Faculty of Education’s mission, nascent consultancy reflects these beliefs 

“When social justice issues are not addressed, there is a detrimental impact on society,” says Mark Beckles, a 2024 91��ɫ honorary degree recipient and the recently retired vice-president of social impact and innovation for the Royal Bank of Canada. 

“Societies that understand the importance of social inclusion have more optimal economic outcomes. They understand the benefit of providing opportunities for all and the outcome is shared economic prosperity.” 

For Beckles, social justice refers to ensuring opportunities for all by improving conditions that erode social cohesion and prevent economic inclusion. This means addressing myriad social issues such as access to healthcare and education; poverty and inequality; racial equality; and gun violence. 

“When left unattended, these issues have a detrimental impact on society, particularly when those who see themselves inside these issues don’t have a voice or a place at the political tables where these issues are addressed or need to be addressed,” Beckles says. 

“We want to level the playing field; you can see that in prosperous societies, more and more people feel enfranchised and have access, regardless of how they look, worship, love or live.” 

Professor Robert Savage, dean of the Faculty of Education at 91��ɫ, says he was struck by the way Beckles brought social inclusion and education together in his October convocation speech, because it reflects the Faculty’s ethos that education opens doors to economic prosperity. As a place that educates the educators of the future, he firmly believes that the two constructs are connected. 

“91��ɫ and our Faculty add value that changes and inspires lives,” Savage says. “So many of our students are the first in their families to attend university and they discover that education adds economic value.”  

“Strong economies are those where the quality of life for all meets a high standard, and we can see in them the cascading impacts of education,” Savage adds. “In a complex world of ideas, education is central to employment and leads to good health and economic prosperity. The economy needs people who can think critically, come up with ideas, are tenacious and have strong interpersonal skills and values to build success for all.” 

In fact, a new analysis of educational outcomes conducted by Universities United Kingdom makes the connection between education and economic prosperity clear, noting, “Across England, graduates outperform non-graduates by approximately a third ten years after graduation. Even for those working in sectors which are commonly perceived as not needing degree-level training, such as arts and entertainment, the salary premium is clear, standing at 42 per cent. While the earnings percentages may differ, it’s clear to Savage that the benefit holds true for Canadian graduates. 

In addition to educating the next generation of teachers and researchers, the Faculty of Education is “building pathways to take education out into the world in all kinds of ways,” Savage notes. 

The newest is ED Global, the Faculty’s newly launched consultancy dedicated to empowering future generations to uncover new possibilities in the advancement of education. 

“We’ve launched this consultancy in part as a way to contribute to the Faculty’s sustainability in the face of the financial crisis facing post-secondary institutions in Ontario,” Savage says. “Offering data analytics that can be used to analyze educational systems or creation of professional development programs for other jurisdictions is just one example of our services.” 

Savage has begun working with various Canadian trade commissioners whose purview is other parts of the world such as the Middle East and Africa, with aims for the Faculty to bring its expertise to bear elsewhere, improving education – and as a result, social justice – there. 

“We can work diligently with others and use our collective strength and expertise to impact both education and social justice.” 

The Faculty’s Five-Year Strategic Plan lays out guiding principles that echo Savage’s words: 

• Enact practices of equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization; 

• Undertake research that is vital and sustainable; 

• Centre teaching in student experiences and wellbeing; 

• Generate knowledge that embodies social justice; 

• Develop innovative curriculum and programming; and 

• Commit to democratic governance 

Beckles’ experience in the corporate world illustrated that organizations that worked toward social inclusion also succeeded financially. 

“Most organizations with a profit motive intuitively understand that the more people [employees] who feel included, the better their bottom-line results,” Beckles says. “Diverse voices around the table lead to greater opportunities for innovation.” 

However, he makes it clear that working toward social justice requires hard work, work that has already begun at 91��ɫ and the Faculty of Education. 

“When you have systemic privilege, breaking down those systems can be long, arduous work, especially when people and systems have done something the same way for a long time,” Beckles says. “Some of Canada’s systems predate Confederation, so making space for others can be hard. But we must try to do the right thing, no matter how hard the work is.” 

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Spring Convocation at 91��ɫ will see graduates crossing the stage beginning June 9 at the Glendon Campus, and continuing with Keele Campus ceremonies running June 16 to 23. Throughout the 13 ceremonies, 91��ɫ will confer honorary degrees to nine changemakers who will receive an honorary doctor of laws (LLD), and one who will receive an honorary doctor of science (DSc).

Honorary degree recipients are recognized for their contributions to community building, their advocacy for social justice and their philanthropy, and will offer words of encouragement, motivation and congratulations to graduands.

Below are the honorary degree recipients in order of the Faculty ceremonies at which they will be honoured:

Friday, June 9 at 2 p.m. – Glendon College: Joan Andrew (to receive LLD)
Joan Andrew is a graduate of Glendon College, 91��ɫ. She spent more than 35 years working for the federal and provincial governments, retiring in 2009 from the Ontario Public Service as the deputy minister of the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. Post-retirement, Andrew joined the now Toronto Metropolitan University as public service in residence in the Department of Politics and Public Administration. Andrew has also held volunteer roles with the United Way and the Toronto Region Immigrant Employee Council, and was the vice-chair of the Niagara Parks Commission until 2018.

Friday, June 16 at 10:30 a.m. – Faculty of Health: Daniel Kahneman (to recieve DSc)
Daniel Kahneman is professor emeritus of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University, and is best known for his work with Amos Tversky on human judgment and decision making, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002. His book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, has sold more than seven million copies worldwide. He is also the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2013), and the Distinguished Lifetime Career Contribution of the American Psychological Association.

Friday, June 16 at 3 p.m. – Faculty of Education: Dr. Denis Mukwege (to receive LLD)
Denis Mukwege is a world-renowned obstetrician/gynecologist and human rights activist who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for his efforts to end rape as a weapon of war. In 1999, he founded Panzi Hospital with the intention of it being a center of excellence for maternal health. Many of his first patients, however, were women and girls who had been raped with extreme brutality during armed conflicts. Panzi Hospital and Panzi Foundation have been recognized for their pioneering work in specialized responses to gender-based violence. He has received various awards worldwide for his dedication to peace and justice, including the United Nations Human Rights Award (2008); the European Union’s Sakharov Prize (2014), and more.

Tuesday, June 20 at 10:30 a.m. – Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies I: Cory Doctorow (to receive LLD)
Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist and journalist. He has written about creative labour markets and monopoly, nonfiction about conspiracies and monopolies, science fiction for young adults and most recently, a technothriller about finance crime. He works for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is a MIT Media Lab research affiliate, is a visiting professor of computer science at Open University, a visiting professor of practice at the University of North Carolina’s School of Library and Information Science and co-founded the UK Open Rights Group. In 2020, he was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and in 2022 earned the Sir Arthur Clarke Imagination in Service to Society Award for lifetime achievement.

Tuesday, June 20 at 3 p.m. – Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies II: Susur Lee (to receive LLD)
Praised as one of the “Ten Chefs of the Millennium” by Food & Wine magazine, Susur Lee is still at the top of his game. Chef Lee has made numerous television appearances on Chopped Canada, MasterChef Asia, Top Chef Canada, and has been a judge on Wall of Chefs, Top Chef Masters and Iron Chef Canada and America. His awards and achievements include being an ambassador for Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award by Canada’s 100 Best, and being named the first foreign chef to be granted The Red Chef’s Hat Award in Qing Dao, China. Lee cooks his signature French and Chinese fusion at his flagship restaurant, LEE.

Wednesday, June 21 at 10:30 a.m. – Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies III: Ruth Lor Malloy (to receive LLD)
Ruth Lor Malloy was brought up in a Chinese restaurant family in Brockville, Ont. There she was subjected to racist slurs and social rejection. College in Toronto opened her eyes to other victims of racial discrimination and she wanted to find solutions. This led to testing Black discrimination in Washington, D.C., a key test case of refusal of service to Black customers in a Dresden, Ont. restaurant and a delegation to Ottawa. She is the author of a dozen guide books on China and newspaper travel stories as she explored the world, collected old shoes for Canadian museums and continued to help relieve suffering and misinformation where possible. Her recently-released memoir Brightening My Corner relates her efforts to help, and her struggles with her own relationships and identity.

Wednesday, June 21 at 3 p.m. – Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies IV: Shaun Loney (to receive LLD)
Shaun Loney (MSc) is a Canadian leader in the social enterprise sector. Based in Winnipeg, where he’s heavily impacted by Indigenous wisdom, Loney has co-founded a dozen social enterprise non-profit businesses now operating in six Canadian cities and six First Nations. He has written five books about his journey modernizing relationships between government and non-profits, including An Army of Problem Solvers: Reconciliation and the Solutions Economy. His work has been recognized as having national importance by Ashoka Canada, Ernst and Young, and Canada Clean50.

Thursday, June 22 at 10:30 a.m. – Faculty of Science: Nancy Archibald (to receive LLD)
Nancy Archibald began her career as a public school teacher in Toronto and Niagara Falls, before starting a career at the CBC as a researcher working on documentaries for The Nature of Things. Later taking on roles as story editor and producer/director, Archibald was appointed executive producer of the show in 1972 and senior producer in 1979. She is the recipient of several awards and recognitions, including The Federation of Ontario Naturalist’s Distinguished Service Award (1985) in recognition of outstanding contributions toward maintaining a diverse and wholesome environment, and the Toronto Women in Film and TV’s Outstanding Achievement Award (1990).

Thursday, June 22 at 3 p.m. – Lassonde School of Engineering: Thomas Lee (to receive LLD)
Thomas Lee is the Walter Booth Chair in Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship at McMaster University. Prior to his role at McMaster, he was part of the leadership of several Canadian start-ups commercializing autonomous robotics, mathematical computation and cryptography. He was a pioneer in the introduction of smart digital technologies in engineering education and his work has influenced universities throughout North America, Europe, Middle East, India and Japan. His current research and teaching explore new ways to address complexity and uncertainty in modern engineering. In 2019, he was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Engineering for his contributions to engineering education and entrepreneurship.

Friday, June 23 at 3 p.m. – Osgoode Hall Law School: Michael H. Tulloch (to receive LLD)
Justice Michael Tulloch was appointed Chief Justice of Ontario in December 2022, after serving 10 years as a judge of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and nine years as a judge on the Superior Court of Justice in Ontario. He has a long and distinguished career of service as a member of the Canadian judiciary, a Crown prosecutor, a lawyer in private practice, and a renowned writer, speaker and professor. Tulloch has led systemic reviews of the justice system at various levels, provided leadership on legal and judicial committees, designed, and delivered international justice sector reform programs, and contributed to a myriad of civic, charitable, and community development initiatives. He holds a BA in economics and business from 91��ɫ and graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School at 91��ɫ with a law degree in 1989. He was called to the bar in Ontario in 1991.

The  website includes a full schedule of all ceremonies.

Article originally published in the June 6, 2023 issue of 

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