Congratulations to Dr. Kathryn Ricketts, who has agreed to assume the role of Director of the Professional Development and Field Experiences as of July 1, 2020 for a 3-year term.

In-school Field Experiences have been a defining feature of our Faculty since its inception. Each program in the faculty contains at least three major practicum experiences. The first-year practicum experience is an introduction to schools, an exploration of the various roles in education. More extensive development occurs in the pre-internship year. It is at this level that students experience the link between theory and practice since education courses over two semesters are coordinated with the practicum. An intensive 16-week internship, under the daily supervision of a cooperating teacher, has over the years become the ‘flagship’ of the Faculty of Education. The two-day Internship Seminar for cooperating teachers and interns, which has a long history of strong support by the partners in education in Saskatchewan, is unique in Canada.

A Note from the Dean to the Students, Faculty, and Staff of the Faculty of Education

Let me begin by thanking everyone in the University, Faculty, and broader education-sector community for their caring and efforts. It will make a positive difference. The past 24 hours and past few days have been disconcerting for many of us and as the level of uncertainty about the impact of COVID-19 has mounted, so too has the need for us to make decisions we never could have imagined making just days ago. That is true not just for those of us who hold administrative roles in the Faculty but also for many of you.

People are understandably nervous and worried as our lives are being impacted in unsettling ways. But the past few days and weeks have demonstrated that we are also caring and thoughtful. It has also become clear how committed people are to take care of each other and our communities. In that light, I will encourage each of us to continue to focus on what we can do to support our families, students, colleagues, and the communities we live in rather than becoming frozen by the prospect of what we cannot do.

We are going to make mistakes as we try to move things forward, and things will not be perfect. However, I commit that I, the Faculty’s Administrative Team, and all of our colleagues will continue to work together in the best ways we can. Finally, I would like to express a sincere thank you to all of you for your extraordinary efforts to-date and as we continue over the weeks to come.

Jerome Cranston, Ph.D.

Dean | Professor Faculty of Education
Faculty of Education

Quebec City ACDE Statement of Commitment

October 23, 2019

Recognizing that every Faculty, College, School and Department of Education and the Universities exist within the lands of Indigenous peoples:

We, the Deans of Education from all regions of Canada, are deeply concerned about the climate emergency and environmental crisis. Local, regional, and global air and water pollution; extractive technologies; accumulation and distribution of toxic wastes; destruction and depletion of forests, soil, and water threaten the survival of the planet, the integrity of the earth and its biodiversity, the security of nations, Indigenous peoples, and future generations. These environmental changes are caused by inequitable and unsustainable production and consumption patterns that aggravate poverty in many regions of the world.

We believe that urgent actions are needed to address these fundamental problems and reverse the trends. We acknowledge the work undertaken by the world in creating the UNSDGs, with associated goals and indicators. Stabilization of human population, adoption of environmentally sound industrial and agricultural technologies, reforestation, and ecological restoration are crucial elements in creating an equitable and sustainable future in harmony with nature.

We recognize that our actions as Faculties, Colleges, Schools, and Departments of Education are complicit in this critical trajectory. We have a responsibility and opportunity to make a difference.

We recognize the power of education to transform practice. Faculties, Colleges, Schools, and Departments of Education have a major role in the education, research, policy formation, and information exchange necessary to make these goals possible. This is a social and an ethical responsibility. We must act.

We, therefore, make the following commitments:

• We commit to processes of relationship building and engagement with the local communities to which we belong, beginning with Indigenous peoples.
• We commit to act in ways that add to the equitable and sustainable future of the planet.
  Within our own Faculties/Schools/Colleges/Departments and wider universities, we commit to reduce our environmental impact.
• We commit to support each other within ACDE to transform our practices in ways that add to the equitable and sustainable future of the planet; through reporting and sharing challenges and good practices.

By engaging in these actions, we recognize we are making a difference now and in the future. As we make these commitments, we are moving towards the creation of the ACDE Accord for Education for a Sustainable Future, which will be a living accord among Canada’s Deans of Education.

This Commitment has been influenced by The Talloires Declaration – La declaration Talloires (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talloires_Declaration).

Ebauche : Déclaration d’engagement d’ACDE à Québec

Reconnaissant que chaque faculté / école / collège / département d’éducation et université existe sur le territoire des peuples autochtones:

Reconnaissant qu’il existe chaque faculté / école / collège / département de l’éducation et université sur les terres des peuples autochtones: Nous, doyens de l’éducation de toutes les régions du Canada, sommes profondément préoccupés par l’urgence climatique et la crise environnementale. La pollution de l’air et de l’eau aux niveaux local, régional et mondial; technologies extractives; accumulation et distribution de déchets toxiques; la destruction et l’épuisement des forêts, des sols et de l’eau menacent la survie de la planète, l’intégrité de la terre et sa biodiversité, la sécurité des nations, des peuples autochtones et des générations futures.

Ces changements environnementaux sont causés par des modes de production et de consommation inéquitables et non durables qui aggravent la pauvreté dans de nombreuses régions du monde.

Nous pensons que des mesures urgentes sont nécessaires pour résoudre ces problèmes fondamentaux et inverser les tendances.

Nous reconnaissons le travail entrepris par le monde pour créer les UNSDG, avec les objectifs et les indicateurs associés. La stabilisation de la population humaine, l’adoption de technologies industrielles et agricoles respectueuses de l’environnement, le reboisement et la restauration écologique sont des éléments cruciaux pour la création d’un avenir équitable et durable, en harmonie avec la nature. Nous reconnaissons que nos actions en tant que facultés / écoles d’éducation sont complices de cette trajectoire critique. Nous avons la responsabilité et la possibilité de faire la différence.

Nous reconnaissons le pouvoir de l’éducation de transformer la pratique. Les facultés et les écoles d’éducation jouent un rôle majeur dans l’éducation, la recherche, l’élaboration de politiques et l’échange d’informations nécessaires à la réalisation de ces objectifs. C’est une responsabilité sociale et éthique. Nous devons agir.

Nous prenons donc les engagements suivants:

• Nous nous engageons dans des processus d’établissement de relations et d’engagement avec les communautés locales auxquelles nous appartenons, à commencer par les peuples autochtones.
• Nous nous engageons à agir de manière à ajouter un avenir équitable et durable à la planète.
  Au sein de nos facultés / écoles et universités plus larges, nous nous engageons à réduire notre impact environnemental.
• Nous nous engageons à nous soutenir mutuellement au sein d’ACDE pour transformer nos pratiques de manière à contribuer à l’avenir équitable et durable de la planète; en rendant compte et en partageant les défis et les bonnes pratiques.

En prenant part à ces actions, nous reconnaissons que nous faisons une différence, maintenant et à l’avenir. En prenant ces engagements, nous nous dirigeons vers la création de l’Accord ACDE pour l’éducation pour un avenir durable, qui sera un accord vivant entre les doyens de l’éducation du Canada.