Accomplishments

Initiated three internal reviews of undergraduate and graduate programs (1991, 2001, 2006) which, working with local and provincial stakeholders and followed by a Senate external review, have guided the BEd and MEd degrees at Brandon University for 25 years.

Developed first Faculty of Education mission and vision statement following the external review of 1992, which, with very few changes, served as the Faculty mission statement until 2011.

Initiated the needs assessment and feasibility studies and negotiated provincial approval and funds for the Brandon University Master of Education (MEd) degree (1989) and Brandon University Hutterite Bachelor of Educational (BEd) Program (1993) degrees.

Was project research director of Royal Commission of Inquiry, co-chaired one provincial commission, and chaired one provincial task force, concerning the effects of reduced resources on education, which led to provincial legislature changes in curriculum and teacher supply and demand, in Ontario (1977), New Brunswick (1984), and Manitoba (1991).

Initiated an internal review of Brandon University Faculty of Education secretarial computer skills (2000-2001) which eventually led to improved capabilities.

Coordinated two Faculty of Education committees’ responses to provincial educational inquiries (on teacher education programs in 1995 and educational budget in 1998) which resulted in no decrease in the faculty budget.

Worked successfully with Aboriginal and northern representatives to bring the Brandon University MEd, with appropriate cultural component, to northern Manitoba communities using various distance education methods (1992-93). This has led to many graduates and much educational impact in schools and communities from Swan River and north, and continued in 2012.

Worked with northern Manitoba School District Superintendents and Manitoba First Nation Education Resource Centre Executive Director to develop a BEd program to train, maintain and retain northern and Aboriginal-based math, science and information technology teachers (1999-2001). I learned a lot through this process because it did not go ahead as envisioned due to a key stakeholder’s disapproval, once the plan was developed.

Developed and implemented a campaign to embark Brandon University Faculty of Education upon a joint distributed B.Ed.AD (After Degree) with Athabasca University. The process was halted by the Alberta Department of Education (2000-2001).

Introduced and increased faculty member and graduate student use of distributed education for teaching, research and learning purposes.

With research teams, have applied for and received over $2,000,000 in research and development funds since 1976, with all projects having impact on provincial government and Faculty of Education policies.

Rebuilt Education faculty and staff community confidence, among university and professional stakeholders, and within our CIDA-funded Malawi Secondary Teacher Education Project, after various faculty administrators resigned (1988-1989), (2000 – 2001) and in Brandon University Northern Teacher Education Project (BUNTEP ) (1990-91).

Defused several personnel conflicts and resolved many disputes and complaints with positive results.

Reviewed the performance that led to the resignation of the Athletic Director/Hockey Coach of the BU varsity sport program (early 90s). Hired a group of replacement coaches including a former Canadian Olympian and NHL player, to rebuild team.

Led faculty to approve policy so Education was first building on campus to be smoke-free (1989).

Practised firm-handed ‘soft management’ approach, incorporating combined faculty-stakeholder advisory committees with real clout. Shared most of the decision-making. Neither practised nor tolerated interpersonal abuse.

Increased faculty member participation in faculty learned paper presentations by 800%; nine books published by education faculty (1988-93); encouraged faculty success in obtaining external R & D funds; arranged for faculty scholarship to be prominently showcased at the entrance to the Education building. It is still being used as such.

Handled Faculty of Education enrolment increase of 96% in four years. Argued successfully for FTE budget increases of 9.1% for Education at university-wide Central Appointments Committee (1988-1992).

Initiated and successfully used Faculty of Education enrolment and concomitant FTE projection scenarios in university-wide budget discussions. (Prior to this, no such data base existed for the entire university.

Left my successors with a $27,000 surplus from a $2.3M budget (1993) and a $71,000 surplus from a $2.5M budget (2001)

Senate faculty representative on the BU Board of Governors, serving as Secretary (2010-2011), and Vice Chair (2011-2013).

Was the Board of Governor’s representative and a Director of the Brandon University Foundation, with assets of $40,000,000+

Have been Faculty Association’s Appointee; President’s Appointee; and Chair of Brandon University Promotion Appeals Committee (Operates as an Arbitration Board set up under the Manitoba Labour Relations Act.) (1998-2000, 2002, 2003, 2014).

Chair and conference organizer of Canadian Association of Deans of Education (CADE) Conference on “The Reconstruction of Teacher Education for Multicultural, Anti-Racist and Aboriginal Education.” Winnipeg, Manitoba. November 11-15, 1992.

Chair, Standing Committee for the Promotion of Research, Canadian Society for the Study of Education (Learned Society in Education, 2,000 members).

Chair, Board of Teacher Education and Certification, Manitoba Education and Training.

Chair, Criminal Records Sub-Committee, Board of Teacher Education and Certification, Manitoba Education & Training
Chair, Adjudication Committee, Strategic Grant Theme: Education and Work in a Changing Society, for the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
Chair or president of over 40 professional national, provincial and local associations and committees.

Designed and taught MEd courses concerning Rural, Aboriginal and Northern Program Development; and Applying Technologies in Distance Education; MEd and BEd courses in Curriculum as Cultural Transmission, including weaving traditional Aboriginal spirituality into Manitoba and Saskatchewan provincial curricula. Have taught 13 MEd courses onsite in northern Manitoba: Dauphin, Swan River, The Pas, Cranberry Portage, Flin Flon, and Thompson – often driving up, as I enjoy the beauty of the north.

External reviewer of PhD dissertation at Simon Fraser University (2011), the MEd program at University of Windsor (2004), the MEd program in Curriculum and Social Foundations, University of Victoria (1996).

Have been teaching and running meetings using the Internet and teleconference since 1986.