The College Educator Development Program (CEDP) continues to support the professional growth of new and experienced faculty across Ontario.
From June 11 to 13, 14 full-time Niagara College faculty members participated in phase three, the final phase of CEDP. This marked the end of a two-year journey comprising three in-person phases at Fanshawe College in London Ontario, and continuous professional development activities at NC such as communities of practice, teaching and learning conversations, and teaching circles.
Dana Wetherell, an Educational Developer at the Centre for Academic Excellence (CAE), highlighted the collaborative nature of the program: “Faculty members work together to critically reflect on their roles as educators, discussing their successes, ongoing challenges, and opportunities for continued growth.”
At the start of the program, participants are formed into learning teams comprising eight to 10 faculty from other Western region colleges involved in the CEDP. These teams foster a sharing of experiences and best practices, deepening faculty understanding of their teaching practices.
Whit Ross, Associate Director of Educational Development, explained the program’s impact: “The two-year duration of CEDP encourages faculty to engage in an experiential learning cycle. They actively participate in and reflect on learning experiences, integrating new insights, and refining their teaching approaches. CEDP is a significant program and a major milestone as a full-time faculty member.”
In the program’s third and final phase, participants engaged in workshops focusing on mindfulness, well-being, indigegogy, international student engagement, and culturally responsive teaching. They also participated in conversations on relational pedagogy, artificial intelligence in education, and effective feedback. Keynote sessions included insights from Robert Dunlop on rediscovering joy in teaching, and Mike Shoreman on challenging mental health stigma and stereotypes.
Congratulations to the 2024 CEDP graduates from Niagara College! We look forward to celebrating their success at Niagara Day this fall.
Alexander Lukacs, Dan Leblanc, Gavin Robertson, Gianluca Agostinelli, Merinda Arcidiacono, Jamie Atkins, Brett Stevens, Susan Ehlert, Maria Brigantino, Joe Felice, Julia Enns, Jocelyn Baker, Jeffrey Ko, and Kelsey Queen.
2026 Cohort
From August 13-15, CEDP welcomed a new cohort of 14 full-time faculty to Phase 1 of the program, joining over 100 educators from five participating colleges. During Phase 1, faculty participated in workshops that explored evidence-based strategies for enhancing teaching, such as active learning, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and fostering a sense of community in the classroom.
The event also featured inspiring keynote speakers: Dr. Joe Kim, who highlighted three powerful strategies to boost academic performance; Dr. Natasha Hannon, who discussed the role of reflection and teaching portfolios as part of teacher development; Dr. Johanne McCarthy, who shared how to use mindfulness in classroom relationships to empower Indigenous perspectives and foster belonging; and Lianne Fisher, who explored instructional approaches that benefit both students and educators alike.
Congratulations to Niagara College’s new full-time faculty who began their CEDP journey:
Pierre Burton, Michelle Thibault, Paula D’Amico, Nathan Groenveld, Narinder Pal Singh, Salvatore Basilone, Nicole Guillemette, Gillian Martin, Travis Steele, Latasha Harnarine, Patti Wallington, Ian McKnight, Tyler Iorio, and Beth Astles.
About CEDP
The College Educator Development Program (CEDP) is a collaborative undertaking of Mohawk, Fanshawe, St. Clair, Lambton, and Niagara colleges. Its mission is to foster teaching excellence through shared exploration of evidence-based teaching and reflective teaching practice.
