Board of Directors

The CASWE-ACFTS Board of Directors (BOD) is responsible for planning and overseeing the activities and policies of the Association and is accountable to the General Assembly of CASWE-ACFTS members. The term of office for Directors is three years and members may stand for re-election for one consecutive term for a total of six years.

The Board can have a maximum of 14 members. There are currently 14 members.

Marie-Pier Rivest

President: (2022-2025)
Term:
2022-2025
School of Social Work
University of Moncton

Yahya El-Lahib

Vice-President: (2022-2024)
Term: 2021-2024
Faculty of Social Work
University of Calgary

Shirley Chau

Treasurer (2021-2023)
Term: 2023-2026
Faculty of Health & Social Development 
University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus

Bonnie Freeman

Liason: Thunderbird Circle – Indigenous Social Work Educators’ Network
Term: 2022-2025
School of Social Work  & Indigenous Studies Dept. 
McMasters University 

Kusum Bhatta

Term: 2024-2027
Faculty of Social Work
McMaster University

Pam Orzeck

Term: 2024-2027
Scool of Social Work
McGill Univerisy

Maimuna Khan

Term: 2024-2027
Faculty of Social Work
Mc Master University

Sulaimon Giwa

Term: 2024-2027
School of Social Work
Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador

Lisa Ellington

Term: 2022-2025
École de travail social et de criminologie
Université Laval

Vicki Verge

Term: 2022-2025
Faculty of Social Work 
University of Manitoba

Jacqueline Fields

Term: 2022-2025
Faculty of Social Work
University of Regina

Aamir Jamal

Term: 2022-2025
Faculty of Social Work 
University of Calgary

Jason Albert

Term: 2021-2024
School of Indigenous Social Work
First Nations University of Canada

Juliana Margaret West

Term: 2023-2026
Faculty of Education and Social Work Thompson Rivers University

Caroline Foray

Term: 2023-2026
School of Social Work
University of Montreal

Janice Chaplin

Term: 2023-2026
School of Social Work
McMaster University

Cyndi Hall

Term: 2021-2024
School of Social Work
Dalhousie University

Michael Yellow Bird

Term: 2021-2024
Faculty of Social Work
University of Manitoba

Oleksandr Kondrashov

Term: 2021-2024
School of Social Work and Human Service
Thompson Rivers University

Directors of the Board act as liaisons to a variety of Constituency Groups engaged in social work education, including:

  • The Quebec Schools of Social Work
  • The Canadian Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work
  • Thunderbird Circle-the Indigenous Social Work Educators Network
  • The Commission on Accreditation
  • The International Affairs Committee
  • The Student Committee
  • The Field Education Committee
  • The Social Policy and Advocacy Committee
  • The Committee on Francophone Social Work in Linguistic Minority Contexts
  • The Finance Committee
  • The Educational Policy Committee
  • The Nominating Committee

The BOD’s responsibilities vary and include the following activities:

  • The development, amendment and approval of educational policy for social work education;
  • The approval of accreditation standards and procedures;
  • The promotion of advocacy and a national and international voice on social work and social work education;
  • The management of the Association’s finances and accounting;
  • The provision of oversight to all of the CASWE-ACFTS Board committees, subcommittees, committees, commissions, and taskforces/working groups;
  • The creation of committees charged with the task of designing and implementing the program of conferences, and other fora, under terms of reference established by the BOD;
  • The endorsement and support (financially and/or otherwise) all groups which report to the Board of Directors annually;
  • The receipt and adjudication of accreditation appeals;
  • The approval of appointments for committee positions;
  • The hiring and evaluation of the Executive Director;
  • The collaboration with the Quebec Schools of Social Work, the Canadian Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work, and Thunderbird Circle – the Indigenous Social Work Educators Network (ISWEN) in carrying out its responsibility;
  • The development of a yearly action plan in consultation with the membership.
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