U of L names new Board of Governors Teaching Chair
Education is for everyone and the University of Lethbridge aims to represent this philosophy by appointing Chris Mattatall to the board of governors.
Eight years after he first joined the University of Lethbridge, the associate dean of educational psychology and inclusion has been appointed to the teaching chair of the university board.
He was ceremoniously awarded the position during the morning convocation ceremony Friday, following the faculty of education’s graduates officially crossing the stage.
Mattatall said education is something that should be accessible to anyone who wishes to learn and he hopes to bring forward his ideas during his time on the board of governors.
“It’s part of my focus to ensure that as many people as possible have access to curriculum, have access to learning,” Mattatall said following the convocation ceremony.
He said there are a number of factors that may lead to a student struggling to reach their full potential, so he is hoping to break down those walls.
“For a lot of people, we have barriers that prevent us to having full access. It may be a combination of things, so if I can help instructors in any way to increase access to learning, that’s what I’m hoping to do.”
He said his appointment will also give him an opportunity to work with the board of governors to establish new standards within the education centre.
“Every once in a while, we look out and we want to improve our practice or we want to strengthen an area of our practice. I think that’s what I’m going to try to help the teaching centre do.”
He said his appointment will also give him a chance to work directly with the centre of education to make changes where necessary.
“It’s an opportunity for me to work together with the teaching centre and to really help to, I think, improve teaching where it’s warranted or it’s invited across all the university.”
Even though there is always room for improvement, Mattatall believes the faculty at the university is truly world-class.
“We have great teachers at the university already,” he said. “We have amazing teachers.”
He said the university itself is worldclass when it comes to the educational standards and inclusivity of its curriculum.
“The University of Lethbridge really is a dynamic university that ties in Indigenous ways of knowing; it ties in our culture, our landscape, our place, our people. We have strengths in a lot of areas. We try to bring that to bear on teaching and learning.”
His appointment to the teaching chair on the board of governors will not take Mattatall away from his current position as associate dean of educational psychology and inclusion.
Devon Smither was also honoured during the morning convocation ceremony for her excellence in teaching. And Fred Bradley received an honorary degree during the afternoon ceremony, which was the final of four convocations held by the school.