NEWS: The Herbert T. Coutts Distinguished Service Award Call for Nominations – 2023

Courtesy of the
University of Alberta archives

CSSE inaugurated The Herbert T. Coutts Distinguished Service Award for outstanding service to the Canadian Society for the Study of Education in 1997. Pete Coutts (1907-1996) was the first president of CSSE, from 1972 to 1973. He was a giant educational leader and the Society continues to bear his stamp in numerous ways. He joined the University of Alberta in 1946 when there were only about 25 staff members and subsequently became Chair of Secondary Education and then the Dean of the Faculty in 1955. When he stepped down as Dean in 1972, he was persuaded to become our founding president. He believed strongly in a national organization and wrote to every faculty member in education inviting them to join the new organization. Over 400 faculty members accepted his invitation. Under his leadership, CSSE was admitted as a member of SSRC and given two seats on the executive. We are pleased to honour our founding president through this award.

 

The award is for outstanding service to CSSE, rather than for service to an individual association, or to the profession in general. It will be awarded at most once a year, but may not be awarded in any given year.

 

The award consists of all expenses (travel, accommodation, registration) to attend the annual meeting of CSSE, and presentation of a plaque at the meeting. For 2021, the presentation will be made virtually at the University of Alberta.

 

A nomination should include a detailed letter of nomination, explaining the significance of the individual’s contribution, and three letters of support from academic colleagues, which need not be as detailed. The committee would prefer receiving the entire package at once.

 

The selection committee, consisting of members of the current Board of Directors, is chaired by the immediate past president or president-elect. Nominations should be sent electronically to the Selection Committee, The Herbert T. Coutts Distinguished Service Award, c/o CSSE. The deadline for receipt is 8 March 2023.