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Tiffanie Ting Appointed Interim Associate Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives at Emily Carr University

Ting Profile Final

By Emily Carr University

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The distinguished academic, educator, administrator and artist has served as Executive Director of Continuing Studies since 2020.

Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Tiffanie Ting as Interim Associate Vice-President (AVP), Strategic Initiatives.

The new interim position will support the university with enterprise-level leadership and strategic alignment on high-priority issues and revenue-generating opportunities. This includes guiding the implementation of the 2024-2030 Strategic Plan and overseeing the planning and coordination of ECU's Centennial Events to celebrate the university's legacy and future. As a key member of the president’s executive team, the AVP will also manage complex, university-wide projects; under the direction of the President, lead institutional planning efforts; and continue to steward the development and growth of ECU’s Continuing Studies (CS) programs.

Dr. Ting has served as Executive Director, Continuing Studies at ECU since July 2020.

“Tiffanie’s leadership has helped transform Continuing Studies into one of the university’s most vibrant and vital spaces,” says Trish Kelly, President + Vice-Chancellor at ECU. “She has distinguished herself as a leader of exceptional vision and generosity, showing steadfast commitment to the work of student access and innovative learning experiences. This appointment will enable Tiffanie to leverage her talents and keen insight in advancing the university’s strategic initiatives, ensuring greater accountability as we continue to build on our collective successes.”

During Dr. Ting’s tenure, CS doubled the size of its adult course offerings and expanded into new areas including animation, game development, visual effects, leadership and professional practices, and software essentials. She secured significant funding to expand tuition support, resulting in variable tuition fee waivers for roughly 400 CS students. Her team enhanced learning pathways for more flexibility and introduced micro-credentials to provide skills training in high-demand areas in support of career advancement. The CS team also expanded their Youth Programs, introducing young learners to possibilities for pursuing higher education and creative careers. Dr. Ting also co-chaired the Strategic Plan Advisory Group, which supported the community creation of ECU’s 2024-2030 Strategic Plan.

“Throughout my career, I have been interested in how institutions evolve and change over time, and how people and communities that make up an institution have the power to continually shape it in service of the greater good,” Dr. Ting says. “Working in Continuing Studies and being involved in the strategic planning process, I’ve seen firsthand our community’s dedication and shared sense of purpose in what we do here at ECU. As we look ahead, I’m excited and honoured to help catalyze our plan into action, amplify the amazing work already happening across ECU, and explore new opportunities to help shape the future together.”

Dr. Ting began her appointment September 9, 2024.


A born-and-raised Vancouverite, Dr. Tiffanie Ting spent many years studying and working throughout Canada and the US. She notes organizational culture, change and leadership has been a through-line of her academic and professional pursuits. She graduated with honours from the University of Toronto with a bachelor’s degree in art history and psychology. She received her Master of Education from Harvard, where her research focused on excellence, engagement and ethics in contemporary art practice and education.

She subsequently served as an Education Fellow at the deCordova Museum in Lincoln, Mass., Museum Educator at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and Director of Public Programs and Education at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery in Ontario. In those roles, Dr. Ting worked to broaden community access and engagement with arts learning through partnerships and collaborations with local organizations. This focus, she notes, stems from the conviction that art, media and design are for everyone.

Before her 2020 appointment at ECU, Dr. Ting served as Dean of Cabot House and Lecturer on Sociology at Harvard University, where she also received her Doctor of Education in Culture, Communities and Education in 2014. Her academic interests include issues of identity and learning in cultural institutions, qualitative research design, the sociology of education, and the sociology of art.

An artist herself, Dr. Ting’s painting practice currently centres around relationships to place, sense of belonging and nostalgia. In late 2022, she gained representation with Alisan Fine Arts, one of the first professionally run galleries in Hong Kong, which recently opened a location in New York City. Her paintings were featured in the past two editions of Art SG, Southeast Asia’s leading international art fair, and appeared this year in Alisan’s booth at Art Basel in Hong Kong.

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