Meet the Centre for Educational Excellence leadership team

With the arrival of Nanda Dimitrov as senior director of the Centre for Educational Excellence on January 6, 2020, the CEE leadership team is complete. The team consists of Dimitrov and the directors of the four divisions that make up CEE: Kiran Bisra (Learning Experiences Assessment & Planning); I-Chant Chiang (Curriculum & Instructional Development); Sheri Fabian (Institute for the Study of Teaching and Learning in the Disciplines (ISTLD), which will formally join CEE in April 2020); and Grant Gregson (Learning & Teaching Technology).

We asked the (mostly) new directors what excites them about CEE and what one thing they find “unique or exceptional” about SFU’s learning and teaching community. Here’s what they told us:

Kiran Bisra

• Excited: “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with the breadth and depth of expertise we have in our centre. There are a lot of interesting and innovative projects we are working on together that I think can really improve the student learning experience at SFU.”
• Exceptional: “I think the SFU teaching and learning community is very diverse, which leads to various pedagogical approaches, teaching practices and grass-roots movements. A ‘one-size fits all’ solution-driven approach will not be well received by our members. As such, our unit is committed to supporting this diversity by remaining flexible and adaptive to community needs.”

I-Chant Chiang

• Excited: “I am looking forward to CEE renewing and building new partnerships across the SFU teaching and learning community. Collectively, CEE has tremendous knowledge and experience around teaching and learning, and I am excited about sharing that expertise with instructors to make each class a fantastic learning experience for students. We have a new leadership team in place, and whether it is face-to-face, online, or blended courses, we are ready to support the innovative instructors around the university.”
• Exceptional: “The teaching and learning community at SFU has tremendous diversity in terms of both the student and instructor population. That diversity is a strength that we should embrace as reflective of our local and global community. When shared, the different perspectives that are brought to each class are going to compound and enrich the learning that happens for the students and the instructors. It is a privilege to be a part of such a rich and vibrant teaching and learning community.”

Sheri Fabian

• Excited: “The ISTLD has supported and enhanced an incredible breadth and depth of teaching and learning inquiry at SFU over the last 13 years. I’m excited to see how we can further our impact on faculty development that leads to enhanced student learning with our upcoming transition to CEE.”
• Exceptional: “At ISTLD, we work with a growing community of educators who engage with teaching as a socially situated practice. We need to facilitate growth of this community so we can continue learning from each other.”

Grant Gregson

• Excited: “I am excited to see the partnerships and opportunities that are evolving within the CEE divisions and across SFU with institutional stakeholders. I am impressed with the CEE staff’s range of expertise that is supporting innovation and development to support SFU’s educational community and faculties.”
  
• Exceptional: “This is a time of development, growth and opportunities in educational practice, theory and technology at SFU. The roots and deep knowledge of Indigenous education, decolonization, diversity and inclusive practice will inform this development. I believe that SFU is uniquely positioned to further expand an agile and adaptive learning and teaching environment that will lead on the national and international stage with the Centre for Educational Excellence.”

Related links

• Bridges and Booster Rockets: CEE’s New Senior Director Talks About Teaching Support (blog post)