Summary of October Council meeting

A meeting of College Council was held online on Thursday, October 5. Meeting highlights include receipt of a quarterly report from Registrar & CEO Linda Lacroix, OCT/EAO, as well as a financial report for the period ending June 30, 2023.

Council also received a report from the Selection and Nominating Subcommittee regarding term lengths and appointment criteria related to members of College Council, committees, and rosters.

The next Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 7 and will be open to the public. Information about how to attend is available on our website.

Profile: Council member Tammy Webster, OCT

Following a career as a classroom teacher, Tammy Webster, registered member of Kitigan Zibi Anishnabeg, served as Indigenous education and equity consultant for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. In this role, she provided professional learning opportunities and resources for teachers, principals, and other staff.

She is also co-chair of the board of directors and former managing director of Anishinabeg Outreach in Kitchener, where she offers an expert voice, infusing and amplifying Indigenous perspectives.

Tammy sits on a number of committees including the Waterloo Region Anti-Racism Advisory Working Group and is also a contributing writer to The Record Community Editorial Board, serving Waterloo region.

She serves on the College’s Council and on the Selection and Nominating Subcommittee.

Myth or Fact

Myth: The College discourages Ontario Certified Teachers (OCTs) from using electronic communication and social media in their practice.

Fact: The College recognizes that electronic communication and social media offer innovative opportunities for enhancing education.

However, when informal communication channels are used with students or parents, boundaries can begin to blur.

The College’s professional advisory on the use of social media and electronic communications is intended to help OCTs understand professional boundaries when using online and digital communication channels.

For example, it is inappropriate to exchange private texts, phone numbers, personal email addresses, videos or photos of a personal nature with students.

Library services

Members, did you know that the Margaret Wilson Library provides access to thousands of full-text scholarly and professional articles and publications for free?

Refer to the Accessing EBSCO Articles guide for easy, step-by-step navigation or get in touch with the team at library@oct.ca, 437.880.3000 or Toll-Free (Canada and U.S.A.): 1.833.966.5588, for research support.