Dwayne Zarichny, the superintendent of Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education completed his Doctorate of Education at the University of Western Ontario, earlier this year. SUBMITTED PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education’s superintendent, Dwayne Zarichny, has recently completed his Doctorate of Education.
Zarichny was honoured during the MHCBE’s public board meeting on Oct. 12.
“At some point in my life, I knew that I wanted to engage in and complete (a doctorate degree),” Zarichny told the News. “Once I started working in central office roles, it became clear.”
Zarichny, who has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Manitoba and a master’s degree from Gonzaga University, focused his three-year doctoral studies on effective governance practices.
“My focus was, not so much worrying about what governance is, but rather what are the things governors do that can lead them to be more effective,” he said. “There are numerous studies that demonstrate the connection between student success and an effective school board.”
Since joining MHCBE in 2019, Zarichny has worked with the board to implement effective governance by introducing new practices which facilitate communication and promote informed decision making.
As the superintendent, Zarichny feels he has a responsibility to foster change and believes the doctorate program provided him the skills and knowledge necessary to do so. He was particularly motivated to meet the standards outlined in Alberta Education’s Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard.
“(The SLQS) highlights the competencies that a superintendent needs to be able to demonstrate,” said Zarichny. “One of the competencies is supporting effective governance practices.”
Also honoured was Monica Braat, the division’s inclusive learning consultant, who received her Doctorate of Education as well.
