Search for new provost and vice-president (academic) update
Dec. 9, 2024
It was previously reported by media that there was a potential of a perceived conflict of interest on the search committee for the provost and vice-president (academic).
However, on Tuesday, Dec. 3, the university’s Conflict of Interest committee provided a detailed decision rationale on a conflict of interest disclosure made by committee chair Dr. Neil Bose related to the provost search.
The committee found that the relationships identified do not present a conflict of interest as defined in the policy.
The Conflict of Interest decision rationale can be found here.
Oct. 31, 2024
Update on the search for provost and vice-president (academic)
The search committee for the new provost and vice-president (academic) has been continuing its work since the last update on July 4.
The committee has reviewed all applications and conducted a first round of interviews. Two candidates have been invited to participate in the next open stage of the process. They are Dr. Rehan Sadiq, provost and vice-president (academic), University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus), and Dr. Jennifer Lokash, provost and vice-president (academic) pro tempore, Memorial University.
Each candidate will give a public presentation, offered virtually and in-person, to the university community and interested parties.
Dr. Sadiq – 9-10 am, Tuesday, Nov. 12
Dr. Lokash – 9-10 am, Monday, Nov. 18
Further details, including locations, candidate CVs and information for virtual participation will be available within Brightspace. Follow-up communications will be shared with this information. Each candidate will visit the St. John’s Campus, Marine Institute, Labrador Campus and Grenfell Campus.
Dr. Sadiq – Nov. 12-14
Dr. Lokash – Nov. 18-20
As part of the search process, and in addition to the presentations, each candidate will have a formal interview with the committee and hold further meetings at each campus with stakeholders. Following these visits, the search committee will seek input on the candidates’ suitability for the role. Details on providing feedback will be communicated prior to the site visits. To accommodate individuals who would like to participate in the process but cannot attend the public presentations at the scheduled times, the presentations will be recorded. To request the recording, please contact provostsearch2024@mun.ca.
July 4, 2024
The search committee for the new provost and vice-president (academic) has been continuing their work since the last update on March 7.
Five virtual town halls were held including one specifically for students, as well as consultation sessions with key advisory groups including the deans and the advisory committee to the vice-president (Indigenous). A university wide consultation survey was also conducted. These were held to help inform the process, including details of the job advertisement.
The ad has now been created and posted on Memorial’s web site, as well as 11 other career education networks. It is available here: https://careers.mun.ca/academic/api/careers/file/5373
The committee will meet again in late August to review applications. Consideration of candidates will continue until the position is filled.
Search committee members include:
- Dr. Neil Bose, president and vice-chancellor pro tempore (chair)
- Dr. Kirk Anderson, Faculty of Education
- Devon Budden, Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union
- Dr. Bev Fitzpatrick, School of Pharmacy
- Dr. Ashrafee Hossain, Faculty of Business Administration
- Dr. Amy Hurford, Faculty of Science
- Dr. Lee Ann McKivor, university registrar
- Dr. Michelle Porter, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Md Shaheen Shah, Graduate Students’ Union
- Dr. Anne-Marie Sullivan, dean, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation
- Dr. Ken Jacobsen, acting vice-president (Grenfell Campus)
- Dr. Sylvia Moore, interim dean, School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies, Labrador Campus
March 7, 2024
The search committee has begun consultation process to invite input on the opportunities, challenges and priorities for this executive position, as well as the ideal qualifications that will inform the job description for this search. You are invited to participate in a town hall hosted by the president to provide your input into this important process. The dates and times of these sessions are below. To register, please click here. Alternatively, you may also participate by completing a consultation survey. More information including how to access the survey is available here.
March 14, 1 pm – St. John’s Campus
March 15, 10 am – all students, all campuses
March 20, 11 am – Marine Institute
March 21, 10 am – Grenfell Campus
March 27, 10 am – Labrador Campus
January 23, 2024
Update on the search for provost and vice-president (academic)
The search committee for the next provost and vice-president (academic), which was announced on Dec. 18, 2023, held their first meeting on Jan. 19, 2024. The university community can expect to receive regular updates following each committee meeting.
The search will be supported by the Senior Leadership Recruitment unit in the Office of Human Resources with Kim Blanchard, manager, providing leadership. This decision reflects a commitment by the university’s leadership to move away from the use of external consultants.
Consultations will be conducted with various stakeholders within the university community in the coming weeks to consider priorities for the next provost and the desired qualifications of candidates. These consultations will help to inform the entire process including preparing the position profile, advertisement, shortlisting of candidates and selection of the recommended candidate. Details on the consultations will be shared shortly.
Applications for the position will be invited from internal and external candidates and the position will be broadly advertised nationally and internationally. The last part of the search will be open and candidates who are included on the final shortlist will be invited to participate in presentations to the university community, meetings with stakeholders and will be expected to be available for in-person visits to the St. John’s campus, the Marine Institute, Grenfell Campus and the Labrador Campus. The open nature of the process will be communicated in all advertising.
The committee aims to complete the search over the next six months.
Feedback to the committee is welcome and may be sent to provostsearch2024@mun.ca
Search committee members include:
- Dr. Neil Bose, president and vice-chancellor pro tempore (chair)
- Dr. Kirk Anderson, Faculty of Education
- Jawad Chowdhury, Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union
- Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo, vice-provost (Labrador Campus) and dean, School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies
- Dr. Bev Fitzpatrick, School of Pharmacy
- Dr. Ashrafee Hossain, Faculty of Business Administration
- Dr. Amy Hurford, Faculty of Science
- Dr. Lee Ann McKivor, university registrar
- Dr. Michelle Porter, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Md Shaheen Shah, Graduate Students’ Union
- Dr. Anne-Marie Sullivan, dean, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation
- Dr. Ken Jacobsen, acting vice-president (Grenfell Campus)
December 18, 2023
Update on the search for provost and vice-president (academic)
Work has begun on the search for a new provost and vice-president (academic) for Memorial University.
A committee has been established to begin the search.
Search committee members include:
- Dr. Neil Bose, president and vice-chancellor pro tempore (chair)
- Dr. Kirk Anderson, Faculty of Education
- Jawad Chowdhury, Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union
- Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo, vice-provost (Labrador Campus) and dean, School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies
- Dr. Bev Fitzpatrick, School of Pharmacy
- Dr. Ashrafee Hossain, Faculty of Business Administration
- Dr. Amy Hurford, Faculty of Science
- Dr. Lee Ann McKivor, university registrar
- Dr. Michelle Porter, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Md Shaheen Shah, Graduate Students’ Union
- Dr. Anne-Marie Sullivan, dean, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation
- Dr. Ken Jacobsen, acting vice-president (Grenfell Campus)
The committee will meet early in the new year to begin the search.
Representatives on the committee were selected in accordance with the Memorial University of Newfoundland Procedures Governing the Appointment, Review, Promotion and Tenure of Academic Administrators, April 2, 2014.
Updates and all public information regarding the search will be shared on the president’s website. An ad and position profile will be finalized by the committee in the new year. It is anticipated that there will be opportunities for the university community to provide input to the committee at various stages of the search.
June 7, 2023
A message from the president: Search for provost and vice-president (academic)
I am committed to prioritizing searches for positions that are currently filled in an interim or acting capacity and am pleased to announce that Memorial has started the search process for a new provost.
The search process is being guided by The Policies and Procedures Governing the Appointment, Review, Promotion and Tenure of Academic Administrators (April 2014), which vests the authority for the search for the provost and vice-president (academic) with the president, and further provides for the composition of the search committee.
The search committee is being established and is chaired by the president. The structure of the committee is determined by the procedures noted above.
The interim Secretary of Senate has been asked to conduct elections for three faculty members to sit on the committee. As president, I will appoint two faculty members and will consult with deans to appoint decanal representatives. The vice-president (administration and finance) will facilitate the nomination of an administrative staff member representing all campuses. Student representatives have been asked to nominate representatives as well.
Due care will be given to ensuring membership on the committee aligns with the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion.
Confirmation that the search will be open, in that candidates invited for interviews will also participate in consultations with members of the university community, will be determined during the first search committee meeting.
The search will be supported by the Department of Human Resources and a senior representative will work with the search committee and the President’s Office to execute the search.
Members of the university community will be invited to provide input to the committee once it has been established. Updates will be provided and posted here on a regular basis for the duration of the search.
I look forward to working with the search committee and the university community in this process to appoint Memorial’s next provost and vice-president (academic).