Helen Tewolde Appointed Director, Access Programs Support Office

From: Sandy Welsh, Vice-Provost, Students
Date: March 15, 2022
Re: Helen Tewolde Appointed Director, Access Programs Support Office

I am delighted to announce that Helen Tewolde has been appointed inaugural Director of the University of Toronto’s Access Programs Support Office, beginning April 18, 2022.

In this role, Helen will lead the newly established Access Programs Support Office with a tri-campus mandate to support and enhance student access initiatives across the institution. This office will play a key role in supporting access programming, partnerships and sustainability, and was developed in consultation with access partners to bolster collaboration and enhance resourcing. Specifically, the office will provide research, planning and funding support to divisions in the development and expansion of programming for students and communities that are underrepresented at the University of Toronto.

Helen comes to the University from The Law Foundation of Ontario, where she was the Director of Policy and Programs. As member of the senior leadership team, Helen oversaw granting activities in support of the Foundation’s access to justice objectives, fostered relationships with grantees, justice sector organizations and other funders.

She has over a decade of management experience designing, developing and delivering evidence-based and data-informed public programs, policy responses, and systemic change innovations in higher education, employment and skill-development in partnership with Indigenous peoples and underrepresented communities. Prior to her work at the Foundation, Helen was Senior Researcher and Manager at the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). She has also held management positions at George Brown College, Council of Educators of Toronto, City of Toronto and United Way Toronto.

Alongside her efforts in Canada, Helen has worked in research consultancy and advisory capacities on a range of international development, humanitarian, and security issues. These include transitional justice and Track II diplomacy, education for development, and the role of diasporas in Canadian foreign policy. She has authored reports or supported research for organizations such as African Union, Mosaic Institute, Global Campaign for Education, Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation and United Nations University for Peace.

Please join me in welcoming Helen into this new role and to the University of Toronto. I am thrilled to have her on board as we establish this new office and further expand our institutional support for access at the University.