From the Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Linda Koechli as dean, G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education (The Chang School), effective December 1, 2024.
Linda Koechli has been serving as interim dean since April 2024.
Serving in the role on an interim basis since April of this year, Linda continues to demonstrate her dedication to both The Chang School and the TMU community. She brings to the position nearly two decades of dedicated service, working to advance innovative, career-relevant and accessible programming for continuous learners throughout her tenure.
In various leadership capacities at The Chang School, Linda has overseen the complete lifecycle of certificate program development, delivery and assessment. As assistant dean, programs, she played a pivotal role in shaping and implementing bold and forward-thinking strategies to meet the evolving needs of today's continuous learners. This included the introduction of competency-based microcredentials and postgraduate certificates. Linda was also instrumental in establishing The Chang School's inaugural full-time international certificate program, which welcomed its first cohort of international continuous learners in fall 2022.
As interim dean, she has cultivated several partnerships with employers, industry leaders, government bodies, and community organizations - both internationally and domestically. Notably, she spearheaded the creation of a strategic international partnership to deliver an online program for a large cohort of international learners, expanding global access to high-demand, career-focused education.
Prior to her appointment as assistant dean, programs, in 2022 Linda led the development of cutting-edge certificate programs and courses in collaboration with faculty and industry experts as program director of The Chang School's business portfolio. With experience on TMU's Academic Standards Committee and two terms as The Chang School's teaching chair, Linda is deeply committed to upholding academic excellence and fostering student success. She has a particular interest in leveraging digital technologies to provide accessible education to diverse learners.
Linda holds a PhD and a master of arts from the University of Waterloo and a bachelor of arts from Wilfrid Laurier University. She also earned the professional continuing and online leader certification from UPCEA.
I look forward to continuing to work closely with Linda in her role and I would like to say thank you to all of the committee members involved in this important search:
Alex Ferworn
Academic Coordinator, Department of Computer Science
Cynthia Holmes
Dean, Ted Rogers School of Management
Sherry Yuan Hunter
Program Director, Community Services, The Chang School
Sean Kheraj
Vice-Provost, Academic
Yew-Thong Leong
Academic Coordinator, Department of Architectural Science
Olivia McIntosh
Continuing Education Student
Lena Patterson
Interim Assistant Dean, Programs, The Chang School
Aubrae Wilson
Program Director, Continuing Education, The Chang School
Enriqueta Zafra
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Faculty of Arts
