilingualism and cultural and

linguistic diversity; and (g) pedagogical implications of the fact that language and literacy are infused

into all aspects of learning in contexts characterized by linguistic diversity. The program offers three

degrees: MEd, MA and PhD.

Master of Teaching

The Master of Teaching (MT) program is one of the premier teacher education programs in Canada,

combining a Master of Teaching degree with elementary or secondary teacher certification. Built around a

cohort model, to provide students with a more collegial and collaborative learning experience, the

program is suited for those who want to pursue a career in teaching combined with graduate study that

may lead to a doctoral program. Students choose one of three program specializations (divisions):

Primary/Junior, Junior/Intermediate or Intermediate/Senior. Each student in the elementary and secondary

programs will choose an area of specialization (e.g., aboriginal education, social justice, teaching and the

arts, etc.) in which they will take additional courses and develop even deeper expertise. As part of a

graduate program, students are exposed to educational research across a wide variety of educational

disciplines. More information about the MT program is provided in the section above.

Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education

The Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education (LHAE) is home to three of OISE’s graduate

programs: Adult Education and Community Development, Educational Leadership and Policy, and

Higher Education. LHAE is also home to three collaborative programs in which students can pursue

interdisciplinary work: Educational Policy, Comparative, International and Development Education and

Workplace Learning and Social Change.

Adult Education & Community Development

The Adult Education and Community Development (AECD) program is one of the largest and oldest

graduate programs in adult education. The multi-disciplinary program develops community capacities and

mobilizes leaders and organizations concerned with justice, equality and sustainability. The program’s

primary interest is in supporting and fostering learning which occurs beyond, alongside and within formal

institutionally defined curricula. This catalytic learning, which is often informal, forms the bedrock of

vibrant, engaged communities which in turn creates opportunities for growth and facilitates equity for all

individuals and groups, including those who are marginalized or disenfranchised. The program structure

ensures exposure to both the breadth of the field and providing students with the opportunity to develop

an in-depth focus. The program is unique in combining adult education with community development,

giving it a mandate that emphasizes enhancing ties to external communities, both locally and globally.

Students have three degree program options within AECD: MEd, MA and PhD.

Educational Leadership & Policy

The Educational Leadership & Policy (ELP) program is devoted to the study and development of policy,

leadership, change, social diversity and ethics and values in education. A combination of theory and

practice assists students in developing skills, enabling them to cope with the complex demands of current

education policies and procedures. The ELP program emphasizes PK-12 education in its research and

teaching, and is designed to develop highly skilled educators, administrators, policy analysts, and

academic practitioners. Within the program, students are able to explore the field more broadly or focus

on one of four thematic strands: Policy, Leadership, Change and Social Diversity. Students have four

degree program options within ELP: MEd, EdD, MA and PhD.


29

Higher Education

The Higher Education program is focused on the study of universities, community colleges, and other

post-secondary institutions, the relationship between these institutions and the broader society in which

they operate, and the nature of what takes place inside these institutions. The study of higher education

embraces critical examination, both historical and contemporary, of phenomena related to tertiary-level

education, particularly tertiary-level institutions and systems in Canada. While all students obtain a basic

understanding of Canadian higher education, many also choose to learn about higher education from an

international, comparative perspective. The program offers the MEd and EdD in Higher Education, as

well as research-focused MA and PhD degree programs. Two professional fields are also offered: Health

Professional Education (MEd) and Student Development and Student Services in Post-secondary

Education (MEd). Students in the Higher Education program may also apply to the Comparative,

International and Development Education collaborative program or to the Women’s Studies collaborative

program.

Collaborative Programs

LHAE is also home to three collaborative programs which provide students with exposure to cross-field

and cross-disciplinary approaches to educational problem framing and problem solving to broaden

possibilities for innovative and effective interdisciplinary analysis. In order to participate in collaborative

programs, students must first be admitted to and registered in a regular degree program.

Comparative, International and Developmental Education (CIDE)

CIDE is one of the world's largest, most diverse, and dynamic graduate programs in the field of

comparative education. Faculty interests span an exciting range of theoretical and practical issues—from

the study of ethnicity and identity to the issues of globalization and global governance; from non-formal

learning and citizenship education to concrete problems of educational reform, social equality, language

education, conflict resolution and community development. Participating programs include:

Adult Education and Community Development—MA, MEd, PhD

Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development—MA, MEd, PhD

Educational Leadership and Policy—MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

Higher Education—MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

Language and Literacies Education—MA, MEd, PhD

Social Justice Education—MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

Educational Policy (EP)

EP serves students interested in educational policy development and implementation, with particular

emphasis on improving educational process. EP provides students with exposure to cross-field and cross-

disciplinary approaches to educational problem framing and problem solving to broaden the possibilities

for innovative and effective policy analysis. Participating programs include:


Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development—MA, MEd, PhD

Developmental Psychology and Education—MA, MEd, PhD

Educational Leadership and Policy—MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

Higher Education—MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

Language and Literacies Education—MA, MEd, PhD

Social Justice Education—MA, MEd, EdD, PhD


30

Workplace Learning and Social Change (WLSC)

The program is designed for students interested in developing their understandings of work and learning

trends in Canada and internationally, with a focus on social change. This program situates workplace

learning within broader social trends such as globalization, neo-liberalism and organizational

restructuring. It aims to highlight the learning strategies that seek to foster social change through greater

equality of power, inclusivity, participatory decision-making and economic democracy. Participating

programs include:


Industrial Relations and Human Resources5—MIRHR, PhD

Rehabilitation Science6—MSc, PhD

Social Justice Education—MA, MEd, PhD, EdD

Women and Gender Studies7—MA

Department of Social Justice Education

The Department of Social Justice Education (SJE) is an intellectual community committed to producing

and advancing knowledge on social justice education within Canada and beyond boundaries. The

Department is simultaneously a new, cutting edge department, and one that stands in continuity with a

decades-long tradition of excellence in critical scholarship in interdisciplinary studies across the

humanities and social sciences. Formed in 2012—during the process of departmental restructuring—SJE

combines strengths of the former Sociology and Equity Studies in Education and the History and

Philosophy of Education programs.

Social Justice Education

With world-class scholars, the new department offers multiple graduate degrees within its Social Justice

Education program i.e. MEd, MA, EdD and PhD. The Department’s academic programing is concerned

with both theoretical and empirical problems regarding in/equity in educational spaces, broadly

conceived. Students are provided with critical understandings of the social, historical, cultural, political,

economic, and ethical contexts of education, within and beyond the classroom environment. Based on the

diverse intellectual traditions of the humanities and social sciences, the department is committed to multi

and interdisciplinary studies in education, with a focus on equity and social justice from a variety of

perspectives including philosophy, sociology, history, anthropology and political science. Areas of focus

include, but are not limited to: anti-racism, critical race theory, indigenous and anti-colonial studies;

media studies and communication; feminist, gender and queer studies; francophone studies; disability

studies; blackness studies; postcolonial, diaspora and transnational studies; class and poverty studies;

cultural, sociological, political and philosophical contexts in education; ethics, democratic theory,

citizenship, and critiques of neoliberalism; social change and resistance; nationalism, language,

spirituality, development, and social theories in education; youth, migration, land, law, environment,

intersectionality and place in research.

5 Faculty of Arts & Science 6 Faculty of Medicine 7 Faculty of Arts & Science


31

Table 11: OISE Graduate Programs: Overview by Department

Department Program Field (i.e. area of specialization) Degrees Offered

Applied Psychology &

Human development

Child Study & Education Practice-Based Inquiry (PBI) in

Psychology & Educational Practice

Research-Intensive Training (RIT) in

Psychology & Education

MA

MA

Counselling & Clinical

Psychology

Clinical & Counselling Psychology

(OISE)

Clinical Psychology (UTSC)

MA, PhD

MA, PhD

Counselling Psychology Counselling & Psychotherapy

Guidance & Counselling

MEd, EdD

MEd

Developmental Psychology &

Education

Developmental Psychology &

Education

MEd, MA, PhD

School & Clinical Child

Psychology

School & Clinical Child Psychology MA, PhD

Curriculum, Teaching and

Learning

Curriculum Studies &

Teacher Development

Curriculum Studies & Teacher

Development

MEd, MA, PhD

Language & Literacies

Education

Language & Literacies Education MEd, MA, PhD

Teaching

Primary/Junior

Junior/Intermediate

Intermediate/Senior

MT

Leadership, Higher &

Adult Education

Adult Education &

Community Development

Adult Education & Community

Development

MEd, MA, PhD

Educational Leadership &

Policy

Educational Leadership & Policy MEd, MA, EdD, PhD

Higher Education Higher Education

Health Professional Education

Student Development & Student

Services in Postsecondary Education

MEd, MA, EdD &

PhD

MEd

MEd

Social Justice Education Social Justice Education Social Justice Education MEd, MA, EdD &

PhD

The 2011-2012 External Review of OISE’s Graduate Programs

All twelve of OISE’s graduate programs were reviewed in 2011-2012 under the new University of

Toronto Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP). The review of OISE’s programs took place at a time of

significant change for OISE—that is, during the process of departmental restructuring. The reviews were

bundled under the new departmental structure and four external review teams, one for each department,

visited OISE in February and March 2012.

The review represented an excellent opportunity to celebrate successes and identify areas for quality

improvement. Aspirations in OISE’s departmental self-studies, recommendations in the reviewers’ reports

and commitments in the administrative responses to the reviews reflect OISE’s academic priorities in

graduate education (See Appendix 2: UTQAP Reviews: Final Assessment Reports/Implementation


32

Plans). Reviewers’ final reports and decanal responses to reviews were presented to University

governance and were made broadly available to faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners.

Since the review, OISE’s academic departments have made solid progress in implementing the

recommendations from the review.8 (See Appendix 3: OISE Strategic Plan: Progress Report September

2014).

Graduate Student Demand and Quality

Below are a series of tables and figures regarding quality indicators about OISE’s various graduate

degrees including doctoral programs and master’s programs. The following quality indicators have been

taken into account in reviewing graduate programs for the self-study: (1) the number of applications,

offers and registrations for each graduate degree program; (2) enrolments in each graduate degree

program; (3) student success rate at obtaining financial support (i.e. scholarships and fellowships); (4)

time-to-completion; and (5) student satisfaction.

Applications, Offers and Registrations

Acceptance into OISE’s graduate programs remains very competitive and selective, ensuring the high

quality nature of its programs. Offer rates for OISE’s research-focused and professional Master’s

programs are consistently lower than those in comparable programs across the University, while offer

rates for OISE’s doctoral programs are close to parity with offer rates in doctoral programs University-

wide.

Doctoral Programs

Table 12: Applications, Offers and Registrations – Doctoral Programs

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

Applications

EDD 193 157 123 76 95 53 75 50

PHD 592 700 653 660 684 654 756 696

Total 785 857 776 736 779 707 831 746

Offers

EDD 46 26 36 40 53 20 23 18

PHD 186 240 186 177 184 132 153 177

Total 232 266 222 217 237 152 176 195

New Registrations

EDD 22 16 17 23 35 16 13 8

PHD 137 171 125 131 136 107 114 126

Total 159 187 142 154 171 123 127 134

Table 13: Offer Rate – Doctoral Programs

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

OISE 29.6% 31.0% 28.6% 29.5% 30.4% 21.5% 21.2% 26.1%

Division II: Social Sciences 25.0% 25.6% 25.9% 23.8% 20.8% 17.7% 19.2% 20.8%

University of Toronto 28.3% 29.2% 29.6% 27.7% 25.5% 21.9% 23.2% 24.8%

Note: ‘Offer rate’ calculated by dividing the number of offers by the number of applications for a given academic year.


33

Table 14: Acceptance Rate – Doctoral Programs

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

OISE 68.5% 70.3% 64.0% 71.0% 72.2% 80.9% 72.2% 68.7%



Note: ‘Acceptance rate’ calculated by dividing the number of new registrants by the number of offers made for a given academic year.

Figure 10: OISE Doctoral Programs: Applications, Offers & Registrations

Figure 11: Doctoral Programs: Offer Rates


34

Figure 12: Doctoral Programs: Acceptance Rates

Research Master’s Programs

Table 15: OISE’s Research Master’s Programs: Applications, Offers & Registrations

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

Applications MA 828 851 876 867 967 1,012 1,070 982

Offers MA 140 158 117 88 72 84 81 71

New Registrations MA 102 106 74 58 43 57 51 48

Table 16: Research Master’s Programs: Offer Rate

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

OISE 16.9% 18.6% 13.4% 10.1% 7.4% 8.3% 7.6% 7.2%



Table 17: Research Master’s Programs: Acceptance Rate

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

OISE 72.9% 67.1% 63.2% 65.9% 59.7% 67.9% 63.0% 67.6%



Note: ‘Acceptance rate’ calculated by dividing the number of new registrants by the number of offers made for a given academic year.


35

Figure 13: OISE’s Research Master’s Programs: Applications, Offers & Registrations

Figure 14: Research Master’s Programs: Offer Rates


36

Figure 15: Research Master’s Programs – Acceptance Rates

Professional Master’s Programs

Table 18: OISE Professional Master’s Programs: Applications, Offers and Registrations

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

Applications

MA 191 229 214 250 195 221 248 211

MED 1202 1240 1276 1394 1244 1524 1409 1408

MT 229 256 240 306 398 430 478 530

Total 1622 1725 1730 1950 1837 2175 2135 2149

Offers

MA 51 50 67 60 56 55 63 71

MED 607 649 685 730 653 705 660 744

MT 76 63 91 105 126 118 121 254

Total 734 762 843 895 835 878 844 1069

New Registrations

MA 39 44 45 44 47 46 47 59

MED 400 392 417 477 398 395 402 382

MT 41 42 54 63 76 75 75 139

Total 480 478 516 584 521 516 524 580

Table 19: Professional Master’s Programs: Offer Rate

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

OISE 29.6% 31.0% 28.6% 29.5% 30.4% 21.5% 21.2% 26.1%



Note: ‘Offer rate’ calculated by dividing the number of offers by the number of applications for a given academic year.


37

Table 20: Professional Master’s Programs: Acceptance Rate

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

OISE 68.5% 70.3% 64.0% 71.0% 72.2% 80.9% 72.2% 68.7%



Note: ‘Acceptance rate’ calculated by dividing the number of new registrants by the number of offers made for a given academic

year.

Figure 16: OISE’s Professional Master’s Programs: Applications, Offers & Registrations

Figure 17: Professional Master’s Programs: Offer Rates


38

Figure 18: Professional Master’s Programs: Acceptance Rates

Notes:

1. Academic Year runs from Fall to Summer. For example, 2013-14 runs from Fall 2013 to Summer 2014.

2. Division II Social Sciences includes the following graduate programs: Adult Education and Community Development, Anthropology,

Architecture, Child Study and Education, Counseling and Clinical Psychology (APHD), Counseling and Clinical Psychology (UTSC), Counseling Psychology, Criminology, Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development, Developmental Psychology and Education,

Economics, Educational Leadership and Policy, Elementary and Secondary Education, European, Russian and Eurasian Studies,

Finance, Financial Economics, Geography, Global Affairs, Global Professional Law, Higher Education, Industrial Relations and Human Resources, Information, Landscape Architecture, Language and Literacies Education, Law, Management, Management and

Professional Accounting, Planning, Political Science, Public Policy, School and Clinical Child Psychology, Social Justice Education,

Social Work, Sociology, Urban Design, Urban Design Studies.

Enrolments

Enrolment and registration of students in OISE programs is critical, and necessitates that the Institute

continually increase the quantity and quality of its applicant pool. Over the past five years, faculty and

staff at OISE involved in recruitment and admissions activities worked together with colleagues in

Alumni Engagement and Communications to develop and implement a stronger and targeted graduate

recruitment strategy. In 2012-2013, in addition to holding the usual information sessions, OISE’s

prospective student website was significantly improved, and an OISE Facebook page was established.

The following year, an on-line ad campaign was launched to assist academic departments with

recruitment efforts. To improve the admissions experience of international applicants, a staff member in

the Registrar’s office was designated as an International Student Advisor to provide information and

advise international applicants. In 2014-2015, an OISE-wide Viewbook (see Appendix 4) was designed to

showcase OISE’s graduate and teacher education programs. The Viewbook received a positive response

and was further refined in the ensuing years. OISE’s annual Open House events were streamlined and

broadly advertised in print and digital media, resulting in improved attendance.

While enrolment in doctoral programs, the EdD in particular, has been on the decline, enrolment in

professional master’s programs has increased in response to governmental and University graduate

expansion initiatives including OISE’s move to an all-graduate teacher education.


39

Table 21: Full-time Enrolment

Degree 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Doctoral EDD 57 51 48 44 43 39 49 42

Doctoral PHD 692 704 666 729 716 679 693 655

Research

Master’s MA 160 131 111 94 95 109 104 104

Prof.

Master’s MA CS 83 87 88 92 92 93 107 120

Prof.

Master’s MED 215 274 346 355 332 358 396 425

Prof.

Master’s MT 83 95 118 139 150 150 214 344

FT Total

1,290

1,342

1,377

1,453

1,428

1,428

1,563

1,690

Table 22: Part-time Enrolment

Degree 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Doctoral EDD 36 35 34 24 52 33 42 33

Doctoral PHD 0 1 7 18 30 43 51 76

Research

Master’s MA 107 107 105 101 105 80 63 61

Prof.

Master’s MA CS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Prof.

Master’s MED 598 631 789 702 621 569 569 586

Prof.

Master’s MT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

PT Total 742 774 935 845 808 725 725 757

Data Source: Graduate Enrolment Cube, Fall 2007 to Fall 2014.

Figure 19: Enrolment in OISE’s Graduate Programs


40

Scholarships and Fellowships: Success Rate

OISE strives to ensure that its graduate students have fellowship and scholarship support consistent with

the rigorous academic expectations of its programs and the financial demands of graduate education on

students. The percentage of students with fellowships or scholarships in OISE doctoral and professional

master’s programs has generally been close to University of Toronto averages in comparable programs

(Division II: Social Sciences), whereas the percentage of students with fellowships or scholarships in

OISE research-focused master’s programs has consistently been higher than the University average.

Doctoral Programs

Table 23: OISE & Division II Social Sciences: Students with Fellowships & Scholarships (Full-time)

OISE - Total Doctoral; FT Division II: Social Sciences; DOC FT

Academic

Year

Students

with

Fellowships/

Scholarships

All

Students

% with

Fellowships/

Scholarships

Students

with

Fellowships/

Scholarships

All

Students

% with

Fellowships/

Scholarships

2006-07 115 573 20.1% 275 1,164 23.6%

2007-08 99 582 17.0% 259 1,185 21.9%

2008-09 119 572 20.8% 280 1,212 23.1%

2009-10 142 564 25.2% 324 1,258 25.8%

2010-11 140 597 23.5% 335 1,307 25.6%

2011-12 163 527 30.9% 400 1,242 32.2%

2012-13 148 505 29.3% 368 1,260 29.2%

2013-14 155 495 31.3% 377 1,269 29.7%

Research Master’s Programs

Table 24: OISE & Division II: Social Sciences: Research & Master’s Students with Scholarships and Fellowships

OISE - MA; FT Division II: Social Sciences; MAST, FT

Academic

Year

Students

with

Fellowships /

Scholarships

All

Students

% with

Fellowships

/

Scholarships

Students

with

Fellowships /

Scholarships

All

Students

% with

Fellowships /

Scholarships

2006-07 34 131 26.0% 80 352 22.7%

2007-08 39 151 25.8% 103 412 25.0%

2008-09 30 118 25.4% 65 398 16.3%

2009-10 32 96 33.3% 74 356 20.8%

2010-11 30 83 36.1% 83 344 24.1%

2011-12 23 91 25.3% 85 355 23.9%

2012-13 26 94 27.7% 96 360 26.7%

2013-14 30 94 31.9% 74 371 19.9%


41

Professional Master’s Programs

Table 25: OISE and Division II: Social Sciences Professional Master’s Students with Scholarships and Fellowships

OISE - Total Prof Masters; FT Division II: Social Sciences; PMAS FT

Academic

Year

Students

with

Fellowships /

Scholarships

All

Students

% with

Fellowship /

Scholarship

Students

with

Fellowships /

Scholarships

All

Students

% with

Fellowship /

Scholarship

2006-07 11 171 6.4% 74 1,217 6.1%

2007-08 9 200 4.5% 71 1,407 5.0%

2008-09 11 261 4.2% 82 1,590 5.2%

2009-10 22 317 6.9% 116 1,756 6.6%

2010-11 30 345 8.7% 155 1,764 8.8%

2011-12 49 336 14.6% 176 1,935 9.1%

2012-13 37 348 10.6% 143 1,992 7.2%

2013-14 21 423 5.0% 116 2,181 5.3%

Data Source: Graduate Student Income 2006-2007 to 2013-2014.

FT = Full-time

DOC=Doctoral

MAST= Research Master’s

PMAS=Professional Master’s

Notes:

1. 'Students with Fellowships/Scholarships' data represent the number of full-time students receiving external, merit-based awards in the given year. Note: Some merit-based awards may also be found in the 'Awards - Other' category (such as book prizes and other non-

monetary awards), but due to the nature of the data, these were not included in the tables and graphs above.

2. 'All Students' data represent the number of full-time students registered in the department in the given year. 3. General notes about the Graduate Student Income Cube:

(i) The Cube only contains students that were actively registered at the end of each session and only counts each student once

per year. (ii) The Cube does not include OSAP loans.

(iii) The Cube does not include students registered in 'self-funded' academic programs (i.e., Executive MBA, MMPA, MMF,

MEngDM, MEngTel).


42

Figure 20: OISE Percentage of Full-time Doctoral Students with External Fellowships & Scholarships

Figure 21: Percentage of Full-time Research Master’s Students with External Fellowships and Scholarships


43

Figure 22: Percentage of Full-time Professional Master’s Students with External Fellowships and Scholarships

Time to Completion

The data compiled below illustrates how mean time-to-completion rates in OISE’s graduate programs

have consistently been on a par with the standards that apply across the University for doctoral and

professional master’s programs. In the case of its research master’s programs, a slightly longer degree

completion period for OISE programs compared to the University average reflects the research-intensive,

thesis-based nature of these degree programs at OISE.

Table 26: OISE EdD, PhD, Division II: Social Sciences & All U of T (Doctoral, Full-time & Part-time) Mean Time-to-

Completion

EDD OISE

(FT&PT) PhD OISE (FT)

Total DOC OISE

(FT&PT)

Division II: Social

Sciences (DOC,

FT&PT)

All U of T (DOC,

FT&PT)

Graduation

Year

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

2006-07 35 5.0 107 5.6 142 5.4 107 5.6 127 5.5

2007-08 37 4.8 104 5.6 107 5.4 104 5.7 107 5.6

2008-09 22 5.3 89 5.6 93 5.5 89 5.8 93 5.7

2009-10 17 4.6 96 5.5 97 5.4 96 5.6 97 5.6

2010-11 32 4.8 104 5.8 106 5.6 104 5.9 106 5.7

2011-12 25 5.2 83 5.6 84 5.5 83 5.8 84 5.8

2012-13 27 5.6 107 5.6 112 5.6 107 5.7 112 5.7

2013-14 10 5.0 104 5.6 106 5.5 104 5.8 106 5.9


44

Figure 23: Mean Time-to-Completion: Full-time & Part-time Doctoral degrees (OISE, Division II: Social Sciences & U of

T)

Table 27: Research Master’s Degrees (Full-time) Mean Time-to-Completion (OISE, Division II: Social Sciences & U of T)

MA OISE (FT)

Division II: Social

Sciences (MAST, FT) All U of T (MAST, FT)

Graduation

Year

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

2006-07 53 2.1 254 1.3 1,079 1.7

2007-08 57 1.9 253 1.3 1,112 1.7

2008-09 70 1.9 318 1.3 1,320 1.6

2009-10 66 2.0 323 1.3 1,299 1.7

2010-11 61 1.9 304 1.3 1,257 1.7

2011-12 38 2.3 298 1.3 1,227 1.8

2012-13 38 2.2 258 1.2 1,169 1.7

2013-14 44 2.1 293 1.3 1,289 1.8


45

Table 28: Research Master’s Degrees (Part-time) Mean Time-to-Completion (OISE, Division II: Social Sciences & U of T)

MA OISE (PT)

Division II: Social

Sciences (MAST, PT) All U of T (MAST, PT)

Graduation

Year

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

2006-07 28 3.5 46 3.1 111 2.9

2007-08 21 3.2 31 2.9 97 2.8

2008-09 23 3.4 32 3.0 86 2.7

2009-10 22 2.9 30 2.7 80 2.7

2010-11 29 3.2 37 2.9 82 2.7

2011-12 26 3.1 40 2.5 74 2.6

2012-13 35 3.1 45 2.9 98 2.6

2013-14 35 3.8 38 3.7 80 2.9

Figure 24: Mean Time-to-Completion: Full-time Research Master’s Degrees (OISE, Division II: Social Sciences & U of T

Figure 25: Mean Time-to-Completion: Part-time Research Master’s Degrees (OISE, Division II: Social Sciences & U of T


46

Table 29: OISE Professional Master’s Degrees Full-time: Mean Time-to-Completion

MA OISE (FT) MED OISE (FT) MT OISE (FT)

Total PMAS OISE

(FT)

Graduation

Year

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

2006-07 28 1.6 53 1.5 20 1.6 101 1.6

2007-08 34 1.6 64 1.4 38 1.6 136 1.5

2008-09 39 1.6 85 1.6 30 1.6 154 1.6

2009-10 26 1.6 111 1.4 40 1.6 177 1.5

2010-11 37 1.5 127 1.4 48 1.6 212 1.5

2011-12 33 1.6 135 1.4 59 1.6 227 1.5

2012-13 37 1.7 123 1.4 61 1.6 221 1.5

2013-14 47 1.6 160 1.4 77 1.4 284 1.4

Table 30: Division II: Social Science & all U of T Professional Master’s Degrees Full-time: Mean Time-to-Completion

Division II: Social

Sciences (PMAS, FT) All U of T (PMAS, FT)

Graduation

Year

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

2006-07 764 1.6 1,294 1.7

2007-08 862 1.5 1,424 1.6

2008-09 1027 1.6 1,652 1.7

2009-10 1150 1.7 1,791 1.7

2010-11 1261 1.7 2,055 1.7

2011-12 1314 1.7 2,118 1.7

2012-13 1381 1.7 2,268 1.6

2013-14 1630 1.7 2,587 1.6

Table 31: OISE Professional Master’s Degrees Part-time: Mean Time-to-Completion

MA OISE (PT) MED OISE (PT) MT OISE (PT)

Total PMAS OISE

(PT)

Graduation

Year

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

2006-07 8 1.7 234 2.7 5 1.7 247 2.6

2007-08 6 1.8 179 2.7 2 1.7 187 2.7

2008-09 4 1.7 188 2.6 12 1.7 204 2.5

2009-10 17 1.7 262 2.6 12 1.7 291 2.5

2010-11 8 1.7 310 2.6 16 1.7 334 2.5

2011-12 13 1.7 296 2.5 14 1.7 323 2.5

2012-13 8 1.7 258 2.6 11 1.7 277 2.6

2013-14 0 n/a 226 2.7 1 1.7 227 2.7


47

Table 32: Division II: Social Science & all U of T Professional Master’s Degrees Part-time: Mean Time-to-Completion

Division II: Social

Sciences (PMAS, PT) All U of T (PMAS, PT)

Graduation

Year

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

Number

of

Graduates

Mean

TTC

years

2006-07 474 2.5 625 2.5

2007-08 382 2.5 531 2.5

2008-09 352 2.3 517 2.3

2009-10 426 2.3 652 2.4

2010-11 464 2.4 613 2.4

2011-12 394 2.5 538 2.5

2012-13 361 2.6 514 2.5

2013-14 289 2.7 463 2.5

Figure 26: Mean Time-to-Completion Full-time Professional Master’s OISE, Division II: Social Sciences & U of T

Figure 27: Mean Time-to-Completion Part-time Professional Master’s OISE, Division II: Social Sciences & U of T


48

Data Source: ROSI, screen 4BEA (Years to Graduate).

Notes:

1. Time-to-completion (TTC) calculations only include sessions in which students are registered. Sessions on leave or lapsed sessions

are not part of the TTC values. 2. Time-to-completion values are based on a student’s first to last registered session. For students that transfer from a research master's

to a PhD degree, TTC is counted from the first session of the master’s program to the last session of the doctoral program.

3. Comparative data for the Division and all U of T include all research/professional master’s or doctoral degrees in the corresponding attendance class (i.e., full- or part-time).

4. In some individual years, the number of graduates can be very low. In these cases, the mean time-to-completion may not be

representative and should be interpreted with caution. 5. DOC=Doctoral Programs

MAST=Research Master’s Programs

PMAS=Professional Master’s Programs FT=Full-time

PT=Part-time

TTC=Time to Completion

Graduate Student Satisfaction

OISE judges the quality of its academic programs through peer review and student response. One

important source of information on student experience is the Canadian Graduate and Professional Student

Survey (CGPSS), which measures student satisfaction at ten peer institutions in Canada, and provides

information that helps identify aspects of academic and student life that can be improved through changes

in policies and practices. U of T administered the CGPSS in 2010 and 2013. Graduate students at OISE

have consistently expressed satisfaction at levels that matched or exceeded those of the University.

In 2009-10, U of T administrators worked with our Canadian peers to develop a new instrument to

measure student satisfaction related to professional graduate programs. In 2010, the University

participated in the revised version of the CGPSS and received 4,815repsonses to its graduate surveys—an

overall response rate of 36.5%. In 2013, the University participated along with 46 other universities

across Canada inviting 13,984 graduate students to participate and receiving 6,489 responses. The

response rate (46.4%) achieved that year was almost 10 percentage points higher than in 2010. A

selection of results is presented here in comparison with U15 peers.

Note: Detailed frequency distribution tables will be provided in the Appendix.

Benchmark Report – Doctoral Students

Table 33: Student Satisfaction Benchmarks – Doctoral Students

Benchmarks CGPSS

U of T OISE

(Education,

Psychology)

U15

(Education,

Psychology)

U of T (All

disciplines)

U15

(All disciplines,

excl U of T)

Ontario

(All disciplines,

excl U of T)

1. Quality of

Teaching

2010 3.99 3.72 3.86 3.73 3.74

2013 3.98 3.76 3.80 3.74 3.77

2. Research

Training and

Career Orientation

2010 3.00 2.71 2.88 2.74 2.70

2013 2.90 2.69 2.81 2.70 2.70

3. Supportive

Dissertation

Advisor

2010 3.35 3.31 3.30 3.29 3.33

2013 3.32 3.34 3.30 3.31 3.36


49

Benchmark Report – Research Master’s Students

Table 34: Student Satisfaction Benchmarks – Research Master’s Students

Benchmarks CGPSS

U of T OISE

(Education,

Psychology)

U15

(Education,

Psychology)

U of T (All

disciplines)

U15

(All disciplines,

excl U of T)

Ontario

(All disciplines,

excl U of T)

1. Quality of

Teaching

2010 4.07 3.84 3.92 3.85 3.84

2013 4.13 3.90 3.93 3.83 3.85

2. Research

Training and

Career Orientation

2010 3.11 2.69 3.06 2.82 2.79

2013 3.12 2.85 2.91 2.77 2.80

3. Supportive

Dissertation

Advisor

2010 3.28 3.29 3.32 3.29 3.31

2013 3.14 3.27 3.28 3.31 3.33

Benchmark Report – Professional Master’s Students

Table 35: Student Satisfaction Benchmarks – Professional Master’s Students

Benchmarks CGPSS

U of T OISE

(Education,

Psychology)

U15

(Education,

Psychology)

U of T (All

disciplines)

U15

(All disciplines,

excl U of T)

Ontario

(All disciplines

Excl U of T)

1. Quality of

Teaching

2010 4.10 3.86 3.89 3.77 3.76

2013 4.11 3.85 3.88 3.79 3.74

2. Research

Training and

Career Orientation

2010 3.22 3.26 3.19 3.15 3.17

2013 3.29 3.08 3.23 3.17 3.08

Notes:

1. Education, Psychology is based on the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes 130101 (Education, General), 130401

(Educational Leadership and Administration, General), 130406 (Higher Education/Higher Education Administration), 130901 (Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education), 131399 (Teacher Education and Professional Development, specific subject areas,

other), 420601 (Counselling Psychology), 421701 (School Psychology), 421801 (Educational Psychology).

2. U of T (all disciplines), U15 (all disciplines), and Ontario (all disciplines) values only include responses from Doctoral, Research Master’s (Master’s with thesis) or Professional Master’s (Master’s without thesis) students in the respective Benchmark Reports.

3. U15 (all disciplines) and Ontario (all disciplines) exclude U of T.

4. U15 includes Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Dalhousie, Laval, Manitoba, McGill, McMaster, Montreal, Ottawa, Queen’s, Saskatchewan, Waterloo, Western.

5. 1 = ‘Poor’ and 5 = ‘Excellent’

The three survey items that were included in the benchmark scores for 'Quality of Teaching' were:

1. The intellectual quality of the faculty 2. Overall quality of graduate level teaching by faculty

3. Quality of instruction in my courses

The nine survey items that were included in the benchmark scores for 'Research Training and Career Orientation' for doctoral students were:

1. Advice/workshops on the standards for academic writing in your field

2. Advice/workshops on writing grant proposals 3. Advice/workshops on publishing your work

4. Advice/workshops on career options within academia

5. Advice/workshops on career options outside academia 6. Advice/workshops about research positions

7. Advice/workshops about research ethics in human subject research

8. Advice/workshops about research ethics in the use of animals


50

9. Advice/workshops on intellectual property issues

The six survey items that were included in the benchmark scores for 'Research Training and Career Orientation' for Research and Professional

Master's students were:

1. Advice/workshops on the standards for writing in your profession 2. Advice/workshops on career options

3. Advice/workshops on professional ethics

4. Advice/workshops on job preparation and professional practice 5. Opportunities for internships, practicum, and experiential learning as part of the program

6. Opportunities for contact (lectures, seminars, discussion) with practicing professionals

The 12 survey items that were included in the benchmark scores for 'Supportive Dissertation Advisor' (for doctoral and Research Master’s

students) were:

1. Served as my advocate when necessary 2. Gave me constructive feedback on my work

3. Returned my work promptly

4. Promoted my professional development

5. Overall, performed the role well

6. Was available for regular meetings

7. Was very helpful to me in preparing for written qualifying exams 8. Was very helpful to me in preparing for the oral qualifying exam

9. Was very helpful to me in selecting a dissertation topic

10. Was very helpful to me in writing a dissertation prospectus or proposal 11. Was very helpful to me in writing the dissertation

12. Was very helpful to me in selecting the dissertation committee

Data Source: Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey, 2010, 2013.

(Where 1 = ‘Poor’ and 5 = ‘Excellent’)

Data Source: Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey, 2010, 2013.

Supporting the Student Experience

OISE is committed to providing an enriched student experience for all of its students. In cooperation with

departments, student associations, University of Toronto central services, the School of Graduate Studies

and the Office of Student Life, OISE strives to provide an array of research, teaching, professional

development and mentoring opportunities for all of its students.

Because of OISE’s organizational structure, departments are best positioned to support our students

throughout their academic life cycle, from admission to graduation and beyond. Departments provide

discipline-specific resources and opportunities based on their specific students’ needs and interests.

Through departmental student associations, workshops, faculty advisors and student-to-student

connections, OISE students are greatly supported within their own departmental structures. In addition to

departmental support, students also have access to a number of OISE services and resources through

OISE’s divisional support units. These units include the OISE Registrar’s Office and Student Services,

Education Commons and the Dean’s Office. University-wide supports offered through the School of

Graduate Studies and the Academic Success Centre also play a vital role in student learning and

development. Institutional student associations such as the Graduate Student Association (GSA) and the

International Student Association (ISA) represent and advocate for OISE student interests. They

coordinate and promote links between graduate students and the Institute’s administration as well as with

the University’s Graduate Student Union (GSU).

Teaching Opportunities

OISE provides graduate students with teaching opportunities through Teaching Assistantships (TA) and

Sole Responsibility Instructor (SRI) positions. For funded students, these opportunities serve as

employment income that is counted towards their minimum funding guarantee. Unlike most University of

Toronto faculties, OISE has an unusually high ratio of graduate to undergraduate students and the lack of


51

readily transferable disciplinary content between the undergraduate and graduate programs results in

fewer teaching opportunities. However, from 2010 to 2012, OISE employed over 80 Teaching Assistants

per year. With OISE’s transition towards becoming an all-graduate faculty, the need for Teaching

Assistants to assist in the Bachelor of Education programs has diminished by about 30% each year for the

last two years. However, enrolment increases in 2015-2016 in the MT and MA-CSE programs are

expected to increase opportunities for OISE’s graduate students to gain teaching experience in master's

level courses. In addition to the CTEP, MT and MA-CSE programs, and a limited number of other

graduate courses, OISE provides teaching opportunities in the academic writing centre through the OISE

Student Success Centre (OSSC). In October 2015, the University launched a new system that will give

graduate students easy viewing access to all Teaching Assistant positions across the University. Since

OISE students can hold TAs in any faculty at the University, it is expected that this new service will

result in increased teaching opportunities for OISE students.

Table 36: OISE TA Totals 2010-2011 to 2014-2015

Year

Total amount of

TA funding

No. of

students

supported

2010-2011 $745,065.74 89

2011-2012 $728,322.10 86

2012-2013 $806,809.51 89

2013-2014 $490,619.26 64

2014-2015 $383,726.96 43

Source: OISE student funding database.

Research Opportunities

OISE is Canada’s largest and most research-intensive faculty of education, ranking among the top 10

Faculties of Educations in the world. OISE students engage, produce and relay a wide variety and depth

of research through both formal and informal relationships with researchers and are supported by

institutional, domestic, and international grants, funding and scholarships. The most valuable research

experience for students during their time at OISE is with its world-class faculty. Through faculty advisor

and thesis supervision/committee roles, OISE scholars mentor and guide students throughout their

research program in an open and supportive environment. In addition to these formal and informal

mentoring relationships between faculty and students, OISE offers opportunities to engage in research

and/or field development oriented projects through Graduate Assistantships (GA), Research &

Development Graduate Assistantships (R&D GA), Research Assistantships (RA), and Research

Fellowships (RF).

Research Employment and Fellowships

The Graduate Assistantship (GA) program is funded through the operating budget and is intended to

enhance graduate student academic and professional development while contributing to the research

programs of faculty members. Students work a maximum of 10 hours per week ensuring a continued

focus on their graduate program. Consistently over the last five years, OISE has spent an average of $3.4

million on the GA and R&D GA programs supporting approximately 300 students per year.


52

Table 37: OISE GA Totals

Year

Total amount of GA

funding

No. of

students

supported

2010/11 $3,615,772.51 320

2011/12 $2,933,353.68 255

2012/13 $3,181,914.69 269

2013/14 $3,118,060.18 262

2014/15 $3,534,680.42 288

Table 38: R&D GA Totals

Year

Total amount of R& D

GA funding

No. of

students

supported

2010/11 $37,034.36 5

2011/12 $150,562.06 14

2012/13 $154,400.66 21

2013/14 $123,292.22 15

2014/15 $169,664.09 23

Grand Total $634,953.40 78

In addition, faculty members with significant research grants can engage students in their research

programs through the Combined Research Fellowship Graduate Assistantships (RF/GA) packages and by

hiring them as Research Assistants (RA). The RF/GA packages are offered to funded students and

combine a fellowship in the fall term with a GA in the winter term while providing students with the

opportunity to engage in a major research project with a supervisor. Many OISE researchers also provide

graduate students with research opportunities in the form of Research Assistantships. In 2014-2015

students received a total of $862,598 working on research projects.

Partnership with the School of Graduate Studies

OISE has a strong partnership with SGS to support the graduate student experience. By contributing

funds, providing workshops and informing students about the available funding administered through

SGS, students are provided with many external research opportunities. For example, in partnerships with

SGS, the Faculty of Arts and Science, the Associates of the University of Toronto Travel Award, and The

Edward W. Nuffield Graduate Travel Fellowship, OISE supports students by contributing $20,000

annually to the SGS Research Travel Grant. This grant provides modest financial support to doctoral

students to pursue research travel that is necessary for the final stages of their doctoral program.

In addition to financial support, OISE works closely with SGS to provide additional support, such as

providing local workshops, to support SGS-administered programs. Mitacs is a national research

organization offering unique research and training programs to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows

in Canada. The Mitacs Research Programs are administered centrally through SGS; however, OISE

provides workshops locally through the Office of the Associate Dean, Research, International and

Innovation to raise awareness regarding the funding opportunity.

Through SGS, OISE students also have access to external research programs and scholarships. The

Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements (CGS-MSFSS) program

supports high calibre Canadian graduate students in building global linkages and international networks

through the pursuit of exceptional research experiences at research institutions abroad. By accessing

international scientific research and training, CGS-MSFSS recipients have the opportunity to contribute to


53

strengthening the potential for collaboration between Canadian universities and affiliated research

institutions and universities, or other research institutions outside of Canada.

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program, administered through the Office of Associate Dean,

Research, International and Innovation and SGS, is intended to attract and retain top-tier Canadian and

international postdoctoral talent, develop their leadership potential, and position postdoctoral fellows for

success as research leaders who will contribute to Canada’s economic, social and intellectual growth

through a research-intensive career. Seventy fellowships are awarded annually, divided evenly between

Canada’s three federal granting agencies (CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC). There is a total of 140 awards

active at any one time. The value of the fellowship is $70,000 per year for two years.

Research Design, Quantitative & Qualitative Data Analysis Support

Through OISE’s Education Commons, students have access to a variety of free and fee services to

support their research needs. Support comes in the form of consultations, workshops and access to

technologies. Research design consultations include the development of design and methodologies for

graduate theses and research projects, the development and validation of surveys, questionnaires and

measurement scales, conducting qualitative and quantitative data analysis and the graphic communication

of results for research reports and peer-reviewed publications. Clients are assisted in using qualitative and

quantitative analysis software. Consultations for thesis-related research are free for students and are

provided by a full-time staff member of Education Commons. Workshops are offered throughout the year

for all students at a nominal cost. Education Commons also provides a Mini-Data Analysis Lab. This lab

consists of a suite of 5 PC workstations that are available to students on a drop-in basis. These computers

provide access to advanced data analysis software for both quantitative and qualitative research.

Professional Development Opportunities & Conference Funding

OISE is committed to providing graduate students with opportunities to participate in professional

development activities including presenting research at national and international conferences. OISE

recognizes that participation in such professional development experiences can be costly, and provides

graduates students with the opportunity to offset costs by applying for a variety of conference and travel

grants administered by the Dean’s Office, SGS and the GSA.

OISE Dean’s Office Graduate Students Conference Travel Program

In 2014, the OISE Dean’s Office Graduate Students Conference Travel Program was redesigned as a

professional development initiative for OISE students. The goal of the program is to enable graduate

students to present their work at academic conferences as part of their graduate student experience. The

program provides grantees with at least two opportunities to present their conference papers: once at the

conference for which they are applying for funding, and once at OISE, either in preparation for the

conference or as a follow-up to share their presentation and conference experience with other graduate

students. This might be done in the context of the variety of departmental and graduate program seminar

series, thesis groups, and other events normally held at OISE. There is a maximum of $1500 (for

conferences in Canada and the US, excluding Hawaii) and $2000 (for international conferences, including

Hawaii) awarded per conference. These maximum amounts have been increased from previous years in

recognition of the actual costs of conference attendance. The annual budget for this program is $70,000.

SGS Conference Grant

The SGS Conference Grant provides modest financial support to eligible students who will be actively

presenting their research at an academic conference. This grant aims to provide successful applicants with

funds to cover at least the minimum registration fee for the proposed conference as well as a modest top-

up, when possible.


54

GSA Conference Funding Assistance Program

The OISE Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) offers graduate students financial assistance for

presenting a paper or leading a workshop at a conference. The GSA supports and encourages students to

build their CV and gain this valuable experience by presenting at conferences. Each student is limited to a

maximum of $350 reimbursement per term (Fall, Spring, and Summer).

Weston Fellows

The W. Garfield Weston Doctoral Fellowship Program benefits Canada and Canadians by developing

leading thinkers and enhancing Canada’s international competitiveness and reputation in the knowledge

economy. It aims to attract, support and develop globally oriented thinkers who will be making important

contributions to their field, to Canada and to the world. The Fellowship gives recipients the opportunity to

work collaboratively with scholars around the world, gain new perspectives and different expertise,

further their research, broaden their skills and build networks in a global setting. Recipients receive a

travel award of $50,000 to further their research and broaden their skills and networks in a global setting.

OISE students have been very successful in obtaining these awards. Of the 16 inaugural winners in 2013,

two were OISE doctoral students. In 2014, one of the four winners was a doctoral student at OISE.

Mackenzie King Travelling Scholarships

The Mackenzie King Travelling Scholarship is open to graduates of Canadian universities who pursue

graduate study in the United States or the United Kingdom in the areas of international relations or

industrial relations. Four scholarships of approximately $10,500 each are awarded annually.

Student Workshops and Conferences

There are a variety of workshops and conferences to support the interests of OISE students offered

through the Office of Student Services and Education Commons at OISE, as well as through University-

level supports such as the Grad Room and the Office of Student Life, Student Life Programs & Services.

Some workshops and conferences run annually while some are one-time only events.

Student Research Conference

For the last 15 years, OISE has hosted a Graduate Student Research Conference. This annual event

provides graduate students with an inclusive and accessible space for showcasing student inquiries at all

stages. It provides a rich platform for exchange of ideas across departments, disciplines and programs. It

is an event that gives graduate students the opportunity to share and discuss their original research

contributions while gaining experience in a formal academic conference setting. Students can submit and

use course work, directed study projects, internship or practicum projects, and other forms of inquiry and

research. The event is normally held in the spring. In 2015, there were 90 graduate student presenters.

Educating for Peace & Justice: Action for Safe & Equitable Classrooms, Schools & Communities

The annual conference organized by the Office of Student Services is committed to promoting peace and

justice. It provides interactive sessions for teacher education students and current practitioners to share,

learn and try out ideas, strategies and best practices related to actively building safe and equitable

classrooms, schools and communities. Traditionally developed and offered to teacher candidates in the

BEd program, this conference has expanded to include graduate students in all programs. The annual

event is also an opportunity to reach out and engage alumni, associate teachers and school partners of the

teacher education programs.


55

Professional Preparation Conference

The Professional Preparation Conference is an annual event organized by the Office of Student Services

and sponsored by OISE’s Teacher Education programs. Typically held each year in December, the event

is open to all students enrolled in teacher education programs at OISE and provides them with the

opportunity to attend various sessions around teacher preparedness and employment opportunities.

Other Workshops

The Office of Student Services also provides just-in-time and single-event workshops that respond to the

needs of the students. Some examples of these include "OISE Connect: Exploring Career Options – See

Where Your Degree Can Take You," held in November 2014, and "OISE Leadership Symposium: The

Wealth of Self,"held in February 2015. Workshops are conceptualized and scheduled to meet the

professional development needs of the students throughout the year.

Grad Talks

The Grad Room and the Office of Student Life, Student Life Programs & Services partner to offer

learning sessions that help graduate students build skills and gain balance in their lives. These offices

provide workshops organized under such themes as communication, mindfulness, creative arts,

community engagement and career, scheduled throughout the year.

SGS Graduate Professional Skills (GPS) Program

The Graduate Professional Skills (GPS) program, an initiative of SGS, is designed to help all graduate

students become prepared for their futures. GPS focuses on skills beyond those conventionally learned

within a disciplinary program—skills that may be critical to success in the wide range of careers that

graduates enter, both within and outside academe. The program is intended to help students communicate

better, plan and manage their time, learn entrepreneurial skills, understand and apply ethical practices and

work effectively in teams and as leaders. GPS consists of a range of optional “offerings” with a time

commitment roughly equivalent to 60 hours of work. A transcript notation will recognize its successful

completion.

Writing Support

OISE students can access writing support from either the OISE Student Success Centre (OSSC) or the

SGS Office of English Language & Writing Support (ELWS).

OISE Student Success Centre

Formerly named the Academic and Cultural Support Centre (ACSC), the OISE Student Success Centre

(OSSC) began as an academic writing centre at OISE, but has quickly developed into an integrated

service provider for graduate students and teacher candidates studying at OISE. It has also been central in

pulling together several programs to support internationally educated teacher candidates (IETCs) to

succeed in their teacher education programs. The OSSC is a full service academic and cultural

communication resource and support centre. It serves as an instructional writing centre and offers OISE

students the opportunity to learn about the writing process and to improve their ability to edit their own

writing. Services include academic writing support, presentation skills, resume and cover letter support,

math support, English language development, French language development, teacher skill development

support and the opportunity to join graduate student writing groups.

English Language & Writing Support

ELWS provides graduate students with advanced training in academic writing and speaking. ELWS offers

five types of support designed to target the needs of both native and non-native speakers of English: non-


56

credit courses, single-session workshops, individual writing consultations, writing intensives and

direction regarding additional resources for academic writing and speaking. Annual workshop topics

include Developing and Pitching a Research Project, Writing CIHR/SSHRC/NERC Proposals, Listening

and Speaking in Academic Settings, Getting through Graduate Work, Increasing Clarity as a Teaching

Assistant, and Working with Sources.

Career Centres & Placement Opportunities

The University of Toronto Career Centre offers a full range of career education and exploration

programming, all of which is open to graduate students. The Career Centre also delivers extensive

customized career programming for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Students can learn about

diverse careers, explore interests, plan their careers, build resilience and identity, participate in

experiential and peer-to-peer learning and learn how to authentically represent themselves in the job

application process.

Graduate Student Funding & Financial Support

Since 2003-2004, OISE has fully implemented the University’s minimum funding commitment, and

provides various student employment opportunities such as Graduate Assistantships, Teaching

Assistantships, and Sole Responsibility Instructor Positions as part of the minimum funding commitment.

Almost all OISE students in the funded cohort receive some grant funding from the OISE operating

budget to make up the difference between their OISE employment or scholarship income and the

University’s minimum funding commitment. Therefore, the majority of students receive most of their

funding (grant and employment income) from the OISE operating budget. Students in the funded cohort

may also receive money through the Research Fellowship/Graduate Assistantship (RF/GA) Program or

work as a Research Assistant through a Research Assistantship (RA). These programs combine funding

sources from both external research grants and the operating budget while providing students with

academically enriching research experience. Students in the funded cohort may receive additional funds

above U of T’s funding commitment by working on faculty research grants or winning small

scholarships. In fact, many of the funded cohort students receive more than the minimum funding amount

because they work as TAs or GAs. As stipulated in their Collective Agreements, only a portion of the

income can be counted towards the student funding package.

OISE additionally provides a small pool of Graduate Assistantships for students outside the funded

cohort. Non-funded cohort students may also receive money by working on faculty research grants or

winning external scholarships. Overall, OISE’s graduate students currently receive a total of over $16

million dollars of funding each year, over $10 million of which comes from the OISE operating budget

through employment income, grants and bursaries. This figure represents 18% of OISE’s overall

operating budget.


57

Figure 28: OISE Graduate Student Funding 2010-2011 to 2014-2015

Figure 29: Types of OISE Graduate Student Funding 2010-2011 to 2014-2015


58

The six main student funding opportunities are:

1. Graduate Assistantships (GA): research-related employment funded by OISE’s operating budget,

topped up with a grant from OISE’s operating budget to meet the minimum funding commitment.

2. Teaching Assistantships/Sole Responsibility Instructor positions (TA/SRI): teaching-related

employment funded by OISE’s operating budget, topped up with a grant from OISE’s operating

budget to meet the minimum funding commitment. TAs provide teaching-related support in the

graduate and ITE programs, respectively. SRIs have sole responsibility for classes in the

Consecutive Teacher Education Program (CTEP).

3. Scholarships: external scholarships, which can be topped up with OISE operating budget funding

to meet the University’s minimum funding commitment, if necessary.

4. Research Assistantships (RAs): research-related employment funded by faculty research grants.

A “Major RA” is an RA in which a substantial portion of the funding commitment is met using

faculty research grant funding, with the balance from OISE’s operating budget.

5. OISE Awards: Doctoral Completion Awards, Academic Excellence Awards and the Scholarship

Recognition Awards. The Doctoral Completion Awards provide support to full-time PhD students

for two years after graduate funding ends. Academic Excellence Awards are awarded to students

who receive a major external scholarship of $15,000 or more. The Scholarship Recognition

Award, valued at tuition plus $2,000, is awarded to PhD students who have obtained major

scholarships for all or most of their period of graduate funding.

6. Bursaries: needs-based funding from various sources. In addition to providing bursaries to OISE

students, OISE also contributes over two million dollars in UTAPS9 grants.

OISE’s Funding Policy

In accordance with the OISE Funding Policy, every eligible student receives a funding package with a

minimum value set for the year. Currently the funding level for the year is equal to $15,000 plus tuition

and incidental fees. In 2014-2015, the minimum funding level was $23,426 for domestic students and

$35,579 for international students. However, over the last five years, the average funding level was

approximately $30,000 for PhD students and $27,000 for MA students. This is largely due to stipulations

in the Collective Agreements for GAs and TAs that limits the amount of income that can be counted

towards the graduate student funding packages, additional work from faculty research projects, and small

external scholarships obtained by students.

Table 39: All Sources of Income for Funded Cohort Students Only

Year Average PhD funding Average MA funding Total Amount of

Funding

Total Number of

Students Funded

2010 $27,978 $26,418 $10,802,462 388

2011 $30,198 $27,673 $9,952,366 333

2012 $31,676 $28,369 $10,174,368 326

2013 $32,430 $27,582 $10,339,634 326

2014 $27,443 $25,878 $8,819,582 324

9 University of Toronto Advance Planning for Students (UTAPS) is a financial aid program for full time students who are

Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons (recognized convention refugees) and are eligible for need-based

government student assistance or funding from a First Nations band.


59

Eligible students include:

PhD students in years 1 to 4 (excluding flex-time programs)

MA students in year 1 (excluding the MA-CSE and the MT)

MA students in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program are eligible for funding in

years 1 and 2. If they subsequently enter the PhD program, they will receive funding for years 1

to 3 only of the PhD.

All students in the funded cohort will receive one of four types of funding packages: a Core Package,

Scholarship Package, Combined Research Fellowship/Graduate Assistantship Package or Major Research

Assistantship Package. During their degree, students often move between the four categories. The Core

Package normally consists of a Graduate Assistantship, a full TA (or a combination of both) and an OISE

Funding Grant. The Scholarship Package is awarded to students who hold large scholarships (worth at

least 40% of the graduate funding level for domestic students) and consists of a combination of their

major scholarship, a half GA (if the scholarship is less than $15000) and possibly an OISE Funding Grant

to bring the student up to the minimum funding level. The Major Research Assistantship Package is

comprised of a Research Assistantship with an OISE faculty member worth at least the equivalent value

of a full GA and an OISE Grant. In 2010, as an incentive for departments to increase their intake of

students in the research degree programs, OISE introduced the Combined Research Fellowship/Graduate

Assistantship (RF/GA) Package. The RF/GA consists of a Research Fellowship for the fall session and a

half Graduate Assistantship for the winter session. It was designed primarily to improve student

experience by creating meaningful opportunities for students to develop research skills through their

involvement in faculty research. However, by encouraging researchers to contribute more of their

research funding towards the minimum funding packages, it also has the added benefit of offsetting

operational budget costs.

Figure 30: OISE Funded Cohort: Student Headcount by Primary Source of Funding

In 2010, an online system for Graduate Assistantship postings, applications and job matching was

developed and implemented. In 2012, the system was further customized to automate the Teaching

Assistantship hiring process. That same year, another online database system was developed to assist in

keeping track of TA commitments dictated by the collective agreement. The development of these

systems reduced administrative workload and improved communication to students and supervisors.

Additionally, the systems enabled better student-faculty employment matches ensuring that more

meaningful experiences were created for OISE students by providing more information to faculty about

student areas of expertise and to students about the nature of each posted position.


60

Supporting Excellence in Teaching

The University of Toronto puts strong emphases both on enhancing student experience and on supporting

and celebrating teaching. With a large number of truly excellent teachers, OISE prides itself on both its

excellent teaching and knowledge about teaching and is making great contributions to the advancement of

teaching at the University.

Central Supports

Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation (CTSI)

Led by OISE Professor Carol Rolheiser,10

the University of Toronto’s Centre for Teaching Support and

Innovation (CTSI) was created in 2009 through the amalgamation of the Office of Teaching

Advancement (OTA) and the Resource Centre for Academic Technology (RCAT). CTSI provides

leadership in teaching and learning at the University of Toronto and provides support for pedagogy and

pedagogy-driven instructional technology for all teaching staff and graduate teaching assistants across all

of the university’s campuses and divisions. Workshops, roundtables and seminars are offered throughout

the year for faculty, lecturers and graduate students covering a range of topics on teaching, learning and

pedagogical issues. A “Back-to-School” week-long series of workshops is offered each fall in

coordination with CTSI’s New Faculty Orientation. CTSI also provides customized workshops for units

and divisions. A more intensive model of support is offered through CTSI’s two-day Course Design/Re-

design Institute and the eight week Fundamentals of University Teaching course. CTSI is also responsible

for the administration, support and training (on the St. George campus) for the Portal, the University of

Toronto’s online learning management system, as well as for supporting faculty with educational

technology needs, such as support for Turnitin.com—an electronic resource that assists in the detection

and deterrence of plagiarism—and the use of iClickers, a classroom response system.

CTSI works with divisions, departments, staff and faculty members on all matters related to the

implementation of the course evaluation framework, including the design and analysis of course

evaluation questions, the interpretation of course evaluation data, information sessions and consultations.

In addition to supporting the development of teaching assistants and graduate students through the

Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP), CTSI provides information and support to enhance

research on teaching and learning, and hosts the annual Teaching and Learning Symposium, which

traditionally inspires significant involvement of faculty members from OISE both as participants and

presenters.

President’s Teaching Awards and the University of Toronto Teaching Academy

The University of Toronto Teaching Academy, founded in 2006, consists of members who have received

the President’s Teaching Award, the highest honour for teaching at the University of Toronto. While

individual members of the Academy serve as teaching ambassadors, the collective advances teaching as a

valued pillar at the University of Toronto. Through their activities, these educators play a prominent role

in increasing the profile of the University’s commitment to high quality learning and teaching. OISE

Professor Carol Rolheiser—currently Director of CTSI—is one of the inaugural recipients of the

President’s Teaching Awards (2006).

OISE Supports

Valuing and supporting excellent teaching has been a chief priority of OISE for a number of years. One of

the institutional goals outlined in the OISE Strategic Plan 2011-2015 was an “Engaged Research and

10 During Professor Rolheiser’s leave, another OISE faculty member, Professor Elizabeth Smyth, served as Acting Director of

CTSI (January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2015).


61

Teaching Community” that includes interaction of theory and practice in the field of education,

collaboration across faculties, disciplines and schools, and institutional support for research and teaching.

OISE’s Teaching Excellence Awards

Established in 2004-2005, OISE’s Teaching Excellence Awards represent one important way of

recognizing excellence in teaching, both within OISE and with a view to facilitating the development of

application dossiers for University-wide and external teaching awards. Each year, nominations are

welcome from the OISE community including faculty, staff, students and education partners for the

following awards:

The Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching recognizes OISE’s inspiring educators

who have continually demonstrated deep commitment to excellence in teaching and have made

outstanding contributions to teaching at OISE.

The David E. Hunt Award for Excellence in Graduate Education was created as a tribute to

Professor David Hunt on the occasion of his retirement from OISE, to honour his 50 years in

university teaching and in recognition of his enormous contributions to graduate teaching. The

award recognizes faculty who foster an enriching and impactful graduate teaching and learning

experience and who demonstrate excellence in teaching and/or supervision at the graduate level.

The Award for Excellence in Initial Teacher Education is awarded to faculty who make

outstanding contributions to teaching and learning in teacher education programs at OISE. It

recognizes excellence in teaching and/or supervision in teacher education.

The Award for Excellence in Continuing and Professional Learning recognizes instructors for

outstanding contributions to teaching and learning in continuing and professional learning courses

and programs.

In 2013-2014, the nomination process for OISE’s Teaching Excellence Awards was streamlined to allow

greater flexibility and efficiency in preparing, collecting and reviewing nominations. Specifically, the

Terms of Reference for the Teaching Excellence Awards Selection Committee were established, and a

secure online review of nomination files (via Blackboard) was instituted. This streamlined procedure

resulted in more flexibility for committee members to review nominations confidentially and

conveniently with only one in-person meeting of the committee required to make decisions. A list of past

winners of OISE’s Teaching Excellence Awards (2004-2005 to 2014-2015) is included in Appendix 5.

Celebrating OISE’s Inspiring Educators

Since April 2011, OISE has hosted an annual community celebration titled “Celebrating OISE’s Inspiring

Educators.” This Faculty Life event is open to OISE faculty and staff and celebrates faculty members who

have been awarded tenure and promotion to Associate Professor, promotion to Full Professor and

promotion to Senior Lecturer (now Associate Professor, Teaching Stream). Hosted by the Dean’s Office

each year in April, the annual celebration also includes the Teaching Excellence Awards presentation, a

panel of past Teaching Awards winners on excellence in teaching, and a book launch.

Office of Teaching Support at OISE

In 2008, Faculty Council approved the final report of OISE’s Teaching Task Force with a number of

recommendations to enhance recognition of and support for excellent teaching including the creation of

the Office of Teaching Support at OISE (OTSO) and the adoption of the revised OISE Guidelines for the

Assessment of Teaching (OGAT), which have served as a model for some other divisions of the

University in developing their own guidelines.

OTSO was established in July 2009 with the broad goal of ensuring that faculty were supported in the

development and enhancement of their teaching. Following the end of term of the inaugural Director,


62

Professor Njoki Wane on June 30, 2012, a review of OTSO was conducted in 2012-13 with a view to

building on OTSO’s successful initiatives while being mindful of the current context including alignment

with the Strategic Plan, budget and restructuring. The review was conducted by an advisory committee

established by the Associate Dean, Programs, including representation from each academic department

and the Initial Teacher Education programs. The activity report submitted by the Director of OTSO was

the basis for the review. The advisory committee made a number of recommendations including renaming

the Office to the Centre for Teaching and Learning to better reflect its mandate, establishing an executive

committee, ensuring greater focus on the integration of online learning and instructional technology and

providing pedagogical support for large classes. The advisory committee also highlighted the importance

of capitalizing on the University of Toronto’s central resources and services (i.e. CTSI) to support

teaching and learning to help preserve resources and avoid duplication of efforts.

During the two years (2013-2014 and 2014-2015) following these recommendations, OISE became

administratively preoccupied with activities and decision-making related to the restructuring of its teacher

education programs in the wake of provincial cuts. Consequently the advisory committee’s

recommendations were put on hold and OTSO suspended operations in 2013. Following the external

review of OISE and the conclusion of the search for a new Dean of OISE in 2015-2016, OISE will engage

in an academic planning exercise in 2016-2017 which will, among other things, inform priorities and

initiatives dedicated to the advancement and support of excellent teaching.

Evaluation of Teaching in Courses

An essential component of OISE’s commitment to teaching excellence is the regular evaluation by

students of teaching in courses. At the University of Toronto, course evaluations are conducted to collect

formative data for instructors to improve their teaching, and to provide summative data for administrative

purposes such as annual merit, tenure and promotion review, as well as program and curriculum review.

Course evaluations are part of an overall teaching and program evaluation framework that includes

regular peer review, instructor self-assessment, cyclical program review and other forms of assessment.

As part of this framework, course evaluations are a particularly useful tool for providing students with an

opportunity to provide feedback on their own learning experiences.

In 2011, Governing Council approved the University Policy on the Student Evaluation of Teaching in

Courses. Subsequently, several divisions at the University began a phased implementation of a new

course evaluation framework. The new framework incorporates institutional and divisional guidelines for

the development, administration and use of course evaluations and flexible, customizable evaluation

forms that combine core institutional questions with the ability for instructors, units and divisions to add

additional questions relevant to their particular teaching context.

During 2013-2014, OISE underwent a comprehensive consultation process to establish OISE-wide course

evaluation questions. Unit heads consulted their own units to establish their unit-specific questions. In the

summer of 2014, the new course evaluation questions were implemented in OISE’s existing online

environment. OISE’s goal is to join the other divisions in the online system managed by the CTSI in the

very near future.


63

OISE Research

Scope and Quality of Research Activities

OISE faculty researchers are internationally recognized for their expertise and experience in education –

from early learning and child care through to post-secondary and adult education, psychology and human

development across the lifespan. As members of a globally renowned research intensive institute, OISE

faculty answer critical questions that contribute to the advancement of theory, policy and practice in

education, human development, and psychology. OISE research impacts teachers, psychologists,

researchers, professionals, policy makers, leaders and influencers. OISE is Canada’s largest and most

research-intensive public faculty of education and one of the largest public education institutes in North

America. In the 2014 QS University World Rankings, OISE was ranked number one for education among

public institutions in North America and fifth in the world.

Research Funding Success

Research Funding, Participation and Success

OISE obtains the majority of its research funding from the major research granting bodies of the Canadian

government, also referred as the national Tri-Council or Tri-Agency, which include the Social Science

and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the

Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). OISE’s Tri-Council funding and

participation rates have remained fairly steady from 2010 to 2014 even though the number of tenure

stream faculty has decreased from 129 in 2010 to 110 in 2014. OISE researchers are also adapting to

changes in the funding structure of the granting councils, which have resulted in the funding of fewer

research projects overall with an emphasis on those with larger budgets, multiple investigators and a

greater social impact.

The Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) program is an important federal government initiative aimed at

encouraging leading researchers to work in Canada. U of T’s overall number of CRCs and its share of

Tri-Council funding has been decreasing in recent years. U of T’s portion of CRCs is smaller as there has

been an increase in the number of Canadian institutions participating since the program began in 2009

with a minimum of one CRC for each institution. As a result, OISE’s allocation of CRC funding has also

decreased over the review period. At the provincial level, OISE has maintained success obtaining funding

from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of

Training, Colleges and Universities.


64

Table 40: OISE Research Funding, 2010-2014 (compiled April 2015)

Grant Year (April to March), Pro-rated Award

Sponsor/Category 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Total

Three

Councils

Canadian

Institutes of

Health

Research $783,329 $71,810 $198,247 $400,819 $467,924 $1,922,129

Natural

Sciences &

Engineering $62,052 $66,190 $75,934 $15,372 $47,004 $266,552

Social

Sciences &

Humanities $2,347,568 $2,482,306 $2,630,027 $2,408,122 $2,384,550 $12,252,573

Subtotal $3,192,949 $2,620,306 $2,904,208 $2,824,313 $2,899,478 $14,441,254

Government

Other

Subtotal

Canada

Foundation

for Innovation $168,365 $54,693 $260,756 $133,710 $150,436 $767,960

Canada

Research

Chairs $1,246,200 $1,195,563 $1,100,052 $881,191 $652,205 $5,075,211

Federal

Indirect Costs $159,684 $0 $0 $0 $0 $159,684

Government,

other $1,653,003 $1,744,254 $3,253,799 $1,247,101 $1,198,422 $9,096,579

Research and

Innovation

(ON), MTCU

(ON) $207,488 $78,146 $338,276 $232,530 $262,566 $1,119,006

$3,434,740 $3,072,656 $4,952,883 $2,494,532 $2,263,629 $16,218,440

Corporate $0 $24,664 $77,673 $70,836 $24,639 $197,812

Not-for-profit $1,198,305 $831,215 $806,751 $801,073 $1,057,417 $4,694,761

OISE Total $7,825,994 $6,548,841 $8,741,515 $6,190,754 $6,245,163 $35,552,267

** As of 2011, 100% of Indirect Costs flow to the faculties, via the budget process and are not included in this table.

** 2012 Government, Other data includes a large one-time investment from the Ontario Ministry of Education

Data Source: UTBI Research Datacube (last updated February 2015)

Award amount – Pro-rated

Notes:

1. The Grant Year runs from April to March (e.g., 2014 refers to April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014). 2. Award amounts are pro-rated to the grant year in which they are held.

3. Research data is dynamic and changes with each refresh and especially with most recent grant year.

Research Support

A key OISE research goal has been to improve success rates (and increase funding dollars) in the primary

sources of federal government research funding. To this end, OISE’s Office of the Associate Dean,

Research, International and Innovation has enhanced two main types support for faculty. First, it provides

more general, ‘big picture’ research development support, including early career faculty research

mentorship, individual consultations with faculty members to discuss research trajectories and/or funding

opportunities and regular communication about diversified funding opportunities. Secondly, it provides


65

enhanced support for faculty who are applying for grant funding, including grant information workshops,

writing boot camps, peer review of proposals and proposal review by an external consultant who is an

expert in Tri-Council funding. Direct support is also provided to faculty in the application and

management of large institutional research funding programs. Increasingly diverse funding opportunities

and the administration of research contracts have become more central to the work of the Office of the

Associate Dean, Research, International and Innovation.

OISE also supports new and emerging research initiatives through internal funding mechanisms including

the Research Proposal Development Fund for Major Grants, the Centres and New Institutional Initiatives

Fund and the Research and Development Graduate Assistantships Program. The Research Proposal

Development Fund has been established to allow OISE researchers to request support for significant

proposal development activities and research efforts leading toward large-scale projects. The funds

acquired may be used to cover costs associated with grant writing support, preliminary data acquisition

and collection, peer review, travel to meet with program officers (where necessary), travel to meet with

institutions or organizations with which the principal investigators must engage, and travel to meet with

collaborators or co–principal investigators.

The Centres and/or New Initiatives Fund has been established to provide funding for Centres and/or for

teams of faculty who hope to strengthen the institutional foundation for cutting-edge research at OISE.

The funding is intended to support a program of activities and initiatives that will produce long-term,

sustained research activities that are interdisciplinary in nature and that engage faculty and students across

departmental boundaries, extending the reach and impact of OISE research locally, nationally, and

internationally. The inclusion of new initiatives aims to bring significant numbers of faculty members and

students together in important areas of research not presently addressed by existing Centres.

The Research & Development Graduate Assistantship Program aims to provide faculty with graduate

student support for their research program and also provide graduate students that typically don’t qualify

for Graduate Assistantships (those outside of funding cohort) with a meaningful research experience.

OISE has been responsive to the various changes and initiatives proposed by the Tri-Council agencies

through its enhanced supports to faculty. OISE has managed to incrementally increase its success rates

with the SSHRC Insight Grants to 35.7% (national average 23.4%) in 2014 and Insight Development

Grants to 37.5% (national average 25.3%) in 2014.

Table 41: SSHRC Insight Grant (Fall 2011 on)

Competition Year 2011 2012 2013 2014

Oct Oct Oct Oct

OISE

Applications 13 24 23 28

Awarded 2 5 5 10

Success rate 15.4% 20.8% 21.7% 35.7%

U of T


Awarded 63 63 60 83

Success rate 39.4% 29.4% 29.4% 41%

National

Applications 1,799 2,183 2,144 1,991

Awarded 486 461 494 466

Success rate 27.0% 21.1% 23.0% 23.4%

Data source: Data for Unit, Faculty and U of T derived from Research Information Systems data, 2011 to 2014. National data from SSHRC reports, 2011 to 2014.


66

Table 42: SSHRC Insight Development Grant (Winter 2011 on)

Competition Year 2011 2012 2013 2014

Jan Jan Jan Jan

OISE


Awarded 1 1 3 3

Success rate 9.1% 25.0% 30.0% 37.5%

U of T


Awarded 22 25 20 18

Success rate 38.6% 43.1% 39.2% 29.0%

National

Applications 630 936 1,028 1,128

Awarded 246 329 306 285

Success rate 39.0% 35.1% 29.8% 25.3%

Data source: Data for Unit, Faculty and U of T derived from Research Information Systems data, 2006 to 2013.

Research Chairs and Endowed Chairs

OISE has six Canada Research Chairs (CRCs), with an additional three new CRC nominations submitted

in 2015. The Canada Research Chairs program is a federal government initiative that invests

approximately $265 million per year to attract and retain some of the world’s most accomplished and

promising researchers. Tier 1 Chairs, tenable for seven years and renewable, are for outstanding

established researchers. Tier 2 Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable once, are for exceptional

emerging researchers. OISE also has three Endowed Chairs and one Ontario Research Chair. Professor

Marlene Scardamalia was reappointed as Presidents’ Chair in Education and Knowledge Technologies to

a third five-year term from 2012 to 2017. Professor Leesa Wheelahan was recruited and appointed to the

William G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership in 2014. In 2015, Professors Jennifer Jenkins

was re-appointed to the Atkinson Chair in Early Childhood Education for another five year term, and

Professor Glen Jones was re-appointed as the Ontario Research Chair in Post-Secondary Education Policy

and Measurement for another seven year term.

Table 43: OISE CRCs, ORC and Endowed Chairs

Type of Chair Area Faculty Member Tier 1 or 2

(CRC)

Canada Research Chair Life career development Charles Chen Tier 2

Canada Research Chair Student achievement - longitudinal study to improve

school outcomes

Scott Davies Tier 1

Canada Research Chair Theatre, youth and research in urban schools Kathleen Gallagher Tier 2

Canada Research Chair Family violence prevention and treatment Katreena Scott Tier 2

Canada Research Chair Education and technology Jim Slotta Tier 2

Canada Research Chair Aboriginal homelessness and life transitions Suzanne Stewart Tier 2

Ontario Research Chair Research that will refocus scholarship and policy

discussions about the quality, efficiency and

accessibility of postsecondary education

Glen Jones -

University Distinguished

Professor

Developmental neuroscience and education Kang Lee -

Endowed Chair Early child development and education Jennifer Jenkins -

Endowed Chair Education and knowledge technologies Marlene Scardamalia -

Endowed Chair Role of community colleges and other non-university

post-secondary institutions

Elizabeth Wheelahan -


67

Research Honours and Awards 2009-2014

OISE researchers are recognized for their research excellence through prestigious international and

national awards and honours. OISE recently added Professor Jane Gaskell to its list of Fellows of the

Royal Society of Canada bringing the total to five. OISE received its first U of T Distinguished Professor

award in 2011 for Professor Kang Lee and in 2015 Professor Kathleen Gallagher. Professor Keith

Stanovich received the Grawemeyer Award in 2010, and Professors Alison Prentice (2013) and Charles

Pascal (2014) were inducted into the Order of Canada. OISE faculty have also received honours and

recognition for influencing theory, policy and practice from various education-related associations and

societies.

Table 44: OISE Faculty Honours & Awards

Year

Award

Organization

Recipient

2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Higher Education Special Interest Group,

Comparative International Education Society Ruth Hayhoe

2010 Grawemeyer Award University of Louisville Keith E. Stanovich

2010 Honorary Doctorate University of Copenhagen Alister Cumming

2010 G.E. Clerk Award Canadian Catholic Historical Association Elizabeth Smyth

2010 Alumni Honour Award University of Alberta James Cummins

2011 Distinguished Member Award Canadian Society for the Study of Higher

Education Glen Jones

2011 Distinguished Professor University of Toronto Kang Lee

2013 Fellow American Psychological Association Jeanne Watson

2013 Order of Canada (Member) Governor General of Canada Alison Prentice

2014 Order of Canada (Member) Governor General of Canada Charles Pascal

2014 Fellow Canadian Psychological Association Charles Chen

2014 Fellow Royal Society of Canada Jane Gaskell

2015 Distinguished Professor University of Toronto Kathleen Gallagher

Scholarly Activity

Publications and Citations

OISE’s publications and citations (included among the University’s indicators below) showcase our

research output and productivity in the fields of education and psychology. The University of Toronto

ranks highly among peer universities in the fields of education and psychology: first for publications and

citations in the education and psychology fields compared to peer Canadian universities and first for

publications in education compared to both private and public North American peer universities.


68

Table 45: Publications and Citations – Ranking for all U of T Faculty

Canadian Peer U15 North American Peers*

Public (N=50)

North American Peers *

All (N=76)

Field Publications Citations Publications Citations Publications Citations

1. Education &

Educational Research

2. Education Special

1 1 1 4 1 7

3. Clinical

Psychology

4. Developmental

Psychology

5. Educational

Psychology

1 1 4 8 7 12

Notes: The rankings are a measure of the performance of U of T as a whole including U of T Faculty outside of OISE.

Data Sources:

1. InCitiesTM, Thomas Reuters (2012), Web of Science.

2. Additional information on institution classification: U of T

Definitions:

1. Publication counts (articles, notes, and reviews as found in Thomson Reuters-covered journals; other types of items and journal

marginalia such as editorials, letters, corrections, and abstracts were omitted) published between 2009 and 2013. 2. Citation counts represent citations-to-date for papers published between 2009 and 2013, as at mid-2014.

3. Each field is defined by a set of journals indexed by Thomson Reuters; there is overlap between fields; the University Science

Indicators dataset is highly aggregated; it does not permit drilling down to journal or author level 4. Data in this file are limited to 76 institutions, all leading research universities in North America [members of the U15 and/or the

Association of America Universities (AAU), plus UC San Francisco].

5. The rankings are a measure of the performance of UT as a whole including U of T Faculty outside of OISE.

Research Centers

Research at OISE occurs within and across its academic departments and research-focused extra-

departmental units.11

OISE has 19 research centres and institutes that facilitate interdisciplinary

collaborative research, teaching and outreach activities. The centres support faculty, students and research

staff from different departments or with different disciplinary specializations to collaborate on research in

a unified substantive field or problem area. Centres also play an important role in the provision of

research opportunities for graduate students. Through public events, centres disseminate research and

promote OISE’s scholarship and programs.

The majority of OISE’s research centres are EDU Cs. The OISE Policy on Extra-Departmental Unit Cs

(approved by OISE Faculty Council in December 2009) calls for the review of the EDU C during the

penultimate year of any unit’s term of operation. In 2013, OISE completed the third review of its internal

research centres for the 2009-2014 period. Fourteen EDU C’s submitted materials to be considered under

the review. Nine centres met all the criteria for a full five-year renewal. An additional five centres were

granted conditional continuation for two years, at which time a decision will be taken on whether to

extend the centres for an additional three years, based on a progress report that includes evidence that the

issues raised by an Advisory Subcommittee of OISE Council’s Research Standing Committee have been

addressed.

11 OISE's research centres fit within the University's formal system of extra-departmental units or EDUs. EDUs are "organized

around emerging research and teaching foci that span disciplines… An EDU develops its own governance and administrative

structures, as per its needs for its size and mission." (Governance and Administration of Extra-Departmental Units, University of

Toronto, 2007). There are four types of EDUs at the University, distinguished according to their ability to appoint faculty and/or

offer programs. Most of OISE's research centres are EDU Cs, which do not offer programs or appoint faculty.


69

In 2013, the Research Standing Committee agreed to the Advisory Subcommittee’s recommendation that

the academic review of EDU Cs would be carried out separately from a call for centre funding. A special

call for proposals for Centres and New Institutional Initiatives Funding was issued in January 2014. Ten

centres currently receive OISE operating funds through this competitive review process. The Dr. Eric

Jackman Institute of Child Study (EDU B) and Dr. R.G.N. Laidlaw Centre (EDU C) were reviewed

together in 2009. The Centre for Diversity in Counselling and Psychotherapy is an EDU D in the

Department for Applied Psychology and Human Development with responsibility for review resting with

the Department. The Fraser Mustard Institute of Human Development is an OISE-hosted interdivisional

EDU C which was established in 2011-2012 and will be reviewed in 2017 after its first five year term.

The Centre of Aboriginal Initiatives is an interdivisional centre whose formal review falls under the

guidelines of the Faculty of Arts and Science. Two new research centres were established over the review

period. The Centre for Learning, Social Economy and Work, an EDU C was established in 2014 as a

result of the merging of the Centre for the Study of Education and Work and the Social Economy Centre.

In 2015, the Centre for the Study of Canadian and International Higher Education, an EDU D, was also

established.

Table 46: OISE Research Centres: An Overview

EDU

Category

EDU Name EDU Description

C Atkinson Centre for Society and

Child Development

Promotes research on child development and the development of early

learning policy and practice that serve young children and their families.

Central to the work of the Atkinson Centre is the integration of diversity,

equity and inclusion in its research agenda.

C Centre de recherches en

éducation franco-ontarienne

(CREFO)

Interdisciplinary research center for the study of the educational practices,

social and language of la francophonie in Ontario, Canada and the world,

with emphasis on the process of the construction of differences and social

inequalities as well as on the social mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion.

C Centre for Aboriginal Initiatives

(Faculty of Arts & Science -

OISE)

Home to the Aboriginal Studies Program, the Centre is a vibrant academic

forum for the cross-disciplinary study of the languages, cultures, histories,

knowledge and well-being of Indigenous peoples within Canada and around

the world.

D Centre for Diversity in

Counselling and Psychotherapy

Interdisciplinary centre dedicated to research and development of

multicultural and diversity issues in counselling and psychotherapy,

focusing particularly on the stigmatized social identities of gender, race,

sexual orientations, class, disabilities, religion and age.

C Centre for Educational Research

on Languages and Literacies

Focuses on curriculum, instruction, and policies for education in second,

foreign and minority languages, particularly in reference to English and

French in Canada but also other languages and settings including studies of

language learning, methodology and organization of classroom instruction,

language education policies, student and program evaluation, teacher

development and issues related to bilingualism, multilingualism, cultural

diversity, and literacy.

C Centre for Integrative Anti-racism

Studies’ (CIARS)

Enhances research and teaching in the areas of equity, anti-racism praxis

and alternative knowledge(s) in education. CIARS’ mandate also includes

the generation of collaborative relationships with community and other

institutional organizations.

C Centre for Leadership and

Diversity

Devoted to engendering, promoting and sustaining an interest in, and

commitment to, leadership and diversity. Centre initiatives are intended to

encourage and nurture activities that advance the cause of equity, social

justice and democracy in matters of leadership and policy.

C Centre for Learning, Social

Economy & Work (CLSEW)

Brings together academics, public and private sector labour educators,

participants in the social economy and broader community to understand

and enrich the often under-recognized contributions of work and learning

dynamics throughout their full range of variation in Canadian society and

internationally.

C Centre for Media and Culture in

Education (CMCE)

Fosters critical inquiry and debate regarding cultural practices integral to

everyday life in contemporary communities.


70

C Centre for Studies in Science,

Mathematics, and Technology

Education

Undertakes research, development, and teaching in science, mathematics

and STEM that promote critical understanding, inclusion, diversity, equity,

personal wellbeing, creativity, and social and environmental justice.

D Centre for the Study of Canadian

and International Higher

Education

This centre aims to provide a “brand” for showcasing the high quality

research that is currently being conducted at the University of Toronto and

applying for new research funding, as well as an umbrella for linking

researchers in the field of higher education located at the University and

other local institutions and agencies.

C Centre for Urban Schooling Connects OISE to urban schools and communities. The centre conducts

research on and advocates for critical practice that is focused on how to

better serve historically marginalized and racialized children and youth in

public schools.

C Centre for Women’s Studies in

Education

Committed to promoting and supporting the disciplinary and

interdisciplinary feminist research programs at OISE/UT; developing and

implementing programming that enriches the scholarly and professional

development of staff, students and educators; and connecting scholarship,

education and activism through constructive and critical dialogues with

feminist communities locally, nationally and globally.

C Comparative, International &

Development Education Centre’s

Promotes excellence, collaboration, and innovation in comparative and

international educational research at OISE.

C Fraser Mustard Institute for

Human Development

The Institute aims to generate new knowledge about early human

development and to integrate the science of early human development with

the design of health and education programs.

C Dr. R.G.N. Laidlaw Centre Centre provides the home for faculty research and outreach at the Dr. Eric

Jackman Institute of Child Study. The Centre support applied

multidisciplinary research in child development and foster research

connections around particular child study themes.

B Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of

Child Study

The Institute brings together graduate teacher education through the Master

of Arts in Child Study and Education (MA-CSE) program, exemplary

educational practices for the Laboratory School children in nursery to Grade

6, and multidisciplinary research in child development at the endowed Dr.

R.G.N. Laidlaw Research Centre.

C Institute for Knowledge

Innovation and Technology

Conducts research, develops technology, and helps build communities

aimed at advancing beyond "best practice" in education, knowledge work

and knowledge creation.

C Transformative Learning Centre The centre provides: an interdepartmental structure for community-

university partnerships in research and field development; a forum for the

discussion of interdisciplinary issues related to learning in community and

global transformation; and a means for faculty and students to participate in

specific networks requiring membership from a community-university base

rather than formal academic structures. It also supports interdepartmental

instruction in Transformative Learning Studies and related areas.


71

Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development

OISE is a lead faculty in the Fraser Mustard Initiative for Human Development (FMIHD), a major new

interdisciplinary initiative within the University of Toronto’s Faculties of Education, Medicine, Social

Work, Public Health, Nursing, Kinesiology and Physical Education, and Arts and Science. Established in

2011-2012, the FMIHD is an EDU C located at OISE. FMIHD is also affiliated with partner institutions

and broader clusters, such as the Toronto Academic Health Science Network, and international partners,

such as the Aga Khan University. The FMIHD aims to generate new knowledge regarding early human

development, breaking down academic and professional boundaries to develop innovative, trans-

disciplinary synergies. FMIHD also aims to also enable the science of early human development to

integrate with the design of health and education programs. This concentration of knowledge and

resources is one of the most advanced in the world and enables the FMHID to embark upon an ambitious

threefold mission: to generate knowledge in early human development, transmit this knowledge to affect

change and to grow research and academic capacity in the field through education.

The Institute’s research is focused around four key themes. These themes examine key issues in early

human development from unique perspectives—investigations into early causes of heart disease and

obesity (Healthy Kids), exploration of childhood development on a global scale (The World’s Child),

early environments that affect behaviour and learning (The Developing Brain and Human Potential) and

addressing inequities in health and education systems to positively impact the Canadian Indigenous

population (Aboriginal Health and Well-Being). OISE faculty are engaging with colleagues from other

disciplines to create new knowledge about developmental trajectories.

ACT NOW is the knowledge mobilization and policy outreach arm of the FMIHD. Researchers, faculty

members and students work directly with policy makers and community members involved in child care,

teaching, social work, and front line health care in order to strengthen our understanding and approach to

optimal human development. ACT NOW transcends the world of academia to ensure the breakthroughs

discovered within FMIHD are translated into meaningful, tangible results beneficial to the community. F

FMHID also features innovative programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels that are vital to

educating the next generation of scholars in early human development. The programs are designed to be

trans-disciplinary in nature, accepting students from across a multitude of study areas including medicine,

education, economics, social work, law and music.


72

Organizational Structure

OISE is one of the largest faculties of education in North America. Organizationally, it is comprises four

academic departments, 19 extra-departmental units (research centres and institutes), the Office of the

Dean, and a variety of divisional support units including Education Commons, OISE Library, the

Registrar’s Office and Student Services, the Office of Continuing and Professional Learning and the

Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (inclusive of Finance, Human Resources and Facilities and

Services).

Academic Departments

Current departmental structure at OISE is the result of a year-long strategic planning process which

commenced in the Fall of 2010. As part of the process, more than 500 members of OISE’s community

including faculty, staff, students, alumni and representatives from other divisions within the University

came together to share their ideas about OISE’s vision and values, as well as strategies to realize that

vision. A five-year Strategic Plan (2011-2015) was finalized in May 2011. One of the goals emerging

from the Strategic Plan was to rethink OISE’s departmental structure to ensure a strong and sustainable

faculty in the years ahead. After substantial institute-wide consultation, the OISE community adopted a

four-department model based on the following guiding principles:

Promote and support excellence in programs and research

Distinguish OISE from other faculties of education around the world

Foster innovation, interdisciplinarity and internationalization

Build on existing strengths while nurturing new and emerging areas of research and programming

Strengthen the alignment between graduate and undergraduate programs

Reflect and respect academic disciplines/affiliations

On February 16, 2012, as the final step in the approval process, the University of Toronto Governing

Council approved the new four-department structure. With programs grouped under four distinct yet

interrelated areas of scholarship within the broader field of educational studies, as of July 1, 2012, OISE

has four academic departments:

1. Applied Psychology and Human Development (APHD)

2. Curriculum, Teaching and Learning (CTL)

3. Leadership, Higher and Adult Education (LHAE), and

4. Social Justice Education (SJE)12

The View from 2012 – An Assessment of the University of Toronto’s Progress Since Towards 2030

acknowledged the value of the thorough, consultative process OISE went through in determining its new

departmental structure:

When academic planning involves restructuring, it can be controversial and we have seen some

controversy unfold over the last few years. We have also seen uncontentious structural change.

For instance, OISE-UT in 2012 disestablished one department and restructured their remaining

departments in a laudable process. We heard very clearly from a wide group of faculty members

12

Initially as the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Social Justice Education (HSSSJE); the

department’s name was changed in 2013-2014.


73

that, as we continue to work through our processes around academic planning, we will need to

ensure that restructuring, where justified, is made possible in genuinely consultative ways.13

For more information regarding departmental restructuring and related consultation process, see

Appendix 6: OISE’s Departmental Restructuring Proposal.

Each department has its own academic administrative and governance structures to administer its

programs and initiatives and guide academic policy decisions at the departmental level. Students are

normally represented on departmental executive and other committees, and each department has its own

student organization, which students may join in addition to belonging to the OISE-wide Graduate

Students’ Association (GSA) and International Student Association (ISA). Along with department Chairs

and Associate Chairs, departmental committees, program coordinators and support staff such as Business

Officers and Student Liaison Officers all contribute to the development and execution of the department’s

academic goals. Departments and their programs are reviewed on a regular basis. All twelve of OISE’s

graduate programs, bundled under the new departmental structure, were reviewed in 2011-2012 under the

new University of Toronto Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP).

Extra Departmental Units

Engaging students and faculty across departmental boundaries, OISE has 19 research centres and

institutes, which provide unique research and programmatic collaborations and also host a wide variety of

talks and other events each year. In this section, we describe OISE’s only EDU B, the Dr. Eric Jackman

Institute of Child Study, a research institute including a Laboratory School.

Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study

The Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study (EJICS or Jackman ICS) is Canada’s most integrated and

dynamic centre committed to children’s education and well-being. Identified as an EDU B under the

University’s Guidelines for Extra-departmental Units,14

EJICS has tripartite mission—bringing together

graduate teacher education through the Master of Arts in Child Study and Education (MA-CSE) program,

exemplary educational practices for the Laboratory School children in nursery to Grade 6, and

multidisciplinary research in child development at the endowed Dr. R.G.N. Laidlaw Research Centre. By

connecting research, training and practice, Jackman ICS leads the way as Canada’s foremost teaching and

learning environment, with an international reputation for leadership.

Established in 1925 by renowned psychologist and pediatrician Dr. William E. Blatz, the Institute was the

first of the University of Toronto’s multi-disciplinary research centres, and was among child study centres

at Yale, Berkeley, Minnesota, and Columbia universities which were initially supported by grants from

the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Fund. Because of its EDU B status, faculty members are cross-

appointed to EJICS and the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development to support

EJICS’s integral role in the MA-CSE program and interdisciplinary research. EJICS is located at 45

Walmer Road and 56 Spadina Rd, rather than at 252 Bloor Street West, the main OISE building.

The Laboratory School is a self-funded unit reporting to the EJICS Director and the Dean. The School

enrols 200 children, ages 3 to 12, from kindergarten to Grade 6. The Laboratory School is a clinical

setting where teachers-in-training observe and learn about best practices in inquiry-based early childhood

education, a site for classroom-based research on children’s learning and development, and a secure,

13 The View from 2012 – An Assessment of the University of Toronto’s Progress Since Towards 2030, section on Academic

Planning and Structural Change, p. 44 14 An EDU B is multidisciplinary, multi-divisional or multi-departmental unit designed to foster research and teaching in a new

or highly specialized area of academic study and scholarship. An EDU B may not hold primary academic appointments (e.g. can

only make minority budgetary appointments of 49% or less) and may offer degree programs and administer research funds. The

Director is appointed under the University’s Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators.


74

home-like learning environment for young children. The school’s program is designed to foster personal

inquiry, integrity, a sense of social responsibility and an appreciation of learning. At Bloorview Kids

Rehab, the Laboratory School offers an integrated kindergarten program jointly with the Bloorview

School Authority. This program partners a class of typically developing students with a class of students

with disabilities. The Table below depicts the Lab School at a glance.

Table 47: Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Laboratory School at a Glance

Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Laboratory School at a Glance

Mission: Excellence in childhood education, teacher education, and research in a culturally and

economically diverse environment.

Number of Students: 200

Average Class Size: 22

Diversity: Gender: 50% Boys, 50% Girls

Self-identified Visible Minority: 45.8%

Economic Diversity: 12% of current students receive some financial assistance

Learning Styles: 15% of current students receive Special Education support

Approach: Inquiry, security, and child development

Community: 196 students downtown 8 at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital 150 families 22 teachers An extended family of 1,750 graduates

Specialty Subjects: Physical Education, Visual Arts, Library, Drama/Movement, Music, French (JK-Grade 6)

Between 2009-10 and 2014-2015 tuition has increased from $12,701 to $19,363 reflecting increasing

instructional costs and OISE’s gradual movement towards recouping a greater portion of the overhead

costs of this self-funded unit. Students are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, with consideration

of the diversity of the student body and priority given to siblings of current students. The School has over

1,000 names on its waiting list. A Dean’s Advisory Board was established in 2008 to inform discussions

of tuition and admissions policies and the relationship between OISE and the Laboratory School moving

forward.

Jackman ICS has recently raised $11 million to fund the renewal of its facilities. This will give the

Institute a much-needed public venue for conferences, lectures and dissemination of research. It will also

allow for the accommodation of a greater number of local and international research colleagues and

educators who wish to visit the Institute to study and learn about its exemplary teaching models. Finally,

the expansion will provide a first-rate facility with which to welcome the wider community. For example,

the Institute envisions a community partnership in family literacy with its neighbours, the Native

Canadian Centre of Toronto, as well as family literacy and other parenting programs for the community at

large.


75

Divisional Support Units

A variety of specialized units reporting to the Dean’s Office provide essential support to OISE’s academic

mission.

Education Commons

The Education Commons (EC) was created after the 1996 merger to integrate library and information

technology (IT) services. Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, the EC plays a multifaceted role

to meet the diverse and complex needs of researchers, faculty, staff and students at OISE. The unit’s

service offerings go well beyond those of a traditional IT support service as it also specializes in digital

and online learning and works in close collaboration with researchers on major initiatives. The EC serves

to advance OISE’s strategic goals through the architecture, development, integration and support of

solutions that adopt forward-looking technology in a culture promoting quality of service, operational

excellence and innovation. The EC:

Uses an information technology strategy and business operating model that connects IT to the

institution’s strategic plan and operational requirements

Strives to place OISE at the forefront of the education sector both in Canada and globally

Provides leadership and operational management of all information and communication

technology (ICT) related solutions and services to OISE and its clients

Endeavors to enable excellent student, teaching, research and workplace experiences and success

through the use of technology.

The EC acts as the client relationship point or service broker for OISE stakeholders on all technology

inquiries relating to services provided by other units on campus. Through collaborative partnerships, it

acts as a gateway to, and avoids duplication of services of the U of T Library, Information Commons, U

of T Information and Technology Services (CIO’s Office) and other central service providers. These

coordinated services are delivered in a coherent manner that achieve economies of scale, improve

customer satisfaction and enhance the client experience at the point of use.

Table 48: Centrally Provided IS Infrastructure Supported by the Education Commons

Service Client Facing Support Unit Infrastructure Provider

Network backbone Education Commons ITS

Administrative E-mail (Exchange) Education Commons ITS

Student E-Mail (Office365) Education Commons ITS

Login (UTORid) Education Commons ITS

Institutional Learning Management System Education Commons ITS

Finance/HR systems Education Commons ITS

Central Data Centre Education Commons ITS

The EC services offered to the OISE community are informed by and closely aligned with OISE’s

Strategic Plan which calls for "Innovative Technologies for Learning and Leading that position OISE as a

technological leader in education." In line with that goal, in 2012-2013 a review of Information

Technology services at OISE was conducted by an external consulting agency, KPMG. The goal of the

review was to ensure that our Information Technology services continue to meet the evolving needs of

OISE in the areas of teaching, research and administration. Focused on organizational issues, the review

represented an opportunity for Education Commons (EC) to think about strategies and tools that can help

meet the evolving needs and expectations of students, faculty and administration. It included discussions

with EC management and staff, and input from the community. The outcomes of the review, coupled with

changes in Information Technology drivers (e.g. cloud, consumerization, big data, mobile) and the

departmental and teacher education restructuring at OISE, informed a series of organizational and service

changes within the EC.


76

Table 49: Organizational & Service Changes in the Education Commons: Driving Factors & Strategies

Driving Factors Strategies

Outdated mandate Focused mandate

Service duplication with central IT and A/V

services

Reduction in service redundancies with the

Centre

Lack of strategic direction Alignment with OISE strategic plan

Lack of governance and project prioritization Institute academic and operational governance

Acting as everything to everyone Rationalization of services provided locally

Changes in technology landscape Change approach to solution design and delivery

Organizational structural and skill-set challenges Reorganization of the team

Changes by Service Area

Online/Digital Learning

Changes to the Instructional Technology team were designed to put an emphasis on e-learning,

instructional design and to support the application of technology to the enhancement of learning, teaching

and assessment. A new service was added, interactive media development, which will allow OISE faculty

and researchers to incorporate, Rich Media, gaming and simulations into their work. The EC offers the

following services for Online/E-Learning:

Online and on-premise collaboration, knowledge dissemination, research, teaching, learning and

process support activities;

Support for distance and blended learning courses, technology-enhanced research spaces, large-

scale events and all aspects of the user experience of technology-enhanced collaboration;

Creation of compelling interactive digital media user experiences for mobile and web

environments using industry best practices;

Conceptualization, development and production of compelling output which includes Web and

mobile applications, Rich Media, games and simulations;

Instructional design and technology services and infrastructure for eLearning including

instructional design, technology consulting, training, prototyping, implementation and support;

Administrative support;

Consulting for online course, module development.

Prior to the restructuring and Audio Visual service handover to Academic and Campus Events (ACE),

these high-value services were in constant resource competition with the need to provide basic A/V

services to the community.

Solutions and Development

The solutions and development team was reorganized to ensure that the solution design and development

processes are streamlined, modern, agile and sustainable by:

Focusing primarily on OISE projects and priorities;

Ensuring sustainable and cost effective solution design by a cross functional team;

Increasing speed, reducing cost and ensuring sustainability by using off the shelf, open-source

and in-house development resources when appropriate;

Assigning a dedicated project lead to ensure the success of all major initiatives;

Adding a support analyst and QA function for production applications, handover and support

(risk management).


77

Service Desk

The changes to the service desk were designed to improve service to the OISE community by:

Supporting and enabling user self-service, self-sufficiency, and self-provisioning through

community engagement and the use of community management, social IT, information

management and automation tools;

Developing and delivering training plans or custom workshop sessions and end-user training on

applications and hardware (based on metrics and client requests);

Providing professional development opportunities to service desk staff;

Providing first level support for in-house and third party web applications;

Supporting instructional and collaboration technologies in OISE-owned rooms.

Following the successful reorganization, the EC is able to provide value-add services including qualitative

and quantitative analysis support including analytics software, surveys and video coding solutions,

conceptualization, development and production of compelling output which includes Web and mobile

applications, Rich Media, games and simulations, etc. As in any service organisation, there are ongoing

developments. Moving forward, to address challenges faced by modern university IT organizations, the

EC will continue to enhance its services by refining its service catalogue and by balancing operational

continuity with experimentation and innovation.

OISE Library

The University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) are consistently ranked among the top five university library

systems in North America. Under the jurisdiction of UTL, the OISE library is the largest education library

in Canada. The Library supports teacher education, graduate studies, professional development, and

research and teaching in the field of education, and assists in meeting graduate (MA, MEd, MT, PhD, and

EdD) and undergraduate (BEd) degree level expectations. In particular, the librarians and library staff

help students develop analytical thinking skills, skills and competencies pertaining to research and

knowledge management, preparation for further studies in the field and preparedness for future life

experiences. In addition to supporting the research needs of the students, the OISE librarians also support

faculty in their research and teaching and provide research support to other campus services and their

staff. During the 2014-2015 academic year, OISE librarians contributed 96 instructional sessions ranging

from 30 minutes to 3 hours across all four departments at OISE, the Initial Teacher Education programs,

and all degree levels. Furthermore, the librarians at OISE also offered a seven-week online library

information literacy course called the “Virtual Library.”

The relationships between research, theory, and practice require a unique collection of library resources

and services. The library has the largest collection of education materials in Canada and the third largest

collection in North America, including extensive reference materials, over 2,000 education journal titles,

media resources, current and historical curriculum materials and textbooks, and specialized collections of

children’s literature, modern languages, Franco-Ontarien and women’s studies materials.

The University of Toronto Library supports open access to scholarly communication through its

institutional research repository (known as T-Space), its open journal and open conference services, and

subscriptions to open access publications. The Library is also, in cooperation with the Internet Archive,

digitizing its monograph holdings published before 1923. These books are available without charge to

anyone with access to the Internet through the Scholar’s Portal e-Book platform. Highlights of the

library’s work in this area include the annual Open Access Week, T-Space, the Author Fund for open

access journal publishing, and Focus on Research.


78

The effects of the phase-out of the BEd program and the expansion of the MT and MA-CSE programs on

the OISE Library and its collections and services are not fully known yet. However, the MT and MA-CSE

programs are not new, and as such the OISE Library will continue to respond to this change through

liaison activities and support for faculty and students, collection development for growing electronic and

special collections and special research and learning services to meet the unique needs of both faculty and

students.

Registrar’s Office and Student Services

The Registrar’s Office and Student Services (RO & SS) supports OISE’s mission by facilitating all

matters pertaining to the recruitment, application, admission, registration and graduation processes for

OISE’s programs, and administering related academic and administrative policies, often in collaboration

with other offices and agencies.

As a result of the recent organizational change at OISE, the amalgamation of the Registrar’s Office and

the Student Services Office resulted in the creation of the integrated unit. Reporting to the Associate

Dean, Programs the unit is led by the Registrar and Head of RO & SS. The unit is composed of three

functional teams:

1) Student Services;

2) Admissions, Enrolment Management and Awards; and

3) Registration, Records and Systems.

The Student Services (SS) team focuses on recruitment, marketing, prospective student communications,

student success and diverse student support, and is one of the first places a prospective student, inquirer,

applicant, admitted student, registered student or lapsed student comes to ask questions. Led by the

Director of Student Services, the team include two Student Success Advisors, a Student Career and Co-

curricular Record Coordinator, a Student Success Specialist, a Financial Aid Advisor and a Recruitment

and Communications Specialist.

The Admissions, Enrolment Management and Awards team focuses on admissions along with awards,

provides support to departments and faculty and works on strategic enrolment management. Led by the

Associate Registrar, Enrolment Management and Awards, this team is supported by the Admissions and

Enrolment Management Specialist, the Admissions Assessor and Systems Coordinator, the Admissions

Associate Assessor, and the Admissions, Student Record and Combined/CTEP Program Officer.

The Registration, Records and Systems team focuses on supporting the registration of students and on

student records management and ROSI15

systems and data expertise. This team has a second-tier

registration counter with three Registration Specialists who assist students with extended registration

needs. Led by the Associate Registrar, Registration, Records and Systems, the unit is supported by two

Registration Specialists, a Doctoral Registration Specialist, an Admissions and Doctoral Registration

Officer, a Student Systems and Records Coordinator and a Statistics, CRM and Data Administrator.

The RO & SS is dedicated to providing timely, efficient, courteous service, along with accurate and

valuable information to future students, current students, graduates, faculty, and staff in a friendly and

professional manner.

Continuing and Professional Learning

The Office of Continuing and Professional Learning (CPL) at OISE was created after the 1996 merger, as

an expansion of the Additional Qualifications (AQ) program developed by the former Faculty of

15 Repository of Student Information ROSI is the legacy student information service at U of T and will continue to be available to

students for several months, as the University transitions to ACORN, ROSI's replacement.


79

Education. OISE Continuing and Professional Learning is a component of the Office of the Associate

Dean, Research, International and Innovation. The unit develops, delivers and administers a wide range of

high quality non-credit learning solutions for education professionals and institutions across all sectors of

education (PreK-12, Post-Secondary and Workplace) which support the professional and career

development learning needs of education professionals in Canada and abroad. CPL engages the education

marketplace through the following channels:

Direct enrolment refers to individual registration and learning solutions including short intensive

workshops (1-5 days) as well as online/blended or in-class courses (7-14 weeks in duration).

Contract learning (also referred to as closed enrolment) refers to customized learning solutions for

education-oriented organizations and institutions including intensive 3-day, 5-day, 2-week or 1-month

classroom/blended solutions delivered onsite at OISE or onsite at client site. Contract learning

solutions engage both domestic and international clients. In 2014-2015, the unit welcomed education

organizations from India, China, Norway, Jordan, Denmark, Germany and Sweden.

Special events, typically ‘one off’ occasions or a limited annual event which may include

conferences (virtual and live), guest speaker services, and webinars; for example, the annual Law

Works conference for PreK-12 educators, and the OISE CPL webinar series.

The Table below provides an overview of the Continuing and Professional Learning program offerings:

Table 50: CPL Program Offerings

Direct Enrolment Closed Enrolment

PREK-12 Additional Qualifications: Primary&

Junior Basic, Intermediate Basic, Senior

Basic

Additional Qualifications: Honour

Specialist, Three Session Qualification

Programs

Additional Qualifications: Tech Ed Basic

Principal Qualification Programs

Future Educators Summer Program

Teaching English as an Additional

Language (TEAL)

Innovation in Pedagogy

Instructional Leadership

Teaching and Learning Walks for K-

12 Leaders

School Improvement for Systems

Leaders

Post-Secondary PSE Leaders Program (in redesign)

Faculty Development Program (in

redesign)

Quality and Innovation in Higher

Education

Teaching Quality

Teaching and Learning Walks for PSE

Leaders

Workplace

Learning &

Development

Adult Learning Development Program

Online Learning Environments

Workplace Learning Initiative

Professional Series (in development)

Management Series (in development)

Advanced Facilitation for Workplace

Educators

Aligning Learning to Business Needs

Digital Learning Experiences:

Considerations for Workplace

Educators

Community Motivational Interviewing

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy –

Foundational Program & Specialist

Future Counsellors Summer Program

OISE CPL is a self-funded unit that contributes $1.9 M (net) to OISE’s annual operating budget (2014-

2015).16

16

This fiscal year, the unit is expected to contribute $2.0 M to OISE, and continue to increase its contribution by

increments of 200K over the next 4-5 years.


80

Table 51: CPL Financial Overview

Fiscal Year Revenue Expenses * Contribution to

OISE

Net Income

Before

Contribution

Program

Margin**

2011-2012 $ 6,010,436 $ 6,115,303 $ 1,956,359 $ 1,851,492 31%

2012-2013 $ 5,441,074 $ 4,904,736 $ 1,191,050 $ 1,727,388 32%

2013-2014 $ 5,056,372 $ 4,658,447 $ 1,500,000 $ 1,897,925 38%

2014-2015 $ 5,773,172 $ 5,426,478 $ 1,900,000 $ 2,246,694 39%

* Expenses included OISE contribution

** Program margin is calculated before OISE contribution

Challenges for OISE CPL include:

The Additional Qualification program suite has been experiencing consistent enrolment decline (7-

10% annually over past three years) and is expected to have a significant registration shortfall in

2016-2017 which threatens a loss in revenue of approximately 1.2M -1.5M. This decline is a result of

changes to the volume of teachers requiring additional qualification courses, as well as the loss of the

natural BEd registrant market that existed within OISE.

Contract Learning (Close Enrolment) is highly variable - revenue will fluctuate from one fiscal

quarter to the next. Additionally, the relationship management requirements for closed enrolment

solutions are ‘high touch’ and have a longer client cycle (averages 8 months from time of client

interest to time of solution delivery).

The unit has dated operations systems which have been flagged as inefficient to the effective running

of unit operations.

As OISE CPL has been historically referred to as “the AQ Office”, it has lacked diversity in its

professional development offerings and requires a more balanced suite of direct enrollment solutions

which are representative of all education sectors.

Given the challenges, OISE CPL is in year one of a five-year “re-imagination” plan to mitigate the loss of

revenue as a result of consistent AQ enrolment decline and grow overall revenue for the unit as well as

meet and exceed the contribution to OISE. This re-imagination requires:

a new operations system to mitigate current risks and gain process efficiencies, improve learner

engagement capability and receive relevant business/market data;

the creation of learning portfolios so that we speak to a broad spectrum of education professionals

(whereas historically we have spoken to the K-12 sector) thereby increasing prospective learner and

market size;

the introduction of a direct enrolment strategy (which requires the redevelopment, program marketing

and delivery of new course packs within each portfolio);

a new contract solutions/international strategy (CPL has established a client acquisition strategy for

international markets and begun implementation of this);

a new pricing strategy to ensure that CPL is meeting/exceeding its margin requirements; and

an alumni engagement strategy (engaging alumni to come back to OISE and teach/develop

programming for OISE CPL).


81

Office of the Chief Administrative Officer

The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is the strategic partner in developing and

implementing OISE strategic plans and providing administrative and infrastructure support to ensure

efficient and effective management of Faculty resources. The Office provides comprehensive and

professional services to the OISE community with expertise in the areas of financial planning and

management, human resource management, system and data development, legislation and policy

compliance, space management and information technology infrastructure and support.

The Financial Management team within the CAO Office provides leadership and community training in

planning, budgeting, accounting, reporting, contract administration, financial administration including

support for larger research contracts such as CFI, partnership grants and oversight of revenue generating

activities at OISE. Recently, to meet the emerging need, the CAO Office provides analysis and scenario-

building support to enable informed decision-making and the linking of academic decisions with financial

implications.

The Human Resources Management team provides HR expertise, advice and support to OISE’s academic

departments and other divisional support units including organizational development and professional

development, labour relations, employee relations, performance management, compensation, job

evaluation and recruitment. The office also provides payroll service and pension and benefits information

to all OISE academic, administrative and casual employees. Its support in the area of labour relations

includes not only USW 1998 (administrative and technical staff), CUPE 3902 Unit 1 (student teaching

assistants) and Unit 3 (sessional lecturers), but also two bargaining units unique to OISE at U of T:

OPSEU 578 (research officers) and CUPE 3907 (graduate assistants).

The Facilities and Services unit provides services and supports related to space and facilities management

including coordination with University Facilities and Services to provide safe and secure space for the

OISE community. OISE facilities include the main OISE building at 252 Bloor Street West, the Dr. Eric

Jackman Institute of Child Study at 45 Walmer Road and 56 Spadina Road, and a shared facility at 371

Bloor Street West. The space planning and capital project management for CFI and other improvement

projects is also provided by OISE Facilities and Services. The unit works closely with the community and

the University on accessibility, sustainability and health and safety issues and compliance.

Other areas in which the CAO office has also taken a leadership and support role include:

Establishing and refining standard operating procedures to streamline business processes to

academic operations;

Community building and the establishment of cross-functional teams such as the Working

Together Group which includes administrative staff involved in HR, finance and space functions;

Managers’ lunch and Learn sessions for communication, team building and sharing information

and best practices;

Organizing social and wellbeing activities to promote healthy living and work places;

Expanding the system of staff awards for recognition and appreciation of OISE’s administrative

staff (in addition to the inaugural Dr. Clare Alleyne Staff Excellence Award, two additional

awards were added in 2012-2013, the Leadership Award and the Innovation Award;

Coordination with the Organizational Development and Learning Centre to arrange for cross-

functional team-building sessions and professional development sessions for capacity-building;

With the goal of increasing efficiency of operations and for reporting purposes, establishing a

business analyst role to work with various units and the Education Commons to translate working

processes to systems;

Establishing a management support role in each academic department to ensure consistent and

professional services to academic administrators.


82

Administration & Governance

OISE has an academic administrative structure of academic administrators who report to the Dean, who in

turn reports to the Provost. OISE has a governance structure, which works through OISE Faculty Council,

the decisions of which must be consistent with the University of Toronto policies. Together these

structures and bodies are responsible for OISE’s policy and direction (see Appendix 7: OISE

Organizational Chart).

Senior Academic Leadership Team

OISE’s Senior Academic Leadership Team is composed of the Dean, two Associate Deans and four

Department Chairs. The team meets weekly and bi-weekly in different configurations, supported by the

CAO and key staff, and serves as the key institutional planning committee tasked with the planning and

implementation of high-level strategic and operational issues in support of OISE’s academic mandate.

Dean and Associate Deans

The Dean, who serves as the chief executive officer of OISE, reports directly to the Vice-President and

Provost, and exercises decanal responsibilities under the authority of the University’s Policy on

Appointment of Academic Administrators. The Dean is responsible for the management of OISE, the

implementation of University policy, the creation of an environment conducive to the growth of

intellectual life within the division, and the handling of external relations within the University and

beyond to facilitate support for OISE’s educational and research activities. Divisional reviews, undertaken

in accordance with the University’s Policy for Assessment and Review of Academic Units and Guidelines

for Review of Academic Programs and Units normally coincide with the conclusion of the Dean’s term.

One of the goals emerging from the OISE Strategic Plan 2011-2015 was to “establish a new framework

for Initial Teacher Education and Graduate Studies.” One of the actions outlined to help realize that goal

was to “revise the decanal structure to support the alignment between teacher education and graduate

studies” (pg. 6). In light of this, OISE developed a new decanal structure including a new division of

Associate Dean portfolios. This was approved by the Provost and took effect on July 1, 2011, instituting

the following roles within the Office of the Dean:

Associate Dean, Programs – responsible for maximizing the educational impact of OISE’s

academic programs. Because of the strategic priority of increasing the alignment between

graduate and undergraduate programs, two Academic Directors reporting to this Associate Dean,

one for Initial Teacher Education and one for Graduate Education, were also appointed;

Associate Dean, Research – responsible for promoting and supporting excellence and innovation

in research and knowledge mobilization, opening new opportunities for OISE research and

expanding the reach of OISE research and its uptake in policy and practice globally;

Associate Dean, Innovations and Opportunities – responsible for the development and

implementation of new strategic directions and initiatives at the local, national and international

levels including online learning, institutional research and evaluation and new revenue generation

initiatives.

The Innovations and Opportunities portfolio was established to serve not only as revenue generating arm

but also to capitalize on OISE research expertise and make it more accessible. After the position of

Associate Dean, Innovations and Opportunities was vacated during most of 2012-13, the Dean consulted

with OISE’s senior academic leadership regarding how best to position this portfolio institutionally. In

addition, the Dean consulted with senior administrators at peer institutions with similar administrative

portfolios. As a result of this consultation it was determined that there were many areas of synergy

between the Innovations and Opportunities portfolio and the Research portfolio and that OISE’s interests

would best be served by expanding the Research portfolio to comprise both traditional research and


83

innovations/opportunities functions. Effective July 1, 2013 a reduction in the associate deans’ portfolios

at OISE from three to two was approved by the Provost; specifically, the Innovations and Opportunities

portfolio was eliminated, and the Research portfolio was expanded as follows:

Associate Dean, Research, International and Innovation – responsible for: promoting and

supporting excellence and innovation in research and knowledge mobilization; opening new

opportunities for OISE research and expanding the reach of OISE research and its uptake in policy

and practice globally; steering the development and implementation of OISE’s international

strategy; and guiding strategic planning and the incubation of new opportunities in the areas of

professional development, provision of educational services, commissioned research and

consultancies.

After the elimination of the BEd program in 2014-2015 the need to maintain Academic Director positions

for graduate education and Initial Teacher Education ceased. OISE’s revised decanal structure now

consists of the Dean, the Associate Dean, Programs, and the Associate Dean, Research, International and

Innovation.

OISE Council and Committees

OISE’s Faculty Council is the highest governing body regarding academic matters at OISE and oversees

governance activities of the Faculty. OISE Council and its Standing Committees make decisions about

academic policies and priorities for teaching, learning and research activities at OISE. Council’s specific

responsibilities include approving new degree programs and modifications of existing programs including

program requirements (e.g. changes to courses, program lengths, admissions requirements, etc.). OISE

Council’s responsibilities are to:

establish policies regarding academic matters

establish committees for the conduct of council business

advise the Dean on academic matters

approve and regulate standards of admissions

approve new, or changes to the existing, academic programs

The By-Laws (amended in April, 2015), govern the operating procedures for the Council and Standing

Committees. The By-Laws include rules for electing/appointing members, terms of office, mandate and

membership of Standing Committees and general operating procedures.

Council is composed of 60 elected voting members (30 faculty/librarians, 5 instructors, 5 initial teacher

education students, 10 graduate students and 10 staff), who are elected by their constituencies. There are

14 ex-officio voting members and 9 ex-officio non-voting members. Nominations, elections and by-

elections for vacant elected positions on the Faculty Council and Standing Committees alternately, are run

each year in the early fall. The elections process is mostly electronic. There are a minimum of four

governance meetings of Council each academic year (July 1 - June 30), and a schedule of meetings of the

Council and its Standing Committees is circulated among the OISE community and posted on the

governance website.

Standing Committees of Council

Reporting up through OISE Council are several standing committees including the Appeals Committee,

Equity Committee, Executive Committee, Academic Programs Committee, and the Research Committee:


84

Appeals

The Appeals Committee hears appeals on academic matters from OISE undergraduate students against

decisions of an instructor or officer of OISE or a Standing Committee of Council, and makes rulings on

such appeals that are binding and final, subject to an appeal to the Governing Council. It recommends to

Council changes to policies and procedures with respect to petitions and appeals by undergraduate

students17

.

Academic Programs

The Academic Programs Committee reviews and recommends to Council for approval, subject to the

approval of the appropriate body of Governing Council, proposals for new academic programs, proposals

for the closure of any academic programs, and proposals for major modifications to existing academic

programs. The Committee also reviews and approves, on behalf of Council, proposals for minor

modifications to academic programs and minor changes to admissions requirements, and makes

recommendations to Council on admissions policy.

Equity

The Equity Committee’s mandate is to identify, discuss and advise Council on issues of equity, diversity

and accessibility, and make recommendations to Council on equity policy and strategies as they pertain to

teaching, learning and research activities at OISE.

Executive

The Executive Committee is the agenda setting committee of the Council. It considers notices of motion

given to Council, ensures that adequate documentation is provided for consideration of each agenda item,

and directs specific issues to Council or Committees, or recommends to Council the creation of Special

Committees. During the summer months (i.e. following the last meeting of Council of one academic year

and until the first meeting in the subsequent academic year), the Executive Committee has authority to

make decisions on behalf of Council on matters of urgency which do not permit their deferral until the

next regular meeting of Council. The Executive Committee is also responsible for reviewing outcomes of

the nominations and elections process each year, and for approving membership of the Standing

Committees. The Committee’s function includes reviewing and advising Council on all proposed

Constitution and By-Law changes, whether these be brought to Council or initiated by Council.

Research

The Research Committee’s mandate is to identify and recommend to Council general research

priorities/initiatives for the Faculty. It reviews and recommends to Council Faculty policies and

procedures regulating the conduct of research, including those regarding the conduct of research in

compliance with regulatory and statutory authorities. It also reviews and recommends to Council for

approval, subject to the approval of the appropriate body of Governing Council, the establishments,

renaming and disestablishment of research centres and institutes, and advises Council on any other

matters relating to research in the Faculty.

Advisory Boards

The 1996 merger agreement between U of T and OISE specified the form of the Dean’s Advisory Board

for ten years. The board reported to Governing Council and had representatives from many provincial

bodies. In 2006, after the expiry of the merger agreement and some discussion with other Deans, a new

17 As per the Policy on Academic Appeals within Divisions, OISE is required to maintain the Appeals Committee until all

undergraduate students have graduated from OISE (expected in November 2018).


85

Dean’s Advisory Board was appointed to provide advice to the Dean. The Board met twice a year and

provided input and discussion on a wide array of issues from many perspectives.

In 2010-2011, given the strategic planning and significant organizational change that was underway at

OISE, the Dean’s Advisory Board was put on hold. It is now being renewed in 2015-2016 with a new

name, renewed mandate and membership.

The Dean’s Advisory Board for the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Laboratory School

established in 2008 has been maintained to date. The Board’s mandate is to provide advice on the mission

of the Laboratory School and policies affecting all aspects of its operation including programs,

admissions, relationships with alumni and community partners and the School’s relationship to the

University of Toronto. Chaired by the Dean, the Board meets semi-annually and includes representatives

of parents, alumni, administration and teachers of the School, as well as a representative of MA-CSE

students and faculty from OISE.

Infrastructure & Resources

Financial Resources

The University budget model introduced in 2007 clearly aligns financial accountability with divisional

authority and provides transparency and incentives to divisions for sustainable academic operations. The

model calls for the revenue attributed to the Faculty to flow to the Faculty, after university deductions,

and for the Faculty to manage all its operation costs. Coupled with the reality of structural deficit (in

which expense growth outpaces revenue growth), the budget model highlights the need to increase

revenue and contain expenses. In recent years, OISE has been exploring and implementing various budget

strategies both on the revenue and cost sides, including:

Engaging the community in developing effective recruitment and retention strategies to meet and

exceed enrolment targets;

Close monitoring and tracking of application and acceptance processes for better conversion

rates;

Increasing the recruitment of international students in non-funded professional graduate

programs;

Exploring the development of innovative international programs to build international reputation

and to generate revenue;

Examining program mix and delivery modes to maximize government grants and to reduce

instructional costs while maintaining academic quality;

Principled and fiscally responsible faculty renewal processes instead of vacancy replacement;

Expanding non-credit programs and contracts by utilizing OISE academic assets to generate

revenue;

Decreasing operating costs by eliminating duplication between paid-for central services and OISE

paid services;

Process reengineering to improve operation efficiencies, and general reduction in the use of

space;

Exploring and establishing mechanisms to provide incentives to departments for innovative and

sustainable operations.

Building a culture of linking academic decisions with financial implications and exploring different

options for increasing effectiveness of business and academic processes continues at OISE. In addition to

the challenges already mentioned, over the past two years, OISE underwent a critical academic change

which had a substantial impact on OISE’s budget and operation. As mentioned above, in June 2013, the

Government mandated province-wide changes to BEd programs including extending the program from


86

two to four academic semesters, doubling the practicum requirement from 40 to 80 days, and reducing per

student funding by 32% by 2015-2016, which in OISE’s context represents a $3.1 million funding

reduction.

Changes to the BEd programs in Ontario are intended to improve program quality and to address the

oversupply of graduating teachers in province. In responding to the changes, the University developed a

proposal, which is revenue neutral for the government, to switch its undergraduate program spots to its

existing graduate teacher education programs (the MT & MA-CSE), thereby contributing to the

government objectives of reducing the number of graduating teachers while consolidating program

offerings at OISE and improving the quality of graduates. The government accepted the University’s

proposal, as reflected in the University Strategic Mandate Agreement, positioning OISE as the only

Faculty of Education in Ontario (and in Canada) offering teacher education programs at the graduate

level. OISE’s move to an all-graduate teacher education aligns well with the University’s policy objective

of differentiation, further distinguishes OISE from other faculties of education in Canada, and provides

the opportunity to expand professional master’s programs. It also supports the financial wellbeing of

OISE into the future allowing OISE to service fewer students with the same amount government funding.

This academic change necessitated significant changes to OISE’s non-academic staffing structure.

However, savings from infrastructure reduction in 2014-15 have been significantly offset by the cost of

staff early retirement and voluntary exit packages and related costs, as well as one-time-only transitional

costs for OISE in the transitional 2015-2016 academic year.

Although OISE projects balanced budgets for the years beyond 2015-2016, it is cognisant about the

challenges associated with enrolments in its graduate programs, international market needs and

fluctuation and the lagging effect of past budget strategies employed at OISE. The following table

summarizes OISE’s operating budget from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016 in terms of its major revenue and

cost categories. The accompanying chart indicates the Faculty’s actual and planned surplus/(deficit) from

2010-11 to (planned) 2019-20.


87

Table 52: OISE Operating Fund Statement of Income and Expenses

Figure 31: Actual/Budgeted/Planned Surplus/(Deficit) 2010-2020 in $millions

OISE Operating Fund Statement of Income and Expenses

(thousands of dollars)

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Actual Actual Actual Actual Budget

REVENUE

Government grants & fees 61,582 59,462 62,137 63,308 60,361

University Fund Allocation 14,484 14,425 15,062 14,880 14,870

Other attributed income and Divisional Income10,463 11,933 12,543 11,835 13,046

TOTAL REVENUE 86,529 85,820 89,742 90,023 88,277

EXPENSES

OISE Divisional

Total compensation 45,709 44,636 43,551 44,116 42,740

Student financial assistance administered by OISE8,680 9,325 8,962 10,066 10,217

Other expenses 4,412 3,463 3,044 2,927 4,313

TOTAL OISE Divisional Expenses 58,801 57,424 55,557 57,109 57,270

U of T Central

University Wide Costs and Student aid 25,430 25,835 26,820 26,479 27,322

University Fund Contribution 6,353 6,126 6,369 6,491 6,178

TOTAL U of T Central Expenses 31,783 31,961 33,189 32,970 33,500

TOTAL EXPENSES 90,584 89,385 88,746 90,079 90,770

SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) (4,055) (3,565) 996 (56) (2,493)


88

Academic Staff

As one of North America’s largest, most research-intensive faculties of education, OISE comprises an

enormous pool of faculty expertise. OISE’s more than 120 full-time continuing faculty members, along

with many more affiliated educators and researchers, represent excellence in their fields of teaching and

research with wide-ranging interests and active research programs. OISE is committed to cultivating

leading experts in education and human development and empowering them to make contributions that

shape education systems around the world and improve learning in real-world situations.

The need to “Support and Strengthen our Faculty” was recognized as a key goal in the OISE Strategic

Plan 2011-15. Actions proposed at the time to address this goal included: undertaking complement

planning reflective of the new departmental structure; maintaining and improve recruitment and retention

strategies for world-class faculty; supporting the pursuit of research opportunities and funding; and

ensuring broad consultation regarding the development of workload policies.

Faculty Complement

In order to continue to offer outstanding teacher education and graduate programs while maintaining

flexibility in the face of budgetary challenges and changes to programs, OISE relies on a diversified

academic staff. Its faculty complement encompasses a variety of employment categories defined by

policies and collective agreements in effect at the University of Toronto:

Tenure stream faculty—Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Full Professors with

tenure or on-track to tenure;

Teaching stream faculty—Assistant Professors, Teaching Stream and Associate Professors,

Teaching Stream with continuing status or on-track to continuing status;

Contractually limited term appointments (CLTA)—full-time, non-continuing faculty holding

either professorial or teaching stream ranks on appointments of 1 to 3 years, to a maximum of 5

years;

Part-time faculty—part-time, non-continuing faculty holding either professorial rank or the rank

of Lecturer, normally on renewable annual contracts;

Sessional lecturers—course instructors with contracts of less than twelve months who are part of

the CUPE 3902 Unit 3 bargaining unit;

ICS Lab School Instructors—Instructors at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute for Child Study

Laboratory School, seconded from GTA school boards and appointed full-time to OISE for a

specified period.

Table 53: Academic Staff Complement by Academic Year (Headcounts)

Employment Category 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Fall 2015

Tenure Stream Faculty 129 129 123 116 112 110 112

Teaching Stream Faculty 18 16 18 20 19 15 14

CLTA Faculty 2 2 2 1 1 1 6

Part-Time Faculty 8 10 13 16 16 15 15

Subtotal UTFA Faculty 157 157 156 153 148 141 147

Sessional Lecturers 108 130 131 125 104 118 87

ICS Lab School Instructors 23 22 25 23 22 22 22

Total 288 309 312 301 274 281 287


89

Tenure stream, teaching stream, CLTA and part-time faculty are members of the University of Toronto

Faculty Association. Within this group the most notable trend in recent years at OISE has been an overall

decline in number, particularly in the case of continuing/continuing stream appointments. On an FTE

basis, from 2009-2010 to present, the total tenure stream and teaching stream faculty FTE decreased by

17%, whereas a smaller contingent of limited term (CLTA and part-time) faculty has more than doubled

by FTE. With Sessional Lecturers taken into account, on a headcount basis non-continuing faculty made

up 52% of OISE’s instructional complement in 2014-2015 compared to 44% in 2009-2010.

Table 54: Faculty FTE by Academic Year

Employment Category 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Fall 2015

Tenure Stream Faculty 125 125 120 114 109 105 106

Teaching Stream Faculty 18 16 18 20 19 14 13

Limited Term Faculty (CLTA & Part-Time) 6 8 10 10 10 10 15

Total 149 148 148 144 138 129 134

Faculty Departures and Renewal

With the number of continuing faculty well below historical levels, faculty renewal is a clear priority for

OISE. OISE has continued to sustain its academic mandate at a level of excellence despite its reduced

complement, but the need for a strong and targeted strategy for the renewal of full-time continuing faculty

positions has become all the more important with the transition to an all-graduate faculty of education. At

the same time, budgetary realities, changing enrolment patterns and the rate of faculty retirement have to

be taken into account.

Departures

The decline in continuing faculty numbers has been driven mainly by retirements rather than other

reasons for departure. OISE offers many incentives to retain outstanding faculty members of all ages,

such as the teaching and research supports described earlier in this self-study. Nevertheless, shifting

faculty demographics have made an increased rate of retirement inevitable, while the elimination of

mandatory retirement in 2006 has made it difficult to project future retirements and plan for faculty

renewal needs. From 2009-10 to present, the percentage of tenure stream and teaching stream faculty at

OISE who are of retirement-eligible age has increased from 31% to 39%.

Table 55: Table: Tenure Stream & Teaching Stream Faculty by Age and Academic Year (Headcounts)

Faculty Age 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Fall 2015

Under 60 101 99 94 93 88 83 77

60-64 (Early Retirement Eligible) 28 26 26 21 23 20 26

65+ (NRD & Post-NRD) 18 20 21 22 20 22 23

Total 147 145 141 136 131 125 126

From 2009-10 to 2014-15, 32 continuing faculty members retired from their positions at OISE, while 8

departed for other reasons. Actual retirements peaked in 2011-12 and 2012-13 and declined over the next

two years, but participation in the University’s Phased Retirement Program (PRP) has become

increasingly popular at OISE, with the greatest number of participants to date seen in 2014-15. The PRP

allows faculty members to reduce their FTE over a period of 3 years (with a minimum of 25% in a single

year and not more than 200% over the course of 3 years) before retiring. The arrangement has proven

mutually beneficial, with financial and ease-of-transition benefits for the faculty member and increased

ability for departments to plan for retirement, staffing and renewal needs.


90

Table 56: Tenure Stream & Teaching Stream Faculty Departures by Reason and Academic Year (Headcounts)

* New (Year 1) or continuing (Year 2 & 3) in the PRP. Participants are not included in totals because the same participants are counted in consecutive years. Retirees from the PRP are included in the “retired” counts.

Renewal

Fiscal challenges and the difficulty of anticipating retirements have meant that faculty renewal has not

been able to keep pace with faculty retirements and other departures. Each year OISE assesses its

budgetary situation and academic staffing needs and engages in faculty recruitment efforts. From 2009-10

to 2014-15, OISE appointed 17 new tenure stream and 7 new teaching stream faculty members.18

Table 57: New Faculty Hires by Gender, Employment Category and Academic Year (Headcounts)

Faculty Gender / Employment Category 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Fall 2015

Female

Tenure Stream 3 2 2 4 1 4

Teaching Stream 1 1 1

Limited Term (CLTA & Part-Time) 3 4 4 5 1 1 4

Subtotal Female 7 6 7 5 6 2 8

Male

Tenure Stream 2 3

Teaching Stream 1 1 2

Limited Term (CLTA & Part-Time) 2 1 2

Subtotal Male 3 2 1 3 3 2

All

Tenure Stream 3 4 2 4 4 4

Teaching Stream 2 2 2 1

Limited Term (CLTA & Part-Time)* 5 4 4 6 1 1 6

Grand Total 10 8 8 8 6 5 10 * Does not include contract renewals

OISE recognizes that preserving the excellence of its academic programs requires the adoption of a

“smart” renewal strategy that is sensitive to internal exigencies and adaptive to external constraints.

Following the restructuring of its academic departments in 2012, the Dean consulted with the Chairs and

Associate Deans on broad principles to guide faculty renewal planning. The following principles were

adopted:

Consistent with academic plans

Strengthens intellectual leadership in the field

Distinguishes OISE from other faculties of education around the world

Fosters interdisciplinarity in programs and research

18 Most of these initial teaching stream contracts were not renewed; only one progressed to promotion review.

Reason for Departure 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Retired early (pre-NRD) 1 2 2 1 4

Retired on NRD 1 3

Retired after NRD 3 4 6 4 1

Subtotal Retired 4 6 9 8 4 1

Other Departures 2 2 2 1 1

Total Departures 4 8 11 10 5 2

Participating in PRP (not in total)* 7 8 5 4 6 9


91

Relates to undergraduate and graduate education

Sustains excellence in quality of accredited professional programs

Nurtures new and emerging areas of research and programming

Increases diversity among continuing faculty

Address critical gaps in expertise across departments

Based on these principles, departments develop five-year faculty renewal plans that take into account the

department’s teaching capacity and projected retirements and submit renewal proposals to the Dean on an

annual basis for approval. The Dean reviews the proposals in relation to the principles above and financial

considerations, and submits those approved to the Provost for approval to search and to Planning and

Budget as part of OISE’s annual academic budget review.

One of the goals stated in OISE`s 2011-2015 Strategic Plan is: “Innovative and integrated programs that

feature integration of Initial teacher Education and graduate programs, research-informed programs, and

linkages between programs, across departments, and with the University and the broader community

supported by a renewed faculty.” With the transition to all-graduate teacher education, OISE is at present

looking at ways of mobilizing existing faculty expertise in OISE’s expansive graduate programs to meet

the need for research-infused teaching in its teacher education programs, as well as focusing faculty

renewal efforts with both teacher education and other research priorities in mind.

Equity and Diversity

Commitment to equity and diversity is a core principle of OISE and the University of Toronto and

increasing faculty diversity is among the principles guiding faculty renewal at OISE listed above. In

approving the membership of search committees, the Dean of OISE ensures that committees include

members of both sexes and, wherever possible, members of other designated groups. A decanal

representative is appointed to each committee to ensure compliance with University guidelines and

procedures, including those that relate to excellence, diversity and equity. The Dean also meets with the

search committee at its first meeting to speak to the search members regarding the integrity of the search

process including adherence to confidentiality, human rights and the importance of addressing issues of

diversity and excellence to create the best possible shortlist of candidates. 75% of OISE`s new faculty

hires since 2009, including 76% of its tenure stream hires, have been of women. By FTE, women make

up 65% of the entire faculty complement (tenure stream, teaching stream, CLTA and part-time) at OISE,

up from 59% in 2009-10. The proportion of Full Professors who are women has also increased, from 56%

to 61%, reflecting senior hires as well as a higher rate of promotion.


92

Table 58: Faculty by Gender, Rank and Academic Year (FTE)

Faculty Gender / Academic Rank 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Fall 2015

Female

Asst Professor 15 11 11 10 9 7 9

Assoc Professor 31 31 29 27 25 27 27

Professor 29 32 32 34 36 33 33

Lecturer 5 6 9 11 11 9 11

Senior Lecturer 9 9 9 8 7 7 7

Female Subtotal 88 89 90 89 87 82 87

Male

Asst Professor 11 9 5 3 1 2 1

Assoc Professor 20 21 25 20 19 18 18

Professor 23 23 21 22 21 21 21

Lecturer 4 3 3 4 4 2 3

Senior Lecturer 3 3 4 5 5 5 4

Male Subtotal 61 59 58 55 50 47 47

All

Asst Professor 26 20 16 13 10 9 10

Assoc Professor 51 53 54 47 44 45 45

Professor 52 55 53 56 56 53 54

Lecturer 8 9 12 15 15 11 14

Senior Lecturer 12 12 13 13 12 11 11

Grand Total 149 148 148 144 138 129 134

Changes to the Tenure Stream and Teaching Stream

Amendments to the Policy and Procedures on Academic Appointments (PPAA) were recently approved

by Governing Council for both the tenure stream (on February, 2015) and the teaching stream (on June

25, 2015), the outcome of the Special Joint Advisory Committee (SJAC) process involving

representatives of the University and UTFA. OISE has enthusiastically welcomed these changes and the

way in which they both recognize and foster the special excellence of its tenure stream and teaching

stream faculty.

Current pre-tenure and continuing-track teaching stream faculty were given the opportunity to opt in or

out of the amended PPAA. Four of OISE`s five pre-tenure faculty members opted for the amended policy,

and will have the opportunity to further their already outstanding research contributions with the benefit

of an extended tenure clock and additional teaching release.

In the case of the teaching stream, all 12 of OISE`s Senior Lecturers opted for the amended policy and its

new system of ranks, and now hold the rank Associate Professor, Teaching Stream in acknowledgment of

their superlative teaching skills and leadership in education. A celebratory event is planned in the near

future.


93

Administrative Staff

OISE’s dedicated and hardworking administrative, technical and managerial staff in all academic

departments and divisional support units have been a key and integral part of OISE’s operations.

Table 59: OISE Administrative Staff complement in the last five years ending April 30, 2015

Year Union Non-Union Total

2011 152.18 25.80 177.98

2012 145.63 24.60 170.23

2013 142.33 24.60 166.93

2014 140.14 24.60 164.74

2015 124.60 25.20 149.80

As mentioned in previous sections, the 32% funding cut associated with the provincial changes to teacher

education programs represents a $3.1 million cut to OISE’s operating budget. The reduction of overall

student numbers makes it possible for OISE to “right size” its infrastructure for sustainable operation in

the future. A committee of divisional and institutional representatives established in July, 2014 consulted

extensively with all department chairs, heads of divisional support units and other members of the senior

leadership team. The committee recommended changes to the non-academic staffing structure to reduce

redundancies, increase integration, alignment and efficiencies, and strengthen overall support. The Office

of the Vice President, Human Resources and Equity, worked with OISE to develop processes and

incentive packages for the staff reduction, i.e. the Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program (VRIP), the

Voluntary Exit Program (VEP) as well as involuntary layoffs. With the aim of redeploying as many

affected OISE USW employees to vacant positions as possible, the University and the union agreed to a

process that allows OISE staff affected by organizational change to be given hiring priority over any

University staff outside of OISE. Due to the implementation timeline, some staff exited OISE beyond

April 30, 2015. Our current staff complement with the unfilled positions is 136.

With the reduced staff complement, it has become more important than ever for OISE to develop IT

systems and data reporting tools aimed at improving operational efficiencies and reporting capabilities.

OISE has migrated the hiring process for Teaching Assistants to a completely online process, estimated to

save 70% of staff time while enhancing student and supervisor experience with easy access to contracts

and forms, and significantly improving reporting capability. The project team behind this effort was

awarded the prestigious Excellence through Innovation Award by the University, and presented at the

TechKnowfile conference in 2013 where it generated tremendous interest from the attending offices. In

2015, the new TA system was adapted to manage the hiring and tracking processes for OISE Graduate

Assistants as well, and OISE plans to eventually extend the system to manage the hiring of sessional

instructors.

OISE continues to identify opportunities to improve business processes for academic resource and

program planning, including the development of a streamlined workload system connecting individual

faculty members’ workload, course planning, enrolment, supervision loads and research and study leaves.

This system also functions as a reporting tool that combines data from a variety of authoritative data

sources to produce reports for more informed decision making. In the near future, the focus for


94

administrative staff development at OISE is capacity and team building by enhancing professional

development opportunities and promoting effective collaboration within the community.

Space Infrastructure

OISE has facilities in three locations on the University’s St. George campus:

1. 252 Bloor Street West – Main OISE Building

2. 371 Bloor Street West – shared space within the University of Toronto Schools (UTS)

3. 45 Walmer Road and 56 Spadina Road – Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study and

Laboratory School

Main OISE Building

The main OISE building at 252 Bloor Street West was completed in 1970 and has a gross area of 38,200

sq. m. (411,000 sq. ft.). OISE occupies the majority of the building space and houses the faculty and

administrative offices, meeting rooms, student spaces and the Education Commons. The OISE Library in

the building is associated with the University of Toronto Libraries system. The University’s Office of

Academic and Campus Events (ACE), formerly the Office of Space Management (OSM), is responsible

for the 66 classrooms in the building which range in size from a 500-seat auditorium to 20-seat seminar

rooms. The building has major deficiencies with its HVAC system, air quality, noise and vibration from

the subway, as well as substandard classrooms, and was not designed for instructional purposes. Toronto

City Hall is aware of the capacity limitations of the building, and is watching carefully for any

renovations that will affect capacity. Notwithstanding these challenges, both the University and OISE are

committed to improving sustainability and efficiencies of the building. The first project funded by the

Utility Reduction Revolving Fund (URRF) is the HVAC Automation System at OISE. The uncontrolled

and inconsistent HVAC control leads to excessive energy use compared to actual needs. This project

adjusts the system as per the actual occupancy in the building consequently leading to reduced energy

costs. The estimated savings are $361K/year with a 2.4 year simple payback.

Safety and security are the primary concerns for the community. With the support of the University

Facilities and Services division, we have installed electronic control for all exterior doors, which allows

the doors to be systematically locked and monitored by the University security. The building is now fob

accessed during non-business hours, and will no longer be accessible 24/7. These measures have

increased security in the building, and are contributing to saving energy and security costs.

The idea of an OISE community lounge emerged from the strategic planning process during 2010-2011.

The Lounge was built during the summer of 2011 on the 12th floor, and is large and accessible with

panoramic views of the St. George Campus and Toronto city skyline. It is a place where our faculty, staff

and students can take a moment and spend some relaxing time reconnecting with their peers and sharing

ideas. Officially opened on November 24, 2011, the lounge is a very popular space which hosts

community events throughout the year. The rental fee charged for external community members who

wish to book the lounge provides an additional revenue source for OISE.

In February 2012, the OISE community was invited to suggest a name for the Lounge via an online

survey. Over 100 submissions were received from students, faculty and staff. They were narrowed to

three by the OISE Lounge Committee, and put forward to the OISE community for a final vote. The poll

closed with over 500 votes received, and with a 58% endorsement the name Nexus was agreed upon. The

rationale for the name was that Nexus would be a place of connection, meeting and coming together, a

perfect description for the OISE community and its new lounge space. On December 3, 2012 the OISE

Nexus Community Lounge was dedicated to the Honourable William G. Davis, 18th premier of Ontario

(and Minister of Education from 1962-71), whose historic contributions to education in Ontario, the

University of Toronto and OISE are widely celebrated.


95

One of the important priorities for 2015-2016 and beyond is to improve the usage of space for efficient

academic operations and community building. Changes to teacher education and the corresponding non-

academic staffing infrastructure changes have made timing ideal for such re-imagination and planning

activities. The goal is to re-think collectively how we can use the space at 252 Bloor West more

effectively and efficiently based on the following principles:

Building Community

Enhancing Way Finding & Branding

Optimizing Space Efficiency

Connecting to the University and the City

Bringing Natural Light into the Building Core

Finding Flexible Furniture Solutions

Mitigating Sound

Designing for Accessibility

Creating a Safe and Secure Environment for the community

Incorporating Sustainability

Integrating Technology

The more effective usage of space will lead to reduction of OISE’s footprint in the building, which in turn

provides operational savings for OISE. The majority of the basement space in the building has already

been vacated and returned to the University, which provides an annual saving of $190,000. Currently,

OISE has two space-saving pilot projects that are at different stages. One includes moving the Registrar’s

Office from the 4th floor to the 8th floor where the Student Services unit is currently located. This will

improve student experience and increase operational efficiencies by providing a physical one-stop

location for student services. The project has been approved by the University and it is on track for

completion early in 2016. The other project—at the consultation stage gathering user input—is to

improve space utilization within the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development.

The University of Toronto Schools

The University of Toronto Schools (UTS) located at 371 Bloor Street West is an independent secondary

school that, before 2006, was part of OISE, and subject to the University’s collective agreements and

processes. In 2006, UTS and the University signed a 15-year agreement designating the School as an

ancillary corporation of the University, and providing for the school’s financial independence while

maintaining operational and support linkages with the University of Toronto and OISE. The site at 371

Bloor Street continues to be the home of many students in OISE’s teacher education programs,

particularly those students in science, music and physical education. These facilities are adequate at best,

with many of the rooms in need of renewal. The science laboratories are especially in need of updating

and upgrading to better reflect the facilities that students may encounter in newer schools. UTS is in the

process of examining its plans for renovation and expansion. When these plans are finalized, OISE will

examine its options at UTS.

Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study and Laboratory School

Jackman ICS occupies the adjacent blocks of land at 45 Walmer Road and 56 Spadina Road. This site

houses the EJICS Laboratory School, the Dr. R.G.N. Laidlaw Research Centre, the MA-CSE program,

and the offices and research labs of OISE faculty affiliated with EJICS. In 2008, the adjacent lot at 58

Spadina Road was purchased to enable the construction of a much-needed expansion of EJICS. A $16

million capital project to expand the facility is well underway. The scope includes construction of a new

gymnasium/auditorium, additions of MA-CSE classrooms and renovation of the Lab School classroom.

The project is complex and challenging, involving neighbourhood consultation, city permit approvals,

funding challenges and construction constraints. Currently it is on track for construction in winter 2016.


96

Relationships with the University of Toronto Campuses & Divisions

Both formal and informal collaboration and partnerships are critically important to OISE’s programs and

research. A host of fruitful research, teaching and outreach relationships exist within OISE and between

OISE and other units at the University of Toronto.

Within OISE, departments work together to offer collaborative graduate programs and engage in cross-

departmental and cross-disciplinary research, especially through OISE’s 19 research centres and

institutes, the Indigenous Education Network (IEN) and the Indigenous Education Initiative, and

occasionally through faculty cross-appointments.

A variety of research collaborations exist between OISE and U of T, as well as other universities and

research institutions. Many OISE faculty are PIs, co-applicants and co-investigators on research teams

and networks involving researchers elsewhere at U of T, other universities and hospitals associated with

the University Health Network. Capitalizing on the opportunities for faculty research associated with

OISE’s lead role in the interdivisional Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development OISE faculty are

engaging with colleagues from other disciplines to create exciting new knowledge about developmental

trajectories.

Regarding collaboration and partnerships at the undergraduate level, OISE has been involved in Early

Teacher Programs with colleagues at the University of Toronto Scarborough and The University of

Toronto Mississauga, as well as in the conception, development and offering of the University of Toronto

Concurrent Teacher Education Program (CTEP). As CTEP winds down, the next phase of the fruitful

collaboration in teacher education between OISE and its undergraduate partners is the development of

Combined Degree Programs that lead from a variety of undergraduate pathways to graduate teacher

education in preparation for the teaching profession.

Collaboration at the graduate level is widespread. In addition to offering courses and supervising students

in the collaborative programs listed in Table 60 below, the OISE community is also enriched by the

contributions of cross-appointed and affiliate faculty from other divisions and institutions. The

University’s bi-campus framework for Clinical Psychology involving Psychology departments at OISE

and the University of Toronto Scarborough was established to improve access to clinical psychology

services in Ontario and Canada.

Early Teacher Programs

In early 2000s, OISE partnered with each the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) and the

University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) to prepare teachers in science and mathematics through the

Early Teacher Programs (ETP). The program guaranteed entry to OISE’s BEd program to undergraduate

science and mathematics students interested in becoming teachers who successfully completed the

program requirements. Program requirements included science or mathematics education courses,

practical experience and at least a B average in their best 15 undergraduate courses. OISE’s collaboration

in teacher education with UTM and UTSC through ETPs led to the inception and development of the

Concurrent Teacher Education Program, one of the largest and most complex collaborative undergraduate

programs at the University of Toronto.

Concurrent Teacher Education Programs

The University of Toronto Concurrent Teacher Education Program is the result of unique partnerships

established to enhance the undergraduate student experience by expanding teacher education across the

University of Toronto. The program draws on the knowledge and expertise of several U of T

undergraduate partners. Details of CTEP are described in section on teacher education.


97

Commencing in September 2015, a two year BEd program replaced the previous one year BEd program

in Ontario. As the BEd within CTEP is the equivalent of a one-year program, the University of Toronto

has ceased admission into CTEP. All students currently registered in CTEP programs are expected to

graduate by June 2018.

Combined Degree Programs

With the restructuring of teacher education in the Province of Ontario, and the move from a one year to

two year program for teacher education, CTEP programs have been closed to new admissions. In their

place, OISE and its undergraduate partners are developing proposals for the Combined Degree Programs

that lead to the teaching certification and build on the fruitful collaboration in teacher education.

The Combined Degree Programs will allow students interested in the teaching profession to apply to the

master’s program in Year 3 of undergraduate study. In addition to providing students with the opportunity

to gain early (conditional) graduate admission, the Combined Degree Programs will offer a clear pathway

towards the teaching profession and access to an enriched combination of academic programs. For

example, the undergraduate programs in combination will provide the students with an exceptional

content background required for teaching preparation including education focused courses and practical

experiences in educational settings. OISE’s two graduate teacher education programs that are combining

with the undergraduate programs (the MT and the MA-CSE) will provide students with a broader range of

career options in Canada and internationally, not only in the school system, but also in the private and

public sectors, or as a path to doctoral level education.

Students who successfully complete the Combined Degree Program, will have earned two University of

Toronto degrees—an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree— and be recommended to the Ontario

College of Teachers for a Certificate of Qualification, which certifies them to teach in Ontario schools.

The Combined Degree Program, Bachelor of Music: Stream in Music Education/Master of Teaching

(MT) (effective September 2015) was approved through governance both at OISE and at the Faculty of

Music in December 2014. Consultations are underway with academic leaders from the following U of T

divisions regarding the development of additional combined Bachelor’s/Masters programs that lead to

teaching certification: (1) Victoria College and (2) University of Toronto Scarborough – with the MT; and

(3) University of Toronto Mississauga – with the Master of Arts in Child Study and Education (MA-

CSE). Draft major modification proposals for these combined programs have been developed, and OISE

anticipates that these programs will receive governance approval during 2015-2016.

Collaborative Programs

Unique to U of T is the range of collaborative programs involving the cooperation of two or more

graduate units (departments, centres or institutes). Collaborative programs are intra‐university graduate

programs that provide an additional multidisciplinary experience for students enrolled in one of regular

graduate degree programs. Students meet the admission requirements of and register in the participating

(home) program, but complete, in addition to the degree requirements of that program, the additional

requirements for the collaborative program. The degree conferred is that of the home program, and the

completion of the collaborative program is indicated by a transcript notation. The Table below includes

the list of the University of Toronto Collaborative programs in which OISE is participating in addition to

other U of T divisions involved.


98

Table 60: University of Toronto Collaborative Programs in Which OISE is participating.

Program

OISE

Departments

U of T Divisions Involved

Degrees

Offered (OISE)

Aboriginal Health APHD, LHAE,

SJE

Arts and Science, Medicine, Nursing MEd, MA,

EdD, PhD

Addiction Studies APHD Applied Science and Engineering, Arts and Science,

Information, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social

Work

MA, PhD

Aging, Palliative and

Supportive Care Across the

Life Course

APHD, LHAE Arts and Science, Dentistry, Information, Medicine,

Nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Education and Health,

Social Work

MEd, MA,

EdD, PhD

Community Development APHD, LHAE Arts and Science, Medicine, Nursing, Social Work MEd, MA

Diaspora and Transnational

Studies

SJE Arts and Science MEd, MA,

EdD, PhD

Dynamics of Global Change LHAE Arts and Science, Law, Management, Medicine PhD

Engineering Education CTL Engineering MA, PhD

Environmental Studies LHAE, SJE Applied Science and Engineering, Arts and Science,

Forestry, Information, Management

MEd, MA,

EdD, PhD

Ethnic and Pluralism Studies LHAE, SJE Arts and Science, Nursing, Social Work MEd, MA,

EdD, PhD

Human Development APHD Medicine PhD

Knowledge Media Design CTL Applied Science and Engineering, Architecture, Arts

and Science, Information, Medicine

MEd MA,

PhD

Neuroscience APHD Arts and Science, Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy MA, PhD

Sexual Diversity Studies CTL, LHAE,

SJE

Arts and Science, Information, Law, Medicine,

Public Policy and Governance, Physical Education

and Health

MEd, MA,

EdD, PhD

South Asian Studies SJE Arts and Science, Music, Social Work MEd, MA,

EdD, PhD

Women and Gender Studies

(CWGS)

CTL, LHAE,

SJE

Arts and Science, Information, Law, Medicine,

Nursing, Physical Education and Health, Social Work

MEd, MA,

EdD, PhD

In addition to the collaborative programs presented in the above Table, OISE is the lead faculty for the

following collaborative programs:

Comparative, International and Developmental Education

Educational Policy

Workplace Learning and Social Change

These programs are housed in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education.

Undergraduate Course Development Fund

The Undergraduate Course Development Fund (UCDF) was established in 2011-2012 by the Provost to

foster ongoing, mutually beneficial teaching relationships between graduate only divisions and divisions

that offer undergraduate degree programs. The UCDF was originally funded on a pilot basis, but has since

been established as a continuing program. Going forward, the UCDF supports the development and

delivery by graduate only divisions of specific innovative undergraduate courses of interest to particular

undergraduate programs, allowing U of T undergraduate students to have access to the full range of

world-class faculty at U of T. Through this program, annual funding is provided to the graduate unit for

approved courses based on total course enrolment. Sections with enrolment of at least 20, receive funding

of $25,000. Over the last three years, 60 such courses have been developed, with UCDF funding now

totalling $1.5 million per year.


99

All of OISE’s academic departments have participated in undergraduate teaching in the Faculty of Arts

and Science through participation in UCDF. In addition to the opportunity for interdivisional teaching and

collaboration, participation in this program represents a recruitment and revenue generating opportunity

for OISE. In 2014-2015, nine courses were offered for a total of $225,000 in funding for OISE.

Bi-campus Framework for Clinical and Counselling Psychology

During 2012-2013, under the leadership of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs, a Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) was signed between the University of Toronto Scarborough and OISE,

establishing a framework for the current and future development of Clinical Psychology as a tri-campus

program at the University of Toronto. This MOU is in keeping with the principles and objectives of the

University of Toronto’s Towards 2030 long-range planning document including: (1) the development of

graduate programs on all three campuses; and (2) non-duplication of doctoral stream graduate programs

across the three campuses.

Under the MOU, OISE’s existing program in Counselling Psychology, accredited by the Canadian

Psychological Association, has been renamed ‘Counselling and Clinical Psychology’ with two fields:

‘Clinical and Counselling Psychology’ which will be based largely at OISE and ‘Clinical Psychology’,

based largely at UTSC. Despite huge student demand to get into the field, the ratio of clinical

psychologists to the general population in Ontario remains low. Adding a field in clinical psychology

focused on adult mental health, enhances the existing range of clinical psychology programs at the

University of Toronto, which includes School and Clinical Child Psychology and the recently renamed

Counselling and Clinical Psychology Program. The collaboration between UTSC and OISE increases

student access to clinical psychological research, while training in Counselling and Clinical Psychology

provides more opportunities to students to specialize in research, diagnosis and training in adult mental

health and well-being.

Higher Education Program

The Higher Education program housed in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education

opened the door for collaboration with units, centers and colleagues from across the University. For

example, in offering the Health Professional Education field within the program, OISE collaborates with

the Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and the Wilson Centre—an internationally renowned multi-

and inter-disciplinary research centre in healthcare education and practice—through participation of

cross-appointed faculty from these faculties and centres at OISE. Endorsed by the Office of Vice-

President, Human Resources and Equity at the University of Toronto, the post-secondary certificate in

Leadership in Higher Education represents a significant professional development opportunity for the

University of Toronto staff since its inception in 2007.


100

External Relations

OISE’s external relations goal is to improve the quality of education by fostering effective internal and

external relationships. This aspiration entails recognition by the most diverse, respected and effective

partnerships in education—locally, nationally and globally. To date, OISE is known for the work of its

highly regarded scholars, its research grants’ successes, its partnerships with schools and post-secondary

institutions and its impact on practice and public policy. Naturally, OISE’s reputational progress is

informed by the quality of its network of 100,000 graduates and those who continue to choose to pursue

their studies here. OISE is committed to capitalizing on this network and building on these achievements

to extend and improve its external relations profile.

OISE’s development activities, such as annual giving, small and major gifts and larger capital campaigns,

have been met with some recent success, providing an encouraging base upon which to build a stronger

and more effective approach going forward. External relations also encompass alumni engagement,

informed by the simple fact that developing a long-term commitment to OISE begins not with graduation

but with their first acceptance into the institution. Beyond fostering fond memories and alumni gift

giving, this commitment extends to a desire to learn from the alumni community about how best to move

forward. OISE’s approach to the external world also includes community outreach and public events as it

aims to expand reciprocal relationships with increasingly diverse partners. It is through the ideas arising

from the excellent research of faculty and students and more effective approaches to knowledge

mobilization that these ideas improve both practice and policy in driving higher quality human

development. OISE also recognizes that successful external relations efforts must extend to strategic

communications and the creation of a clear brand that corresponds to the reality of its outstanding

academic programs.

Alumni Engagement

Over the past three years, the portfolio of Alumni Programs and External Relations has evolved

significantly with the recruitment of a new Associate Director, Alumni Programs and External Relations.

This position serves as the primary liaison between OISE and its approximately 100,000 alumni, and also

works closely with the members of the OISE Alumni Association.

Alumni programming efforts are focused on engaging alumni and students through meaningful and

enriching experiences with OISE, the University and with each other. Through the development and

delivery of communications, programming, services, volunteer and philanthropic opportunities, the aim of

alumni engagement is to inspire increased levels of alumni pride, engagement and support for OISE and

the University of Toronto. In recent years, a number of initiatives have been taken to improve the quality

of alumni engagement. The following are few key accomplishments and impacts:

A multi-year Alumni Relations Strategic Plan has been developed with the participation and

involvement of key internal and external stakeholders;

Successfully renewed the energy and enthusiasm of the OISE Alumni Association Executive

Council with the installation of a new President, and the recruitment of 16 new alumni members

to the Association;

Established Alumni Chapters and Networks in Canada, US, UK, Hong Kong, and China, with

many more in progress;

Hosted events for OISE alumni coordinated with Dean and senior leadership team travel (to the

UK, Beijing, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Victoria, Vancouver and Newfoundland);

Launched a campaign to identify and locate alumni starting with recent graduate years (contact

information was updated for over 1,300 alumni to date with a 4% increase in number of alumni

found);


101

Expanded scope and scale of intellectual/academic offerings for students, alumni, friends and

donor audiences (such as the OISE MOOC on Aboriginal Worldviews, OISE Alumni & Friends

Leadership Series, U of T in the Neighbourhood, Stress-Free Degrees, Webinars, Career

Workshops and Continuing and Professional Learning Opportunities);

Alumni participation and volunteerism continues to rise (e.g. record attendance at the OISE

Spring Reunion—125 guests in attendance);

Effectively promoted the OISE alumni brand internally, locally and globally (e.g. marketed the

new OISE lapel pin, 66% increase in sales revenue for OISE merchandise, WITH OISE I CAN

signage and posters.

Since 2013, a number of systems and practices have been established to communicate broadly with

alumni around the world, including an Alumni & Friends website, an eNewsletter and various social

media channels. The launch of the alumni newsletter provides a forum for sharing the latest OISE

news, research, events and alumni stories and accomplishments. There has been a significant

percentage increase in the open rate from 23% to 35%. Social media platforms including Facebook,

LinkedIn and Twitter are also being used effectively to engage alumni with each other and with OISE.

Table 61: Alumni Communication/Social Media Activity Statistics

Communication Vehicle

Frequency of

Distribution or

Number of posts

per month

2013-2014 2014-2015

OISE Alumni & Friends

Newsletter

Quarterly 22,000 emails 30,000 emails

Facebook 26-30 994 Fans 1,231 Fans

LinkedIn Group 5-6 posts 1,389 Members 1,600+ Members

Twitter 20-25 764 Followers 1,092 Followers

Other (Instagram,

YouTube)

Ongoing E-Greeting video – 5,500 opens E-Greeting video –

7,000+ opens

Table 62: Activity statistics and projections

Strengthening Connections between Alumni and Students

In 2014-15, the OISE Mentorship Program was launched. The aim of this robust program is to foster a

culture of alumni involvement and engagement by developing a sense of affinity between students and

alumni. Over 700 prospective alumni mentors and student mentees have registered to participate

in the program. 90 students have already successfully been matched through the program. The

Mentorship Program provides a great opportunity for alumni from around the world to engage

with OISE and the University of Toronto and make a huge difference in students’ lives.

A new partnership between OISE and Jobs in Education further strengthens connections by providing

alumni and students exclusive access to career opportunities and resources. OISE has also developed a

Activity Actuals 2013-

14

Actuals 2014-15 Projections 2015-16

Number of events to which alumni were invited: 12 15 15-20

Of the number of events to which alumni were invited, how

many were academic offerings:

3 4 TBD

Number of event attendees (alumni/friends): 1,300+ 1,623 1,700+

Number of volunteers including development volunteers: 45 53 55-60

Number of Alumni Relations face-to-face meetings with

alumni:

52 60 75+


102

revenue-generating referral program whereby employers and recruiters pay a small fee for advertising job

opportunities to alumni and students.

The alumni office collaborates extensively with academic departments and offices and is involved

throughout the entire academic career cycle of OISE students, including open houses, orientations, award

ceremonies, networking events, career workshops, convocations and beyond. This investment is

necessary to build and strengthen lifelong relationships with OISE’s students, the alumni of the future.

What’s Ahead

OISE has also initiated the process of developing segmented alumni programming, events and services to

attract the following target audiences:

OISE Alumni in the GTA

Regional and Ethnic Groups

Young Alumni (5-10 years of graduation)

Mid-Career (aged 35-55 years)

Pre-retirement (aged 55 to 70+)

Plans are underway to leverage the University’s tracking metrics to measure OISE’s impact in order to

adapt and improve ongoing work to ensure the full measure of our Alumni engagement potential is

captured.

Community Outreach and Public Events

OISE has vibrant and plentiful intellectual capital, a community of scholars who have the breadth, the

depth and the resources to make huge differences to the world. In its outward contributions this

community is motivated by the belief that education will be at the centre of Canada’s ability to be

successful economically, to create social cohesion and to provide the opportunities students need to make

a difference to a better future domestically and internationally. OISE thus aspires to foster diverse

audiences united in their desire to be a part of significant, positive change and has adopted a strategic

approach to community outreach based on sustaining and enhancing global leadership and impact. This

strategic approach includes:

Welcoming delegations of researchers and educators from around the world;

Providing professional development programs for educational administrators, higher education

leaders and teachers, including second language instruction, system reform and school

improvement;

Welcoming international students come from 150+ countries (the top 5 are China, South Korea,

the United States, India and Hong Kong);

Nurturing partnerships with universities and research institutions in all regions of the world.

This convening and brokering role is best illustrated by OISE’s varied offering of public events, which

include:

The R.W.B. Jackson Lecture series was established as a tribute to the founding director of OISE,

R.W.B. Jackson, who served as the Institute's director from 1965-1975. This annual lecture

presents outstanding educational leaders speaking on major social and educational issues. The

series is funded by donations from friends, colleagues, alumni, and educational and charitable

institutions. The Spring 2013 Jackson Lecture featured a conversation on First Nations’

Education in Canada with The Hon. Paul Martin and Dr. Shawn A-in-chut Atleo. The event

attracted over 400 community members in person (and over 200 members watched online).


103

The Robbie Case Memorial Lecture features a speaker who brings the educational and

psychology community, and others, together, to help advance our understanding of children’s

development and learning.

OISE Research Celebration showcases OISE faculty and students who achieve excellence,

innovation, and leadership in research during the past academic year through event poster

presentations, information tables, and multimedia displays.

Graduate Students’ Research Conference is an inclusive and accessible space for showcasing

student inquires at all stages. It provides a rich platform for exchange of ideas across departments,

disciplines and programs. It is an event that gives graduate students the opportunity to share and

discuss their original research contributions while gaining experience in a formal academic

conference setting. Students submit and use course work, directed study projects, internship or

practicum projects, and other forms of inquiry and research.

OISE has been active hosting international delegations and continues to forge international initiatives

with regions from around the world, making it a truly global institution. Some of these initiatives have

resulted in several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) that allow faculty members to further develop

research and programmatic collaboration with partners from Canada and around the world. The table

below includes a list of MOUs sighed over the past five years.

Table 63: MOUs Signed 2010-2015

Name of

Organization

Country Name of PI Date

Signed

Purpose

Azim Premji

Foundation

Fellowship

India Jane

Gaskell

2010 Graduate Students Scholarships

Beijing Normal

University

China Jane

Gaskell

2010 Academic exchange and cooperation

Jiangsu Education

Services for

International

Exchange

China Barbara

Bodkin

2010 Continuing Education focused

Sampurna Montfort

College

India Roy

Moodley

2010 Adult education focused. Student mobility, joint research, research

collaboration

Toronto District

School Board

Canada Lana

Stermac

2010 Cross-cultural educational understanding

Korea Institute for

Curriculum and

Evaluation (KICE)

South

Korea

Eunice

Jang

2011 Methods of cooperation, joint research, exchange information

Toronto District

School Board

Canada Karen

Mundy

2012 Study cross-cultural educational understanding, the processes involved,

and the nature of cross-cultural education with schools in China

Shanghai Normal

University

China Karen

Mundy

2012 Canadian trained and certified students from Shanghai

Université de

Montréal

Canada Lance

McCready

2013 The exchange of faculty members and graduate students. The mobilization

of knowledge. Experiences and identity of youth; equity and outcomes,

multilingualism and pedagogy, teacher training

University of

Western Cape

South

Africa

Roy

Moodley

2014 The MOU will facilitate cooperation between the Centers for Diversity in

Counselling which are housed at both universities.

Zhejian Normal

University

China Kang Lee 2015 Joint research collaboration, faculty/student exchange, establish a lab at

OISE

Embu University Kenya Njoki

Nathani

Wane

2015 Joint research collaborations with the Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism

Studies and with the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study. Areas of

focus to include: joint conferences, webinars, joint publications,

collaborative research initiatives, visiting scholars. Also, Master of

Teaching Program and faculty mentorship an student practicums

Aga Khan

University

Pakistan University

Relations

2015 Joint research collaboration, faculty/student exchange, courses, co-hosting

lectures, meetings, seminars, conferences


104

Toronto Area

Internship

Consortium in

Clinical Psychology

Canada Earl

Woodruff

2015 Training programs for interns to develop competencies in the areas of

pshychological practice

Knowledge Mobilization: Improving Policy and Practice

It is through the creation and utilization of compelling and promising research that the best ideas will

have an impact on practice improvement and policy development. The Office of the Associate Dean

Research, International and Innovation prepares a quarterly electronic newsletter with links to full stories

on the OISE research website. These stories aim to showcase faculty research news, newly funded

projects, faculty publications and faculty research interests. The OISE research website also includes

summaries of funded faculty research grants and projects.

Knowledge mobilization affecting real change requires more than the publication of results or the mailing

of a report. Evidence-based improvement and change flows from respectful and reciprocal partnerships

among and between the researchers who make evidence, the practitioners who deliver education and the

policy-makers who can take a good idea that has been implemented well in a single educational

environment and expand its reach through changes to policy. Practitioners who are asked by researchers

for input into a research project at the outset are more likely to be excited and take ownership of results.

OISE wants to inspire educators to be evidence-driven in their practice and policy makers to be evidence-

based in their work.

OISE has made significant progress in this regard. For example, OISE researchers have had a direct and

major impact on Ontario’s development, implementation and ongoing research regarding full day learning

for four and five year olds. As a result, 250,000 children are now participating in our world-class full day

junior and senior kindergarten. Bringing together educators, researchers, community partners and policy-

makers was essential to this accomplishment. OISE’s ongoing efforts involve bringing together deputy

ministers and their policy leadership, OISE/University of Toronto researchers and key practitioners for

informal conversations about each other’s priorities and aspirations to foster greater understanding about

emerging collaborative possibilities. Expanding this convening role holds promise for strengthening this

partnership model of change and impact.

In 2014, the Associate Dean Research, International and Innovation participated on the Vice-President,

Research and Innovation’s Research Advisory Board Knowledge Mobilization Committee. The

Committee identified specific University goals and objectives in advancing a knowledge mobilization

strategy with recommended next steps. The work of the Committee will be implemented beginning in

2015-16.

Indigenous Education Initiative

A year ago, OISE received a $5-million gift from an anonymous donor—the largest donation ever made

to a Canadian faculty of education for Indigenous education research—to strengthen Indigenous

education research in Canada by establishing a fellowship and launching a comprehensive five year

initiative exploring the educational needs and aspirations of Indigenous peoples.

Broadening the contexts of OISE’s scholarship as it relates to Indigenous worldviews and perspectives,

the Indigenous Education Initiative (IEI) aims to create and mobilize knowledge for uptake in policy that

reflects and respects the educational needs and aspirations of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples and

enriches education for all Canadians. The strategic objectives of this initiative are to:

Position OISE and the University of Toronto as the global leader in Indigenous education

research;


105

Establish effective partnerships with Indigenous organizations, governmental and non-

governmental organizations, and the private sector;

Spearhead ground-breaking research;

Mobilize knowledge for the purposes of uptake in public policy;

Enrich public education.

Supporting important dialogue on the advancement and achievement of these objectives, the IEI will be

organized around research programs by topics that are relevant to Indigenous education and in particular,

to the Aboriginal peoples of Canada. Research programs will support the mobilization through Research

Catalyst Grants open to OISE community members actively involved in Indigenous education research.

The IEI follows the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS) on research involving the First Nations, Inuit

and Métis peoples of Canada and grounds its research program on Aboriginal research, defined as:

Research in any field or discipline that is conducted by, grounded in, or engaged with, First

Nations, Inuit or Métis communities, societies or individuals and their wisdom, cultures,

experiences or knowledge systems, as expressed in their dynamic forms, past and present.

Aboriginal research embraces the intellectual, physical, emotional and/or spiritual dimensions of

knowledge in creative and interconnected relationships with people, places and the natural

environment. (TCPS 2015)

All research associated with the IEI must demonstrate alignment with this definition and must follow the

Social Science and Research Council Guidelines for the Merit Review of Aboriginal Research (SSHRC,

2015).

The IEI has a Director who reports to the Dean of OISE, and an Advisory Committee comprised of Elders

in Residence at OISE, members of the IEI Office and at least one faculty member from each department

with an expertise in Indigenous education. The Advisory Committee is responsible for overseeing the

development and implementation of the IEI, and connects to the Aboriginal Advisory Council at OISE, a

body consisting of members of Aboriginal communities and community-based organizations.

During its first year, the IEI focused on reviewing the current policy context of literacy and language

education as an Indigenous right. With the support of Distinguished William A. MacDonald, Q.C. Fellow

in Indigenous Education Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, the IEI engaged in major forums in Canada and

internationally to explore opportunities for advancing Indigenous languages and cultures as a key to

education and a cornerstone for reconciliation.

Supported by the Dean and OISE’s senior academic and administrative leadership, the IEI will continue

to evolve and generate new knowledge relevant to the study and practice of education in both Indigenous

and non-Indigenous societies around the world.

Development

Garnering support for the important work of OISE—raising funds for student scholarships, endowed

chairs, securing donor gifts large and small, and developing a major campaign—is ultimately about

“friend-raising.” Despite an unfortunately high turnover rate in our senior development leadership

position over the past several years, relationship-building continues to grow. As a result, through the

efforts of the Associate Director, Development, the staff and volunteers for the capital campaign, and the

Division of University Advancement, development activities have raised close to $20,000,000 in the last

five years. The majority of these funds were directed to the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study’s

capital campaign. The remaining donations were designated to programs like the Indigenous Education

Initiative, OISE’s Psychology Clinic, the N. S. Robertson Program for Inquiry Teaching of Mathematics


106

and Science (at ICS) and scholarships/fellowships. The following chart provides major gift results by

fiscal year for the period 2010-2011 to 2014-20115:

Table 64: Major gift results by fiscal year for the period 2010-2011 to 2014-2015

Fiscal Year Pledges and OTO donations

of $25K+

Total donors

2014-2015 $5,694,794 9

2013-2014 $1,065,235 12

2012-2013 $896,850 8

2011-2012 $8,218,000 6

2010-2011 $1,658,578 9

OISE’s annual fund and Leadership Annual Giving programs have raised an average of $267,526 per year

over the past five years. Through relationship-building activities, several major gifts have been secured

from this pool of donors. OISE also receives an annual average of two bequest intentions with a total

estimated value of $177,378 per year.

Moving forward, OISE is building on the success of the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study’s

capital campaign, and is poised to establish a new set of fundraising priorities and an advisory board.

Some very promising emerging short-term priorities are being pursued alongside the development of a

relevant and compelling medium- to long-term campaign.

Additionally, the aforementioned IEI is a very promising and critically important priority for

development. The IEI aims at forging new partnerships among Indigenous peoples in Canada,

government agencies, non-government organizations and the private sector with the aim of pursuing vital

avenues of inquiry that will enrich the futures of Indigenous people. Inspired by this initiative, OISE will

aim to secure additional ongoing funding from external sources. With the help and guidance of the

University’s advancement leadership, OISE aspires to improve upon its success in securing the kind of

support necessary to improving the understanding and experience of education, locally and globally.

Strategic Communications

OISE recognizes that efforts to further the impact of its researchers on educational practice and policy

must be informed by effective internal and external communications. There is much to do in this area.

OISE has a good reputation for its research and expertise among policy makers, industry professionals,

the media and the general public. However, sharing the remarkable stories of the institution has

traditionally been reactive to requests and only mildly proactive in terms of generating coverage. Because

of its well-respected reputation, many audiences are interested in hearing the about the accomplishments

of OISE. This receptivity poses a great opportunity not yet fully capitalized on. The communications

tactics used in the past have included media relations activities, website updates of news and events, and

social media updates (YTD: Twitter – 6,890 followers; Facebook – 526 fans; Instagram – 44 followers;

YouTube – 328 subscribers). The gap that still exists consists in connecting the internal OISE audience

more strategically with all types of external communications efforts. Going forward, OISE will adopt a

new integrated approach to external relations to ensure that effective communications permeate all

aspects of the institution’s activities. OISE’s new strategic communications goals are to:

Greatly improve internal communications and connections to ensure that the better understanding

arising will contribute to renewal efforts, reaching for higher quality outcomes while reducing

unnecessary and expensive redundancies through horizontal innovation among and between

academic departments;


107

Ensure strong and effective support to student recruitment leadership to help achieve enrolment

targets, as well as to professional and continuing education leadership to assist in securing

important global and domestic partnerships;

Establish a Dean’s Strategic Directions Group of highly experienced and diverse Canadian

leaders to provide innovative ideas and advice regarding initiatives and proposals arising from

within, thereby growing the quality and number of well-informed external OISE ambassadors

while benefitting from their experience and expertise;

Establish a quick response desk that media and others can contact for timely and knowledgeable

information on OISE;

Provide professional development to faculty for effective media response and editorial support in

reaching out to non-academic communication outlets;

Further develop and enhance OISE’s ability to engage in “evidence-based story telling” to wide

publics – this proactive work aims to vastly increase visibility for the high value work of faculty

and student research;

Improve digital and social media communications by undergoing a website review informed by

analytics intended to better deliver information, as well as zeroing in on social media content

strategy designed to expand OISE’s reach and engagement;

Ensure an integrated approach to external affairs work that includes efforts such as piggy-backing

on special Alumni “breakfasts,” featuring OISE faculty delivering lectures in the global arena – in

this way, in the course of their scholarly travels, OISE professors will increasingly become global

ambassadors for both alumni development and recruitment of future graduate students.

Going Forward

There are two key principles that will take OISE much further regarding its impact on improving lifelong

learning and partnerships, in Canada and globally. First, quality external relations must begin within the

organization. Effective external communications, “friend-raising,” partnership development and

influencing better policies and practice can only improve if OISE’s remarkable human resources are

marshalled more effectively. Second, the entire approach to internal and external effectiveness must be

integrating and integrated. Bringing together those who make evidence, those who make policies in

government and those who provide direct service to learners is essential. Fostering respectful and

reciprocal relationships among and between these often isolated cultures will guide efforts to achieve a

higher impact, as will the “evidence-based story-telling” that provides a deserving public with compelling

information about why their support is so critical to our collective future.


108

It is through connecting and integrating our many worthy but often “isolated” efforts—through improving

internal partnerships and communications—that OISE can move forward with a future that honours its

legacy while motivating its community to be more innovative and productive with external relationships.

This integration is essential to OISE’s aspiration to have an increasingly greater impact on the continuous

improvement of the quality of the educational experience for the many, both locally and globally.


109

Looking Ahead

Note: This section will be completed after community input.

Opportunities & Challenges

Future Directions


110

List of Appendices

Note: Appendices, many of which are publicly available documents, will be integrated in a separate

document i.e. “OISE Self-Study: Appendices”

Appendix 1: OISE Strategic Plan 2010-2015

Appendix 2: UTQAP Reviews: Final Assessment Reports/Implementation Plans

Appendix 3: OISE Strategic Plan: Progress Report September 2014

Appendix 4: OISE Viewbook 2016-2017

Appendix 5: OISE Teaching Excellence Awards – Past Winners

Appendix 6: OISE’s Departmental Restructuring Proposal

Appendix 7: OISE Organizational Chart 2015-2016

Date post:	05-Aug-2020
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	0 times
Download:	0 times

Ontario Institute for Studies in Educationcmsnew.oise.utoronto.ca/oise/UserFiles/File/OISE... ·...

Documents