U of M looking to fill two vice-president positions

Two separate presidential advisory positions have been created to fill both vice-president positions consisting of members from a variety of departments on campus, according to Barnard. While both committees involve some overlap of departments, Barnard said there is a distinct focus for each committee.

“The committee to help find the best [vice] president research has more senior researchers on it because they’re the folks who interact a lot with that office and with that person. The committee looking for the provost, the vice-president academic, that’s the committee [that] has people drawn from other sectors. It’s got people from academic units on it, not necessarily principally for their research. There is that kind of balance.”

Barnard said that there is student representation and a member of the Board of Governors on both committees. Barnard sits on both committees as does university secretary Jeff Leclerc and search consultant Gerri Woodford.

“I’ll get advice from the committee. I’ll take a recommendation to the board and the board will approve it,” said Barnard.

Barnard said that as both are high-ranking administration positions, a number of qualifications are essential to the positions.

“We’ll be certainly looking for people with good experience and demonstrative capacity for senior leadership. I think we’re at a very exciting time so we want to see some experience. We want to see some capacity for leadership. We’d like to see some ability and willingness to take on some new things and some risk. We’re not just looking for comfort and staying where we are but trying to make the university better.”

Barnard said that there are a number of separate responsibilities for both vice-president academic and vice-president research.

“Facilitating that dialogue [amongst faculty deans], that’s one of the most important things [the vice-president academic does]. I think, also, we look for the [vice-president academic] to be a person who is watching, being aware of what’s happening in the broader academic world. Here are some things that are important ideas that we should be thinking about.”

Barnard said that it is also important for the vice-president academic to consider the student experience.

“What happens with every student in every academic faculty, or every academic department is important. What happens every time students interact with some particular administrative department is important. We want some place where ultimately someone says the totality of the student experience interacting with all of the people they have to talk to is something we should be focusing on.”

The vice-president (research) is someone who can “facilitate the research agenda whatever it is” according to Barnard.

“We won’t be looking for someone who is an expert in a particular area because that’s the area we’re going to focus on. We want someone who can generally work with faculty, graduate students, students, staff members to facilitate the research enterprise.”

Barnard said that it is also important for the vice-president (research) to bridge research done at the university to the outside community.

“I’d like to find people who can make strong contributions in their individual portfolios but who can work very well together as a team with the others who are already a part of the executive group and people who come with some energy and some enthusiasm to kind of make some things happen over the next few years,” said Barnard.

The current vice-president (academic), Robert Kerr and vice-president (research) Joanne Keselman will finish their current terms in June 30, 2009.

Kerr, in his seventh year as vice-president (research), said his plans once his current term is over would be to return to the U of M research sector.

“I have a PhD student right now and I’m looking forward to getting on with my research agenda,” he said.

Kerr said that he is please to have been a part of the increased commitment to aboriginal students as well as the development of a welcoming environment for students during his time as vice-president (academic).

Keselman, in her 11th year as vice-president (research), said that once her term is over she is due to go on administrative leave and afterwards will resume an academic staff position in the department of psychology.

“What I’ve tried to do in this position is promote the university’s research achievements and make the public more aware of the importance and value of university research. I believe that people have a better sense [ . . . ] of the research work that university professors do, that graduate students do and the achievements that we’ve made on the research front and why research matters,” she said.

The first meeting of these committees will likely not take place until January 2009, according to Barnard. He said that he would ideally like appointments made for July 1, 2009.

“I’m actually quite excited about these searches. I think these are going to be important appointments and we expect to get interest from a lot of very good people. I’d love to have a really hard job to decide who to appoint.”