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Governing Ourselves informs members of legal and regulatory matters affecting the profession. This section provides updates on licensing and qualification requirements, notification of Council resolutions and reports from various Council committees, including reports on accreditation and discipline matters.
The College’s advice on safety in learning environments has been updated to reflect recommendations in a coroner’s report and to acknowledge the roles and importance of coaches and volunteers in schools.
In September 2015, the College received recommendations from a coroner’s jury following an inquest into the concussion-related death of Ottawa student Rowan Stringer, who died after hitting her head playing rugby in 2013.
To prevent future concussion-related fatalities, the jury made recommendations to provincial ministries, school boards, sports organizations and the College.
Specifically, it recommended that the College and the ministries of education, and training, colleges and universities ensure that all students in bachelor of education programs be certified in first aid, including concussion awareness, prevention and management. Further, it was recommended that all B.Ed. students receive a mandatory athletic coaching course with standardized training to encourage participation as athletic coaches, regardless whether they intend to coach.
In response, the College updated its professional advisory on Safety in Learning Environments: A Shared Responsibility [oct-oeeo.ca/1W7cG7v] to include guidance on first aid and safety in coaching situations.
Professional advisories are cited in the Accreditation Resource Guide as required elements in the enhanced teacher education program. The revisions to the advisory and its inclusion in the enhanced teacher education program satisfy the jury’s recommendations.
Issuing professional advisories fulfils the College’s mandate to provide advice and guidance to its members with respect to their professional practice. The amendments to the professional advisory on Safety in Learning Environments: A Shared Responsibility are consistent with Council’s expectations that College advisories undergo regular review and updating.
Professionally Speaking has been named eighth among the 95 most acclaimed business-to-business/trade publications in the world — the only magazine from the country to make Top 10 in the Trade Association and Business Publications International’s (TABPI) inaugural “The Big 95” list. The lineup reflects data from the first 12 years of the Tabbie Awards, TABPI’s annual competition, taking into account the number of Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mentions won from 2004–15. The complete list includes English-language titles from the United States, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, the UK and Canada.
“Honoring excellent design and editorial work is what the Tabbies is all about,” said TABPI president Paul J. Heney. “But we felt that it was also important to recognize consistency. There are many publications that excel year after year, and ‘The Big 95’ honors those editors and art directors who have taken pride in what they do on a continual basis.”
Topping the inaugural list is the Massachusetts-based Computerworld.
