Don Boyes
Acting Vice-Dean, Undergraduate
Associate Dean, Teaching & Learning
Academic Director, Online Learning Academy for Instructors (OLA)
Professor (Teaching Stream), Department of Planning & Geography
Contact
Email: vicedeanundergrad.artsci@utoronto.ca
Tel: 416-978-3453
Executive Assistant: Alison Terpstra
Office: SS2005, Office of the Dean, Sidney Smith Hall, 100 St. George Street
Portfolio
The Vice-Dean, Undergraduate is responsible for undergraduate education in the Faculty of Arts & Science.
Areas of Responsibility
- Undergraduate degree requirements
- Undergraduate courses and programs
- Academic integrity
- Academic continuity
- Opportunities for undergraduates
- Writing instruction (WIT) and English Language Learning (ELL)
Biography
Don Boyes is a Professor, Teaching Stream in the Department of Geography & Planning where he specializes in teaching the theory and applications of geographic information systems (GIS).
Professor Boyes is the recipient of several teaching awards, including the University of Toronto’s President's Teaching Award and the Canadian Association of Geographers Award for Excellence in Teaching Geography, and is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
He received his BSc from Queen’s University in 1989, his MSc from the University of Western Ontario in 1991 and his PhD from the University of Western Ontario in 1999.
As the Academic Director of the Arts & Science Online Learning Academy, Professor Boyes collaborates with a talented team to support instructors so that their students can benefit from high-quality digital learning, whether online, in the classroom, or a mix of both.
He has taught courses in online, hybrid and “HyFlex” modes for many years, and continues to experiment with teaching with technology and to explore and evaluate the exciting potential of digital pedagogy. He created and continues to offer a series of four massive open online courses (MOOCs) through Coursera, which have been taken by tens of thousands of students and for which he has been recognized as a "top instructor.”
Prior to starting his career at U of T, Professor Boyes spent several years as a freelance GIS consultant, mainly working with Indigenous resource management organizations in the Northwest Territories.
Professor Boyes was appointed Associate Dean, Teaching & Learning effective January 1, 2023. He also serves as Acting Vice-Dean, Undergraduate from January 1–June 30, 2025, during Professor Randy Boyagoda’s administrative leave.