Brock picks new interim president
Brock University has a new interim president and vicechancellor.
Tom Traves, who had served for 18 years as president of Dalhousie University, was unanimously approved by Brock’s Board of Trustees.
A university statement says Traves will lead Brock for the next year while it conducts an executive search for a full-time president.
The appointment takes effect Oct. 1.
It was also announced Traves will appoint Tom Dunk, currently Brock’s dean of the faculty of social sciences, to be interim provost and vice-president academic.
A replacement for Dunk in social sciences is to be announced in the coming days.
Traves — pronounced ‘Travis’ — takes over as interim president from Brian Hutchings, who has served that role for the past three months and now returns to his senior role as vice-president administration.
The statement adds during Traves’ presidency at Dalhousie, the Halifax institution experienced record growth in enrolment, increases in research funding and the establishment of several new faculties.
In 2014, Traves was named as a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions to post-secondary education in Atlantic Canada, and was recognized for building stronger networks between Dalhousie, its students and the residents of Halifax, and for his leadership of local arts and business organizations.
Brock’s Board Chair John Suk said trustees received input from Brock’s senate and other university stakeholders, then established a shortlist of external and internal candidates.
“In the final analysis, they favoured the candidate with the deepest background to help Brock meet its strategic challenges in the next year,” said the statement.
In an interview with The Standard, Suk said Traves has “outstanding credentials and experience as president for three terms at Dalhousie.”
“He comes highly recommended by a number of people both in Ontario and elsewhere,” Suk said. “He’s got all the right academic credentials.”
Tom Traves, born in Winnipeg, earned a BA from the University of Manitoba before receiving an MA and PhD from York University. He taught at York and served as chairman of social science and then dean of the faculty of arts there before moving to the University of New Brunswick as vice-president academic.
Traves was appointed as Dalhousie University’s 10th president in 1995, and served in that office for 18 years before stepping down in 2013.
Suk noted Brock and Dalhousie are “roughly the same size”, with Dalhousie having more faculties and professional schools.
Traves is also “known in Ontario by Queen’s Park people”, Suk adds. “He’s also done all the right things, in terms of labour negotiations and strategic planning, dealing with labour unions… things that face all universities and he’s done them extremely well.”
Suk said Traves will not be a candidate in a permanent search and “is not standing for the long-term.” Traves lives in Toronto, and will be both commuting and residing part- time locally.
In the Brock statement Traves said “that I can make a positive contribution in the short term is inspiring”.
“I’m familiar with the challenges facing the post-secondary education sector, and I know how to negotiate with government. I see Brock as an essential component to the strength and vitality of the Niagara region.” He was unavailable for an interview Friday.
Hutchings, Brock’s vice-president of administration, has served as acting president and vice-chancellor since July 1, following the retirement of Jack Lightstone.
Last month, Hutchings’ appointment extended beyond Aug. 31 after the university announced Wendy Cukier would not become Brock’s next president as earlier planned.
It said that decision not to proceed with Cukier’s appointment was a mutual one.
Martin Singer, a scholar and administrator for more than four decades at Concordia and York Universities, was supposed to be taking on the role of acting provost at Brock this school year.
A statement on Brock’s website last week said the school and Singer had jointly decided not to proceed with the appointment.
The statement said Singer, who retired in 2015 from York, had been approached earlier this year by Brock’s then-incoming president Cukier to serve as acting provost.
Suk said most of the members of the Brock permanent-president search committee have been selected.
He expects the committee will get to work shortly.
As for a permanent-president announcement “we would aim for the end of June,” Suk told The Standard. “You don’t know for sure until you enter (the search), see what candidates you have and what their conditions of employment are.”
Suk acknowleged Brock has “had our turmoils.”
“I think this now helps settle the organization … and I want to thank Brian Hutchings for the outstanding work he did those three months standing in. It was a positive experience with Brian.”