Committees at Work

Executive Committee


The Executive Committee conducts the business of the College between Council meetings.

The committee is composed of the Chair and Vice-Chair of Council as well as the chairs of the Accreditation, Discipline, Finance, Fitness to Practise, Investigation, Registration Appeals, and Standards of Practice and Education committees and one additional appointed member of Council.

The committee meets at least four times each year, in tandem with Council meetings in order to review and approve Council meeting agendas.

Two mallets rest on top of a xylophone. 

The Executive Committee made several appointments to fill statutory, standing, regulatory and special committee vacancies as they occurred throughout 2020. Some vacancies continued due to appointed and elected member Council vacancies.

Under authority granted through a Council motion in December 2013, the Executive Committee is responsible for reviewing the professional advisory framework and selecting professional advisory topics. In 2020, the committee approved an advisory about Addressing Behaviour or Remarks of a Racist Nature for release in 2021, in addition to the previously approved advisory on Professional Boundaries.

An empty basketball court sits adjacent to a school building. 

The Executive Committee administers the College’s Scholarship Program, which includes these three awards:

  • the Joseph W. Atkinson Scholarship for Excellence in Teacher Education, named in honour of the College’s second registrar
  • the Ontario College of Teachers Primary/Junior or Junior/Intermediate Scholarship
  • the Ontario College of Teachers Intermediate/Senior Scholarship.

In 2020, the Executive Committee created a sub-committee to review the College scholarship program. The sub-committee’s report recommended the creation of a fourth award beginning in 2022 to recognize resilience by teacher candidates in the face of extraordinary challenges. The report, which was endorsed by Council, recommended that the additional scholarship be named after the College’s former Registrar, the late Brian McGowan.

For 2020-2021, the Executive Committee selected:

  • Kai Butterfield (OISE/UT) as the recipient of the Joseph W. Atkinson Scholarship for Excellence in Teacher Education
  • Melena Hope (Lakehead University) as the recipient of the Ontario College of Teachers Primary/Junior or Junior/Intermediate Scholarship
  • Damon O’Shea (Western University) as the recipient of the Ontario College of Teachers Intermediate/Senior Scholarship.

Council presented awards to all three recipients at its December 2020 meeting.

The Executive Committee has the authority to make an interim order directing the Registrar to suspend a Certificate of Qualification and Registration if it is of the opinion that the actions or conduct of the member exposes — or is likely to expose — students to harm or injury. The committee may also direct the Discipline or Fitness to Practise committees to hold a hearing and determine an allegation without involving the Investigation Committee. During 2020, two interim orders to suspend the certificate of a member were issued. One request for referral to the Fitness to Practise Committee was granted in 2020.

The Registrar may request the approval of the Executive Committee to appoint a College investigator to a matter. This process is normally required when the College is unable to obtain access to information or evidence on a voluntary basis. Two such requests were received in 2020. Under the Ontario College of Teachers Act, the Registrar may also request the approval of the Executive Committee to initiate an investigation against a member of the College based on “reasonable and probable grounds” for professional misconduct, incapacity or incompetence. No such requests for approval were received in 2020.

Executive 

  • Diane Ballantyne, OCT (e)
  • Irene Dembek, OCT (e)
  • Susan E. Elliott-Johns, OCT (e) (to July 20)
  • Tim Gernstein, OCT (e) (Vice-Chair)
  • John Hamilton, OCT (e)
  • Jacqueline Karsemeyer, OCT (e)
  • Colleen Landers (a)
  • Mary-Anne Mouawad (e) (from August 12)
  • Sara Nouini, OCT (e)
  • Jonathan Rose (a)
  • Nicole van Woudenberg, OCT (e) (Chair)

(a) appointed
(e) elected