Get to Know the Dean: Q&A With Linda Koechli

Linda Koechli is just over two months on from stepping into her new role as Dean of The Chang School at an unprecedented time for continuing education where upskilling is a “must” rather than a “nice-to-have”. Whether you’re a prospective or current learner, alumni, instructor, partner, or staff member, Linda offers her breadth of experience in this Q&A on what’s ahead for The Chang School in this exciting next chapter.

With your two decades of service to the TMU community, what are you reflecting on as you build on your experiences to lead The Chang School in the months and years ahead?

First off, I’m very proud to have been a part of The Chang School for almost two decades as it is unique in what it offers within the university continuing education landscape. For many years, The Chang School has been offering access to TMU’s degree credit courses, making higher education accessible to our continuous learners. For me, there’s a strong motivation in having a profound and positive impact on people’s lives in helping them reach their career goals – whether it’s reskilling or accessing our pathway programs like Spanning the Gaps or Gateway for International Professionals.

Another piece I reflect on often is The Chang School’s work within the online education space. We’ve been at the forefront of this space since 1999, the early days of online learning. As technology has evolved and the needs of the labour market have changed, we’ve adapted to those changes. Innovation has always been a part of our DNA.

Continuing education is advancing at a rapid pace in response to the changing demands from learners and employers alike. With more options available than ever before, how does The Chang School differentiate itself?

It’s an exciting time for career-focused adult learners because they now recognize that education doesn’t end—it’s a lifelong pursuit. We’re all likely going to need to take advantage of some kind of learning opportunity throughout our professional career to either upskill in our current role or pivot into something else entirely. With that comes an opportunity to serve our adult learners in new ways.

For instance, we recently launched postgraduate certificates and microcredentials. We want to meet learners where they’re at – whether it’s shorter programming with microcredentials or more practical career-oriented learning opportunities through our postgraduate certificates and other programs.

Apart from our newer offerings, we also have unique programs like Spanning the Gaps, which I mentioned earlier, that serve learners who, for whatever reason, didn’t finish high school and need a bridging opportunity to enter higher education. Again, it’s about meeting learners where they’re at and providing them with an opportunity to advance themselves.

What role do employers and partners play in helping The Chang School stay relevant in the courses and certificates that it offers so that the skills taught match the needs of the job market?

We’re working with employers in many ways, from bringing them in as guest lecturers and involving them in case studies, to advising on curriculum development to ensure that our programs are aligned with what is needed in the industry. In addition, employers play a key role in providing networking opportunities for our learners.

Once you become a member of The Chang School community, you have access to many free networking and speaking events and workshops that we offer. We strive to be more than a one-time destination for learning where you take a course or certificate and then move on. We’re building an ongoing community that brings together not only learners but also employers and our instructors as well.

I see it as a new type of learning ecosystem within the continuing education space that is very exciting. If you have a connection, you never know when it might be useful in the future. This concept is something that The Chang School will continue to pursue.

I recently learned that you have a PhD in the German polymath Goethe and film theory. How do you apply a seemingly abstract degree to your current role?

Over the years I’ve thought about how interesting it is that what you learn in one discipline can potentially be applied to other areas. That’s an important piece of creativity and innovation – to be able to have that openness to see things in a new way and bring in learnings from other areas. When I look back on it, it’s very clear to me that a lot of those critical analysis skills that I learned from studying film theory really did help in the work that I was doing when I first started at The Chang School in instructional design. Because I was skilled in media analysis and had many years of teaching experience, it made for a good background coming into that role and being able to make the connections.

When you’re not running Canada’s largest continuing education school, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I enjoy being out on the water, either at the cottage on Georgian Bay or with the family sailing. I have enjoyed being part of various sailing communities and travelling to different locations for regattas to watch family members compete. Regattas have brought us to places like Bermuda, Annapolis, Miami, Clearwater, Hilton Head, Weymouth, and Squamish, as well as many local venues in Ontario. I also recently had an opportunity to sail a Hobie Cat in Antigua.

When I’m not on the water, I also enjoy being active – whether that’s going for a bike ride, a hike, or just general fitness. My favourite workout at the moment is a dance-inspired HIIT class as I was a gymnast in my youth.

Outside of physical activity, I’m a bibliophile and love browsing libraries, bookstores, or hanging out in a café with a good read.