Category: Announcements

Announcement: Dean of Education

Dean Jennifer Tupper. Photo credit: Shuana Niessen

On March 17,  the Board of Governors at the University of Alberta formally approved my appointment as Dean of the Faculty of Education at their institution for a five year term beginning July 1, 2017. As such, I am resigning from my position at the University of Regina effective June 30th.

It is with mixed emotions that I take my leave from the University of Regina and from the amazing faculty, staff, and students I have had the privilege of working alongside these past 13 years. I have grown as a scholar, researcher, teacher-educator, and leader at this incredible institution and am grateful for the many opportunities and supports I have received since taking up my initial academic position in 2004. I deeply value the scholarly and professional relationships I have developed while at the U of R and will miss this place and its people.

Having said that, becoming the Dean of the Faculty of Education at the U of A is a tremendous honor and privilege. As an alumnus of both the undergraduate teacher education and doctoral programs at the U of A, this new role affords me the opportunity to give back to an institution that has been an incredibly important part of my journey as an educator & academic. In this respect, it is very much a homecoming. I am looking forward to building new relationships, exploring new possibilities, providing strategic leadership and serving such a dynamic Faculty and University.

I will continue to work hard for the University of Regina and Faculty of Education for the duration of my time here and am committed to facilitating a smooth transition to an interim dean.

Dean Jennifer Tupper

Faculty member recipient of CIHR Indigenous Approaches to Wellness grant

Dr. Angela Snowshoe
Photo by U of R Photography

Dr. Angela Snowshoe (co-principal investigator with Donald Gamble) is a successful recipient of a CIHR Indigenous Approaches to Wellness research grant in the amount of $138,056 for her project “(Re)Connecting Animal-Human Relationships as a Doorway to Indigenous Wellness.” Only a small percentage of grants submitted to Tri-Council are funded, so this is indeed something to be celebrated especially as Angela’s application was ranked in the top 10 of all grants submitted to this competition.

Many contemporary health care service approaches fail to reflect the importance of Indigenous peoples’ relationships to the more-than-human natural world (e.g., animals, plants, soil, water, weather, and Ancestors). Strong and healthy connections between humans and the more-than-human natural world are vital for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance within and across communities and species. Our strengths-based research project will begin to repair the divide between humans and animals in a Saskatchewan First Nation community. First, we will develop and deliver a unique animal-human relationship workshop aimed at strengthening Indigenous ways of knowing and relating to animals. Second, we will create an Indigenous wellness model of health and healing. Third, we will model exemplary ways of working with human and more-than-human communities in research. To do this, our research team will work closely with community members to capture participants’ workshop experiences through sharing circles, open-dialogue, interviews, digital stories, and ceremony. These stories and narratives will provide insight into the importance of animal-human relationships for holistic wellness and will be used to inform health promotion programs that meet the unique needs of Indigenous youth, families, and communities.

 

Former Faculty of Education Dean Receives University of Regina Distinguished Service Award

Former Faculty of Education Dean, Dr. Michael Tymchak

Born in Saskatchewan, Dr. Michael Tymchak received a BA magna cum laude and High Honors in History from the University of Saskatchewan in 1964 and a Doctor of Philosophy [Ethics] from the University of Manchester in England in 1974.

Dr. Tymchak started his career at the University of Regina in 1969 as an instructor in the Philosophy Department. In 1984, he moved to the Faculty of Education to teach. Several years later, Dr. Tymchak served as the Dean of the Faculty of Education (1992 – 2000) and Acting Dean (2006 – 2008). However, his impact at the University of Regina was not limited to education students. He helped found the University’s first Teaching Development Centre in 1996 and served as the Director of the Saskatchewan Instructional Development and Research Unit (SIDRU). Dr. Tymchak also served as a research consultant for the Transdisciplinary Project that led to the development of interdisciplinary initiatives at the University of Regina.

Outside the University of Regina, Dr. Tymchak has been involved in a variety of educational endeavors throughout the province for over 35 years. He wrote the Internship and Field Experiences Report for the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation in 1988, and was the Chair of the Working Group, studying the issue of School Councils for the Saskatchewan School Trustees Association in 1997. Dr. Tymchak was also instrumental in the formation of the Northern Teacher Education Program [NORTEP], the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program [SUNTEP], and most recently the Nunavut Teacher Education Program in 2007.

One of Dr. Tymchak’s most notable achievements was his appointment by the Minister of Education in 1999 to chair the SchoolPlus Task Force and Public Dialogue on the Role of the School. Following extensive consultations across the province with all the educational partners, Dr. Tymchak produced the Task Force’s final report in 2001. This report helped craft the policy direction of provincial government concerning education, which is still in force today. The policy is based on the concept of schools as centres of learning, support and community for the children and families they serve.

For his outstanding work in the field of education, Dr. Tymchak was awarded a Canada 125 medal in 1992, a Saskatchewan Centennial Medal in 2005, and the 2008 Arbos Award from the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation for his support of and contributions to the profession of teaching.

Reprinted from http://www.uregina.ca/external/communications/feature-stories/current/fs-12102013-1.html