“Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.” Albert Einstein
The Faculty of Education, Community and Human Development (FECHD) at UFV is committed to “a place for everyone”. Our departments include: the Teacher Education Program, Adult Education, Child, Youth and Family Studies, the School of Social Work & Human Services, as well as Continuing Education, University Preparation, and Applied Business Technology. We are situated across five campuses in the Fraser Valley, including Abbotsford, Clearbrook, Chilliwack, Mission, and Hope. It is our philosophy that education is a human right and that all learners, regardless of location, age, gender, ethnicity, ability or race, can find a place to flourish at UFV. Here we promise an encounter with lifelong learning in a supportive community. Our faculty are committed to student success and care deeply about our students’ lives.
I was drawn to UFV because of a shared commitment to engage learners and transform lives through relationships and community. I am invested in social justice issues and the efforts to account for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization as a community of learners. For too long, higher education has been viewed as for only a select few. Our Faculty of Education, Community and Human Development sees a place for everyone to enjoy the pursuit of knowledge through encounters with the ‘other’, whatever that might mean. Education, at its best, is liberating, deepening, and community building. We all need a place where we feel we belong, where we can do our best work, and where we come to understand ourselves better.
Whatever your interests or goals, I sincerely hope you find a place for yourself in one of the many programs in the Faculty of Education, Community, and Human Development. As Dean of this amazing faculty, I warmly invite you to pop by the Office of the Dean anytime. You’ll find me in Room B 385 (Abbotsford campus).
Dr. Allyson Jule