Cukier returns to Ryerson
Process to find another new Brock University president to take months to complete
Wendy Cukier who was set to become Brock University’s first female president Thursday will instead return to Ryerson University academia.
On Monday night, Brock announced Cukier will also not become its first graduate to head the school.
Cukier and Brock’s board of trustees arrived at a mutual decision to not proceed with her appointment as president and vice-chancellor of the St. Catharines university.
Cukier had only recently completed a term as vice-president of research and innovation at Ryerson in Toronto.
On Tuesday, Ryerson communications director Michael Forbes confirmed Cukier will return to the Toronto university’s Ted Rogers School of Management.
“Wendy continues to be a tenured faculty member at Ryerson,” said Forbes, who provided no further details.
Forbes said Cukier, who graduated from Brock in 1979, has been at Ryerson for 30 years.
She was set to begin her Brock role on Thursday, replacing previous president Jack Lightstone, who at age 65 retired at the end of June.
Gary Comerford, vice-chair and chair-elect of the board of trustees, said Brock was very fortunate to have Lightstone for 10 years, which he described as an unusually long term in some respects at Canadian universities.
Comerford said the board of trustees is in the process of consulting with the university’s senate, with faculty and with various school stakeholders.
“It’s very important that we have good dialogue going forward. Because we have to ensure that we have the correct interim solution and then a longer-term view of replacement,” he said.
“These things do take several months. We’re going to work with diligence to identify an appropriate candidate. But we’re also taking whatever time is required to ensure the right candidate,” said Comerford.
“Students are going to come to campus next week and they’re going to see a beautiful campus and a great city, they’re going to meet professors and go to class. We’ve got a great institution for these students from across Canada and the world. We’re ready for these students and we’re in great shape.”
While he admitted the parting of ways is unfortunate, Comerford said at the end of the day, “it was a very respectful mutual decision, but it was made and we’ll move forward.”
“She’s a terrific academic and leading researcher, we wish her all the very best.”
Brock’s interim acting president, Brian Hutchings, remains in place as students begin their academic year next week.
Brock’s faculty association president said the mutual decision not to go forward with Cukier’s appointment was concerning.
“We were just as surprised as anybody,” said Linda Rose-Krasnor, president of the Brock University Faculty Association.
“We are deeply disappointed … and we’re pretty confused because there’s no information about why or how (this happened) or what’s going to prevent this from happening again, perhaps.”
“And we’re concerned as there’s certainly uncertainty about who is going to be leading us,” said RoseKrasnor. She said the situation is exacerbated because “almost all of the senior administrators are new, interim and/or coming from outside Brock.
“Where do we go from here is the big question and everyone is aware of the seriousness of it.”
Rose-Krasnor adds the faculty is also “very concerned that the acting president (should) be an academic … with academic credentials and experience, as opposed to someone with administrative, financial or some other kind of background.”
Comerford could not estimate how long it will take to find a new president.
“We had a very good process we believe last time and we’ll ensure that we have that going forward,” he said.
“And we’ll make sure that we do everything possible to secure a candidate and president that is going to do St. Catharines, the Niagara Peninsula and Brock proud.”