Brock’s Senate has approved restructuring the Faculty of Education (FoE) into a one-department entity designed to streamline decision-making within the Faculty and improve the delivery of programs to students.

The changes, which take effect on July 1, 2018, represent the first major updating of the FoE in nearly half a century, since formerly free-standing “teacher’s colleges” in Ontario were folded into the university system.

The restructuring does not change any academic programs, but will administratively merge two departments (Teacher Education; and Graduate and Undergraduate Studies) and two centres (Continuing Teacher Education; and Adult Education and Community Outreach) into the new Department of Educational Studies.

David Siegel: “An intra-departmental sphere simplifies and expedites decision making.”

The Tecumseh Centre for Aboriginal Research and Education will remain a distinct entity within the FoE, continuing to deliver teacher education programs for Indigenous students, as well as Indigenous-focused courses for all students.

This will be the first time the University has had a Faculty with a single department, and with 55 faculty members, it will be the largest department at Brock.

Interim Dean of Education David Siegel says the model is new to Brock, but is already common at faculties of education all across Canada. He said the structure increases opportunities for faculty members to work together in the interest of students, including to develop new programs.

“The previous structure worked very well when it was developed in the 1970s,” said Siegel, “but in 2017 it is clear that the Faculty would function better, in terms of program delivery and long-term planning, if the two departments were combined.”

He said program delivery and decision-making about programs will be improved.

“The Faculty of Education is a model transdisciplinary unit. Faculty members have backgrounds in fine and performing arts, health and physical education, information technology, language and literacy, mathematics, psychology, science, sociology and other disciplines.”

“An intra-departmental sphere simplifies and expedites decision making” for activities from curriculum development to allocating teaching assignments, currently done by a number of inter-departmental coordinating committees.”

While adult education and additional qualification courses will no longer be delivered by separate units, Siegel said the Faculty continues to be firmly committed to these programs.

“In fact, they will now be delivered better, because they will be integrated into the activities of the Faculty rather than being isolated in separate units.”

The FoE will continue to be led by a Dean and two associate deans, and the new Department of Educational Studies will be led by a Chair.