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OECTA Senior Staffer Appointed as College Deputy Registrar

Professional development leader Brian McGowan has been appointed by Council as the Colleges third Deputy Registrar.

McGowan arrived at the College on May 8th from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) where he has worked in the Professional Development Department since 1989 and as department head since 1997, co-ordinating professional development services for more than 30,000 teachers province-wide.

At the College, as Deputy Registrar, McGowan will fulfill the duties of the Registrar when the Registrar is absent and share in the leadership, outreach and co-ordination duties on an ongoing basis. As second-in-command to Doug Wilson, McGowan has an experienced mentor and colleague.

"The Deputy Registrar needs to be visible in the community," says Wilson. "No Registrar could meet all the demands for consultation and information on his own. By working in tandem, we are more effective.

"Brian is incredibly respected in the educational community and I want him out and about. I want him to lead and I believe that his energy and commitment as well as his ability to consult will make him very effective in this role."

Wilson says that it is also important for a Deputy Registrar to provide leadership within the organization and McGowan has extensive experience in educational administration and the personal qualities that are required.

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As longtime friend and colleague Larry Tafford points out, "He is articulate, bright and considerate, an incredibly well-read man with a quick mind and a personal human touch. He can find the common thread among disparate views."

McGowan is himself extremely enthusiastic about his appointment to the College.

"I find the idea of a College that licenses, governs and regulates the teaching profession to be both exciting and challenging. Of course, the challenge is in finding ways to develop the profession and create a new pedagogical space in the midst of turbulent times.

"There is a lot of change-fatigue and overload among teachers. I’m not just referring to the turbulence of the political arena. Kids are changing, technology is changing and teaching itself is changing.

"The College is the new kid on the block and it is important that it succeed if we hope to continue crafting better ways of being a teacher. Through self-regulation rather than ministry-regulation, we can ensure that the experience and knowledge of educators is brought to bear on the task of improving education and protecting the public interest."

McGowan’s positive attitude has the underpinnings of solid experience. In 1993, McGowan was seconded to the Royal Commission on Learning as a member of the research and writing team. During his two years with the commission, he helped develop several recommendations including those that led to the establishment of a College of Teachers.

He began teaching in 1977 at St. Michael’s College School, where he taught for five years prior to returning to the University of Toronto for post-graduate work in 1982. Two years later, on completion of his MA, he became department head of Religious Studies at Notre Dame Secondary School in the Dufferin-Peel Separate School Board.

In addition to his secondary school experience, McGowan taught Additional Qualification courses at York University, undergraduate courses at the University of Toronto and continuing education at St. Jerome’s at the University of Waterloo.

James McCracken, Deputy Director of Education at the Ottawa Carleton Catholic District School Board and a friend and colleague of 20 years, puts it this way: "He will be an amazing Deputy Registrar. First, he is one of the brightest and most gifted teachers I’ve ever known. He is reflective, fair and considerate and has a great ability to achieve balance – in both his personal and his professional life. He brings amazing positive energy and professional attention to his work. The College is very lucky to have someone of his calibre.

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