Celebrating 40 years of educational leadership at USask

SELU was launched in 1986 in response to the need for better organizational structure in provincial educational sectors. As Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Education refreshed the social studies curriculum, combined with citizen’s rights and freedoms emerging from Canada’s Constitution Act, 1982, cooperation and alignment between the government and education stakeholders was essential for equity.

Following several committees and reports, the Government of Saskatchewan invested in the organizational development and implementation through USask, the University of Regina (U of R) and the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF). USask was responsible for leadership development, U of R and curriculum development, and the STF with professional development.

As a unit under the Educational Administration Department in the College of Education, SELU created events such as the Saskatchewan Principal Short Course (SPSC), Educational Assistants' Professional Learning Series (EAPLS) and National Congress on Rural Education in Canada to enhance the skills of educators in the province.

As a longtime member of the College of Education as a professor, associate dean, dean and professor emeritus, Dr. Murray Scharf (PhD) has a fond appreciation for what SELU has provided educators. His background in governance, finance and rural education allowed him to connect with each pocket of administrators in the province.

“Educational Administration was involved in a lot of field work,” Scharf said. “The department wasn't just an academic program; they also provided community services. We put effort in to build good relationships with the Teachers College and the field.”

By being the liaison between the requests from the government and the application of skills for educators, SELU has become an active partner focused on enhancing the quality of leadership in education, improving student learning outcomes and student well-being.

“When schools were being consolidated, which brought about the reorganization of the school divisions, the resultant enhanced capacity to provide in-house support and professional development resources and programs,” Scharf said. “This led to more demand for SELU.”

In present day, SELU facilitates opportunities with local, national and international organizations for leadership development through research, professional learning, program development and consulting services.

The yearly SPSC and eight-module EAPLS are staple events over the unit’s 40 years of service. SELU also provides school and system effectiveness reviews, scholarly research and publications, leadership recruitmentand strategic planning and facilitation.

“SELU continues to be prevalent in the education sector,” SELU director and assistant professor Dr. Greg McJannet (EdD) said. “We connect with all of the sector partners and have strong visibility in educational leadership, working with First Nation’s Educational Authorities and many sector and non-sector partners. We continue to listen to the field to respond to current education realities and we strive to strengthen education in the province.”

Within the past decade, SELU has increased its international engagements and exchanges to showcase Saskatchewan’s teaching methods, pedagogies and geographical appeal. They have coordinated visits with universities from Bangladesh, China, Chile and Ukraine to collaborate on English as an Additional Language (EAL) training and teacher education curriculum.

“SELU is very proud of the international engagement work that we have led over the years,” McJannet said. “Our last event, when we hosted ten Ukrainian Educators here at USASK for 3 weeks was a highly meaningful and celebrated program.  We continue to work with global partners in the pursuit of educational excellence.”

With strong leadership being a vital attribute and component to each education sector, SELU will continue to provide guidance and supports that benefit administrators, school staffs and students.