Eileen Egan-Lee

Biography

Working collaboratively with the Vice-Dean Faculty Affairs, Equity & Success, the Faculty Development Administrator is responsible for developing and implementing project/program plans, resources and other supports for U of T Scarborough faculty and academic administrators relating to equity, mentorship and career progression. This involves identifying concerns, needs, and opportunities; recommending solutions and defining requirements; tracking projects; facilitating campus communications; supporting committees; and deepening the office’s understanding of issues related to academic human resources, equity, and faculty success at U of T Scarborough.  

Eileen completed a Masters of Education degree at OISE/UT and began supporting faculty in 2004 with special projects and education research at the Centre for Faculty Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto at St. Michael’s Hospital.

7 Questions with Faculty Development Administrator, Eileen Egan-Lee

1. What can you tell us about a project you are currently working on?  Current projects include planning this summer’s New Faculty & Librarian Orientation, supporting community building events hosted by the Mentorship Excellence and Diversity (MEAD) advisory committee, coordinating tuition sponsorships for professional development programs offered by the National Centre for Faculty Development & Diversity programs, helping match recipients of the Professional Academic Coaching Fund (PACF) with coaches to meet their needs, reviewing funding programs for revised 2023/24 offerings, and working with International Engagement to coordinate a series of information sessions and community building activities for those engaged in this work.  In the Fall, I look forward to the planned series of Equity Matters events that are being rescheduled with visiting Professor Daniel Heath Justice (citizen, Cherokee Nation) and beginning to implement recommendations from the pending UTSC Teaching Stream Working Group report.
2. If you had to define yourself in three words, what would they be? Supportive, strategic, effective.
3. What do you enjoy most about your role? Supporting faculty and librarians in their roles, and developing programs and resources to meet needs and strategic aims is interesting work.  What I enjoy the most is being able to use my work to help move the needle on equity through EDI education, and by supporting the important work of the Academic HR team with inclusive excellence in hiring practices.  Every hire matters and has long term implications for our students and campus community.
4. Why U of T Scarborough?  The people.  I engage with units across campus in the work that I do, and continue to be impressed with how genuine and generous our staff, faculty, librarians and students are.  I share this observation during orientation to help new faculty and librarians hit the ground running in our community: when people here invite you to pull up a chair for advice or support, they mean it.
5. What important lesson have you learned in your current role?  Time is our most valuable resource; everyone struggles with work/life balance; people need people; and mental health requires attention.  Not surprisingly, these are all related, and made more clear during the pandemic.  (Especially as we recover from COVID and maneuver in our new hybrid reality, please seek out support, and opportunities to gather with colleagues.)
6. What is the one thing people likely do not know about you?  I got my start in professional development and program planning at the Centre for Faculty Development, Faculty of Medicine in 2004, and a move to Markham brought me up to UTSC.  Lunchtime walks are so much nicer in the valley.
7. Which movie, book, or show makes you laugh the most?  I am thoroughly enjoying Ted Lasso, it’s funny and uplifting.  I am also a big fan of live comedy (e.g. Second City).

<April 2023>