Jennifer Batten

At its Oct. meeting, the Board of Regents approved changes to the organizational structure of the leadership team reporting to the provost and vice-president (academic).  The resulting structure is a more streamlined and more cohesive senior academic leadership group that will act in an advisory capacity to the provost and vice-president (academic).

It is important to note that there are no additional operational costs associated with these organizational structure changes, meaning no added unit costs, no change in compensation levels, and no additional support staff positions.

The Board approved the following changes, effective Nov. 1, 2018: 

• The retitling of the role of director of the Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL) to associate vice-president, teaching and learning and director of the Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL). Dr. Gavan Watson, who was appointed to the director position earlier this year, assumed the new position title when he began in the role on Nov. 5. The concept of this senior leadership position emerged as a strong recommendation during the review process for CITL, and is a necessary change to give the unit a strong presence at all leadership levels of the institution, and establish CITL as the nexus for teaching and learning at Memorial.  

• The retitling of the role of dean, graduate studies, to associate vice-president and dean, graduate studies. Dr. Aimée Surprenant holds this position. The School of Graduate Studies has experienced substantive growth, not only in student enrolment, but also in program diversity and complexity. A review of graduate studies leadership roles at other Canadian universities revealed that this titling is common and effectively recognizes the above-mentioned growth in graduate studies. 

• The retitling of the role of associate vice-president (academic), programs, complement planning and development, to associate vice-president (academic). Dr. Sean Cadigan holds this position. This reflects the move of some of the functional responsibilities formerly under this role to the associate vice-president (academic), teaching and learning portfolio. 

• The associate vice-president (academic), students, completes this group. Dr. Donna Hardy Cox was appointed the position of associate vice-president (academic), students, effective Jan. 1, 2019. This position replaces the former deputy provost (students) and associate vice-president (academic), undergraduate studies role. 

The updated associate vice-presidents (academic) council group will advise the provost on all matters related to the teaching and learning, student and academic staff portfolios, and provide strategic leadership in the areas of complement planning, resource allocation, graduate studies, teaching and learning and student services.