Interim Dean Community Update - September 13, 2021

Date:

Dear OISE Faculty, Staff and Students,

I wish to welcome everyone back to the OISE academic year 2021/22 and hope that even with the ongoing public health challenges, you have had some rest and respite over the summer.

Many at OISE have been very busy over the summer preparing for the academic term and carefully monitoring the University of Toronto campus status.  OISE will sustain our people and our community, ensuring vibrant academic programs, supporting innovative research, and committing to service and outreach activities.

Today, I have several pieces of very important information to share with you, including:

  • New Faculty Appointment
  • Tenure and Promotion
  • Part-time Continuing Appointments
  • COVID-19 Protocols & Precautions: September 2021 and Beyond

 

New Faculty Appointment

I am very pleased to announce that the search for a tenure stream position in Black Studies in Education has now concluded, and that another exceptional new colleague will be joining our faculty this fall. This is in addition to six new appointments that were announced by Dean Glen Jones in his June 30, 2021 message. I would like to thank the search committee for its expertise and diligence throughout the search process.

Dr. Amal Madibbo begins an appointment at the rank of Associate Professor in the Department of Social Justice Education, effective September 1, 2021. Dr. Madibbo received her PhD in 2004 from OISE, and from 2007 to 2021 was an Assistant Professor, then Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Calgary. In 2020-21 she was also Fellow in Residence in Global & International Studies at Carleton University. Her research is in the area of Black Studies and their intersections with the sociology of education, the Francophonie, minority education, critical pedagogy, migration, diaspora and transnationalism, African Studies, and critical multiculturalism. Her first book, Minority within a Minority: Black Francophone Immigrants and the Dynamics of Power and Resistance (Routledge, 2006) drew attention to the concept of minority within a minority in the Canadian Francophonie. Dr. Madibbo’s forthcoming book, Blackness and la Francophonie: Anti-Black Racism, Linguicism and the Construction and Negotiation of Multiple Minority Identities (Laval University Press, 2021) delves into the complexity of the exclusion of multiple minority identities against the backdrop of anti-Black racism, linguistic discrimination, slavery, and colonialism and neo-colonialism, along with resilience against identity exclusion. Dr. Madibbo has held visiting appointments at universities in Sudan, Rwanda, and Senegal, and is the recipient of numerous awards including the Embassy of Sudan in Canada Award of Recognition (2018) and the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women Award (2016).

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Madibbo on her appointment and in welcoming her to OISE!

 

Tenure and Promotion

I am delighted to share the news that two outstanding members of our community were recently approved for tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor:

Dr. Carol-Ann Burke of the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning has been awarded tenure and promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, effective July 1, 2021. Dr. Burke’s research is centered on exploring equity and inclusion in systems of education, particularly science education and science teacher education, to inform the practice of educators. Her work critically examines science and STEM education using postcolonial and other critical frameworks, with a view to broadening the participation of individuals minoritized in education systems, including underrepresented youth. She also investigates the nature of interdisciplinary academic collaboration.

Dr. Miglena Todorova of the Department of Social Justice Education has been awarded tenure and promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, effective July 1, 2021. Dr. Todorova’s research focuses on the areas of: women, race, ideology and empires; and women, transnationalism and education. Her work is grounded in the multidisciplinary field of transnational feminism, contributing new knowledge and critical interventions to challenge and enrich existing paradigms in established disciplines. Her research interests also extend to gendered and sexual violence prevention in higher education, critical social and cultural theories, critical media literacy education, postsocialism, and globalization.

Please join me in congratulating both of these exceptional faculty members on their well-deserved achievement! I would also like to thank the members of the 2020-21 tenure committees for their important work.

 

Part-time Continuing Appointments

The university’s new Policy and Procedures on Employment Conditions of Part-time Faculty allows, for the first time, the granting of continuing appointments rather than limited term appointments to part-time faculty who have held six years of successive part-time academic appointments and undergone review.

I am very proud to announce that based on their long service and many contributions to their programs, departments, and OISE, the following seven faculty members have been awarded continuing part-time appointments, effective July 1, 2021:

  • Dr. Mary Caravias, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development
  • Dr. Jody Chong, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development
  • Dr. Katharine Janzen, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education
  • Dr. Caroline Manion, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education
  • Dr. Jennifer Sumner, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education
  • Mr. Marvin Zuker, Associate Professor, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education
  • Dr. Debby Zweig, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development

These continuing appointments provide long-deserved recognition from the university of the essential contributions made by part-time faculty members to teaching, scholarship, and service in our academic programs. Please join me in congratulating these valued colleagues on the achievement of this milestone!

 

COVID-19 Protocols & Precautions: September 2021 and Beyond

As we prepare to welcome back students, faculty, and staff to the OISE building for another exciting term, we have put into place new protocols to ensure the safety of community members while on campus (see the detailed plan for the Fall here). This information is subject to change and may be updated as new information becomes available, or directives from the University of Toronto or Public Health agencies evolve.

I encourage you to visit [link removed] to learn more about the protocol in place for the Fall and how the University is keeping you safe. You can also stay up-to-date on the latest COVID-19 information as it relates to building procedures and policies by regularly visiting the Chief Administrative Officer’s community information page at https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/covid-19

The following is a summary of important information regarding vaccination and building protocol.

Vaccination:

As you will already be aware, all members of our community who come onto U of T campuses in the fall must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and are required to upload proof of vaccination through UCheck. The expectation is that all members of the community will have their first dose by September 13, 2021 and to be fully vaccinated by Oct 29, 2021.

Home rapid antigen screening test kit

For those interested in accessing free at-home rapid antigen screening as a supplemental protection measure, the University is making them available for those with a UTORid. Details on this program can be found here.

Access to the building:

  1. Book your space in the building by using the Online Building Access Booking Form. University classroom booking information is available on that site for your reference.
  2. Complete a health screening assessment via UCheck on the same day before you leave home, and have your green UCheck risk assessment screen ready on a device to show to building security.
  3. Wear your mask, follow the posted directional signs, and observe the physical distancing protocols. Elevator capacity is limited to a maximum of two (2) users per car at this time.

 

I wish everyone a terrific start to the term!

Thank you,

 

Normand Labrie, Ph.D., FRSC
Professor and Interim Dean