uOttawa News

OTTAWA, October 17, 2014  —  The University of Ottawa has begun the process to choose the president and vice-chancellor who will succeed Allan Rock, whose term ends June 30, 2016.

The Board of Governors is responsible for naming the University president.

The president is both chief executive officer of the University and chair of the Senate. As such, he or she is not only responsible for academic matters, but also for administrative matters regarding faculty and support staff, and for University matters overall. In addition, the president serves as vice-chancellor of the University, the chancellor being the institution’s titular head.

“The job of choosing a president is of the highest importance for us,” says Robert Giroux, chair of the Board of Governors.  “To help us name someone who best meets the requirements of the position of president, we have formed a selection committee made up of members of the Senate and the Board of Governors.”

The process is governed by the Procedure for the Selection of a President at the University of Ottawa passed by the Board of Governors following consultation with the Senate.

The selection committee started work this fall. It will be in regular contact with the University community to provide updates on the selection process for the next president and to solicit the community’s views on the selection criteria. A website has been created to inform the community on how the work is going. The site includes a list of committee members.  

Allan Rock was named president of the University of Ottawa in July 2008 for a five-year term, which was subsequently extended until June 2016. He is the 29th president of the University since its founding as the College of Bytown in 1848.

To allow for a smooth transition, a new president is expected to be named in January 2016, several months before the end of the current president’s term.

It should be noted that a second selection committee is currently looking at recruiting the next vice-president academic and provost.

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