Biography

Theresa Shanahan is a lawyer, called to the Bar in Ontario in 1990. She practiced law in Ontario for several years before obtaining her PhD in Education at OISE/UT. This was followed by a SSHRCC Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of British Columbia, in the Department of Educational Studies. She is a Professor and former Associate Dean in the Faculty of Education. She is a member of the graduate program in Education and, also in the graduate program in Public Policy, Administration and Law. 

Scholarly Interests

Theresa's research interests include education law and policy, the political economy of postsecondary education, university governance (system and institutional decision-making), professional education, professional governance, professional ethics, and human rights in education, and access and equity in education. She lectures on Canadian postsecondary education law and policy, professional education, the governance and organization of schooling in Canada, educator's rights and responsibilities, legal issues in education, educator's negligence and liability, professional and employment issues in education as well as education and human rights. In addition, she has published articles and has authored numerous national and international conference papers on  higher education policy, legal education, university and professional governance.

Faculty & School/Dept

• Faculty of Education -

• Faculty of Graduate Studies, Education - Post-secondary education
• Faculty of Graduate Studies, Public Policy, Administration & Law - Public policy and analysis

Selected Publications

• Wellen, R. Axelrod, P. Shanahan, T. and Desai Trilokekar, R. (2011). The making of a policy regime: Canada's Postsoencdary Student Finance System since 1994. Canadian Journal for Higher Education.
• Axelrod, Paul, Shanahan T. Desai Trilokekar, R. and Wellen, R. (2011). People, Processes and Policy-making in Canadian Post-secondary Education. Higher Education Policy, 24, no.2, 43-66.
• Axelrod, P. Shanahan, T. Desai Trilokekar, R and Wellen R (2010). Understanding Policy-making in Canadian Postsecondary Education.OCUFA Biennial Conference Proceedings. Financing Higher Education in the Current Economic Climate.
• Shanahan, Theresa (2009). Accountability Initiatives in Higher Education: An examination of the impetus to accountability, its expressions and implications. OCUFA Biennial Conference Proceedings Accounting or Accountability in Higher Education.
• Shanahan Theresa (2009). Leaders as Facilitators of Community: Case Commentary - "Strip Tease on Day Three". . In D. Smith and P.Goldblatt (Eds.), Exploring Leadership and Ethical Practice through Professional Inquiry (pp. 98-101). CanadaQuebec City: Laval University Press
• Shanahan, Theresa (2009) Teacher Merit Pay. Toronto: A position paper prepared for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association
• Fisher, Donald, Rubenson, Kjell, Jones, Glen and Shanahan, Theresa (2009). The Political Economy of Post-secondary Education: A comparison of British Columbia, Ontario and Québec. Higher Education. Vol.57, No.5, 549-566.
• Shanahan, T (2008). The Political Economy and Academic Culture at the University of British Columbia Law School. In A. Chan & D. Fisher (Eds.), The Exchange University (pp. 168-188). Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: University of British Columbia
• Shanahan, Theresa (2008). Creeping Capitalism and Academic Culture at a Canadian Law School. The Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice. Vol.26, Issue 1, 124-159.
• Jones, G., Shanahan, T., Padure, L., Lamoureux, S. and Gregor, E. (2007) Marshalling Resources for Change: System Level Initiatives to Increase Accessibility to Postsecondary Education.A discussion paper prepared for the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. Montreal: CMSF
• Shanahan, Theresa and Jones, Glen (2007). Shifting Roles and Approaches: Government Coordination of Postsecondary Education in Canada from 1995 to 2006. Journal of Higher Education Research and Development. Vol.26, Issue 1, 31- 43.
• Fisher, D. Rubenson, K. Clift, R. Bernatchez, J. Jones, G, Lee, J. MacIvor, M, Meredith, J. Shanahan, T, and Trottier, C. (2006). Canadian Federal Policy and Post Secondary Education. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: University of British Columbia, Centre for Policy Studies in Higher Education and Training (CHET)
• Shanahan, Theresa (2006). Legal Scholarship in Ontario's English-speaking common law schools. The Canadian Journal of Law and Society. Vol.21, No.2, 25-50.
• Shanahan, T., Fisher, D., Jones, G. and Rubenson, K. (2005) The Case of Ontario: The Impact of Post-secondary Policy on Ontario's Higher Education System. New York: Alliance for International Higher Education Policy Studies (AIHEPS), New York
• Jenson, J. Taylor, N. & Shanahan, T (2005). Where ELSE? : Crossing the form-content Divide. (C. Crawford et al , Ed.) Proceedings of Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2005 , 2263-2266.
• Jones, Glen, A, Shanahan, Theresa, & Goyan, Paul (2004). The Academic Senate and Canadian University Governance. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education. Vol. XXX-IV, 35-69.
• Shanahan, Theresa (2002) Report on Legal Scholarship: Law professor's research activities in Ontario's English-speaking common law schools.Report distributed to Deans and faculty at Ontario's law schools
• Jones, Glen, A, Shanahan, Theresa, & Goyan, Paul (2002). Traditional Governance Structures - Current Policy Pressures: The Academic Senate and Canadian Universities. Tertiary Education and Management (TEAM), Journal of EAIR, a European Higher Education Society, Vol. 8, No. 3, 29-45.
• Jones, Glen A, Shanahan, Theresa & Goyan, Paul (2001). University Governance in Canadian Higher Education. Tertiary Education and Management (TEAM), Journal of EAIR, a European Higher Education Society, Vol. 7, No. 2, 135-148.
• Jones, Glen A, Shanahan, Theresa & Goyan, Paul (2000). University Governance in Canadian Higher Education. Lectures from the International Seminar on University Governance and Management, 277-311.
• Shanahan, T. (2000). A discussion of autonomy in the relationship between the Law Society of Upper Canada and the university-based law schools. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, Vol.XXX-1, 27- 56.
• Report prepared with a working group (Theresa Shanahan, Jeffrey House, Bill Fairbairn, Kathy Price and Omar Fernandez) on behalf of the Tribunal Steering Committee outlining findings and recommendations of the Tribunal and submitted to the parliamentary hearings of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (1999) Submission to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Report of the Tribunal on Human Rights in Colombia. Ottawa: Tribunal on Human Rights in Colombia (1999). Submission to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Report of the Tribunal on Human Rights in Colombia.
• Report prepared by Theresa Shanahan and Bob Bernhardt, Acting Director of Education on behalf of the Taskforce and submitted to the legal profession in Ontario through the Law Society of Upper Canada (1998) Bar Admission Course Reform: Consultation Report..Law Society of Upper Canada, Taskforce on Bar Admission Course Reform
• Axelrod, P. Shanahan, T. Wellen, R. and Desai Trilokekar, R. (1990). The Politics of Policy-making in Postsecondary Education in Canada and the Province of Ontario,. (Schuetze, Bruneau and Grosjean , Eds.) CanadaUniversity Governance and Reform: Policy, Fads and Experience in International Perspective. Palgrave, Macmillan
• Shanahan, Theresa, Jones, G., Fisher D. and Rubenson, K. (1985). Higher Education Policy in Ontario . (Fisher and Rubenson , Eds.) CanadaCanadian Higher Education Policy. McGill -Queen's University Press
• Shanahan, Theresa and Jones, Glen Shifting Roles and Approaches: Government Coordination of Postsecondary Education in Canada from 1995 to 2006. In Selected for reprint in Malcolm Tight, Jeroen Huisman, Ka Ho Mok and Christopher Morphew (Eds.), Routledge International Handbook of Higher Education. LondonEngland: . London: Routledge

Selected Presentations

• Axelrod, P. Shanahan, T. Desai Trilokekar, R. and Wellen, R. (2011, October). The Politics of Policy-making in Postseoncdary Education: Ottawa and Ontario, 1990-2000. Presented at: Presentation at the conference Transformation: State Nation and Citizenship in a New Environment sponsored by the Avie Bennett Historical Chair in Canadian History, Dept.of History, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University, Toronto.
• Theresa Shanahan (2011, March). Invited Speaker. Youth, Mental Health and the Justice System: An Educational Concern. Presented at: York Center for Education and the Community (YCEC),York University and Department of Justice Canada, York University, Toronto
• Shanahan, Theresa (2010, October). The Policy-making Process in Ontario Post-secondary Education: Implications for Governance. Presented at: 7th International Workshop in Higher Education Reform, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia
• Shanahan, Theresa (2009, November). Invited Discussant. Canadian Higher Education, eh? . Presented at: Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia
• Theresa Shanahan (2009, May). Invited discussant. Complicating Curriculum for Social Justice in Post-Secondary Education: thinking about Women, Deaf Culture, and Race. Presented at: Biennial Provoking Curriculum Studies Conference, University of Ottawa
• Theresa Shanahan (2009, May). The Ginger Effect: Quality and Accountability Mechanisms and the Transformation of Social Relations of Governance in Postsecondary Education. Presented at: Paper presentation on panel “Governance in Education” at the Annual Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) Conference, Ottawa, University of Carleton
• Shanahan, Theresa (2009, January). Invited Introductory Keynote address. Accountability Initiatives in higher education: An Overview. Address to be presented at the OCCUFA Conference “Accounting or Accountability in Higher Education” . Presented at: Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. Toronto
• Shanahan, Theresa (2008, June). Hoisted by our own petard: Accountability agreements, key performance indicators and funding mechanisms in Ontario’s postsecondary education. Presented at: Paper presentation on a general plenary panel “Key performance indicators, accountability agreements and funding in postsecondary education” at The Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for Studies in Higher Education (CSSHE), Vancouver
• Shanahan, Theresa (2008, June). Accessibility and the challenges of credential recognition and prior learning assessment for foreign-trained immigrants. Paper presentation on a panel “Strategies to improve accessibility to postsecondary education.” . Presented at: The Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for Studies in Higher Education (CSSHE), Vancouver
• Shanahan, Theresa (2008, April). Government postsecondary policies targeting immigrants: Approaches and issues around recognition of prior learning assessment and the recognition of foreign credentials. Paper presented on a panel on “Post-secondary education utilization by new immigrants entering the labour force”. Presented at: 10th National Metropolis Conference, Halifax
• Trottier, C., J Bernatchez, D. Fisher, G. Jones, K. Rubenson & T. Shanahan (2007, April). Invited presentation. A Comparative Analysis of Post-Secondary Education Policies of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. Presented at: 11th North American Higher Education Conference of the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration, Quebec City
• Trottier, C., J. Bernatchez, D. Fisher, G. Jones, K. Rubenson et T. Shanahan (2007, March). The political economy of postsecondary education in British Columbia,Ontario and Quebec: Differences and Similarities. Presented at: . Invited by the Assistant-Deputy Minister for higher education to present at a meeting of high civil servants of the higher education sector of the Ministry of Education of Quebec as part of an in-service/ continuing education activity.)
• Shanahan, Theresa (2007, January). Invited presentation. Policies for Improving College Student Preparation: A profile of Ontario. Presentation as part of a panel on the “Alliance for International Higher Education Policy Studies: State Policies and System Performance.” . Presented at: The Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy, New York University
• Shanahan, Theresa (2005, November). Invited presentation. Ontario’s postsecondary education system. Presentation as part of a panel on “Provincial Postsecondary Education systems: Comparative research on post secondary education systems in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.”. Presented at: The National Dialogue on Higher Education, hosted by the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Ottawa, Canada
• Jenson, J. Taylor, N. & Shanahan, T. (2005). Where ELSE?: Crossing the form-content Divide.. Presented at: Presented at Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference (SITE) Phoenix Arizona, USA
• Fisher, D., Shanahan, T. & Trottier, C. (2004, September). Market Ideology and Educational Policy in Canadian Higher Education: The Changing Boundary between the Public and Private Sectors in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, 1990-2003. Presented at: Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (CHER), Enschede, the Netherlands
• Shanahan, Theresa and Jones, Glen A. (2004, May). The Case of Ontario: The Impact of Post-Secondary Policy on Ontario. Paper presented as part of a panel session on “British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec Post-secondary Education Policies. Presented at: The Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for Studies in Higher Education (CSSHE), Winnipeg
• Shanahan, Theresa (2004, January). Invited presentation. Changes in Ontario’s post secondary policy (1985-2003). Presented at: The Ford Foundation at the tri-country meeting of the “Alliance for International Higher Education Policy Studies (AIHEPS).” Pueblo, Mexico
• Fisher, Donald and Shanahan, Theresa (2003, September). The Case of Higher Education in Ontario. Presented at: Paper presented in a panel presentation on “Comparing Three Provincial Systems of Higher Education in Canada: British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.” The Annual Conference of the Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (CHER), Porto, Portugal, hosted by the Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES)
• Shanahan, Theresa (2003, May). Invited paper. The Political Economy of Legal Scholarship: A Case study of the University of British Columbia Law School at the “International Colloquium at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities: Transformation of Academic Culture: Capital Accumulation and International Competitiveness”. Presented at: Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
• Shanahan, Theresa (2002, November). Legal Scholarship in a Neo-liberal Policy Environment: Professionalism Revisited. Presented at: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Sacramento, California
• Shanahan, Theresa (2001, May). Legal Scholarship: An Analysis of faculty research activities in Ontario’s common law schools. Presented at: Paper presented at the Canadian Law and Society Association Conference, Université of Laval
• Shanahan, Theresa (2001, May). Cognitive Dissonance in Legal Education. Presented at: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education, Université of Laval
• Shanahan, Theresa (2001, March). The Legal Accreditation Program: The experiences of foreign-trained lawyers in Toronto. Presented at: Paper presented at “Diverse Perspectives in Education Conference”, OISE/UT
• Jones, Glen, A, Shanahan, Theresa, & Goyan, Paul (2000, September). Traditional Governance Structures – Current Policy Pressures: The Academic Senate and Canadian Universities. Presented at: Paper presented at the Annual European Association for International Research Forum (EAIR), Berlin
• Shanahan, Theresa (2000, September). The Educational and Professional Mandates of Ontario Common Law Schools and the Law Society of Upper Canada: Reconciling Autonomy and Accountability. Presented at: Paper presented at the Conference on the Future of Canadian Legal Education: Critical Appraisals, University of Ottawa, Ontario
• Jones, Glen A, Shanahan, Theresa & Goyan, Paul (2000, June). University Governance in Canadian Higher Education. Presented at: Paper presented at the International Seminar on University Governance and Management organized by the UNESCO Chair of Higher Education Management at the Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
• Jones, Glen, A, Shanahan, Theresa. & Goyan, Paul (2000, May). Academic Decision-Making in Canadian University Senates: An Analysis of Members’ Views. Presented at: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education, University of Alberta, Alberta
• Shanahan, Theresa (2000, May). Corporate Influence on Professional Curriculum: The Case of the Professional Development Program at Osgoode Hall Law School. . Presented at: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education, University of Alberta, Alberta
• Shanahan, Theresa (1999, June). A Descriptive Analysis of the Decision-Making Process for Degree Program Approval at the University of Toronto. Presented at: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education, Sherbrooke, Quebec
• Jones, Glen, A, Shanahan, Theresa. & Goyan, Paul (1999, June). Canadian University Senates: A Preliminary Analysis of Composition, Structure, and Role. Presented at: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education, Sherbrooke, Quebec
• Shanahan, Theresa (1999, April). Invited paper. Professional and Institutional Autonomy in Legal Education.. Presented at: AERA symposium session entitled “Integrating Theory and Practice in Professional Education, Division I: Education and the Professions.” American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting (AERA), Montreal, Canada
• Shanahan, Theresa (1999, April). A Comparative Analysis of Legal Education in Canada and the United States. Presented at: Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society, Toronto, Canada

Research Projects

Youth, Mental Health and the Justice System: An Educational Concern

Making policy in Postsecondary education.

Experiencing Access: First Generation University Students in Faculties of Education in Ontario

Linking Government and Institutional Policy in creating the Postsecondary Learning Environment and Marshalling Resources for Change

On-LAWs: Ontario Law for Schools

Alliance for International Higher Education Policy Studies

The Culture of Scholarship: An analysis of the intellectual activities and work context of law faculty in six law schools in Western Canada

On_LAWs: Ontario Law for Schools

Canadians for Peace in Colombia

Legal Scholarship: An analysis of faculty research activities in Ontario's common schools

Professional Affiliations

• Law Society of Upper Canada (1990-present): Member
• Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (1999-present): Member
• Canadian Society for the Study of Education (2008-present): Member
• Association for the Study of Higher Education (2002-2003, 2008-present): Member
• European Association for Institutional Research (2000-2001): Member
• The Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History (2000-2001): Member
• American Educational Research Association (2011-present): Member
• The Canadian Bar Association (1990-95, 2004): Member
• The Thomas More Lawyers Guild of Toronto (1990-1995): Member

York University Affiliations/Cross Appointments

• York Centre for Education and Community: Faculty Associate
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Graduate Studies in Education: Member
• Faculty of Graduate Studies in Public Policy, Administration and Law: Member