CSSE has the great pleasure of announcing the recipient of the 2024 CSSE Herbert T. Coutts Distinguished Service Award. The recipient is Dr. Nicholas Ng-A-Fook (Ottawa).
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.
“It is not the amount of service, albeit admirable, that defines Dr. Ng-A-Fook as a distinguished leader for CSSE. Rather, what makes him remarkable is the kind of commitments and actions provided for the organization. Dr. Ng-A-Fook provided service that was unwaveringly equity-leading”. Quote from letter of support for Dr. Ng-A-Fook
The Award provides for the coverage of travel expenses to attend the CSSE annual conference.
The Award will be presented in person at the CSSE 2025 conference due to the circumstances surrounding the CSSE 2024 conference.