New UBC president shaking things up
Three VPs have left post in past eight months
Since new University of B.C. president Arvind Gupta took over last September, three of the institution’s vice-presidents have moved on.
Most recently, Gupta announced that the university will be reviewing the role of provost — the senior academic administrator at most universities — with a view to strengthening the role.
In an email announcement to faculty, staff and students on Wednesday, Gupta said that David Farrar, the current provost and academic vice-president, will move to a new position, adviser to the president, as of June 30.
Angela (Anji) Redish will become interim provost and academic vice-president while the role is being reviewed. Redish is currently vice-provost, associate vice-president of enrolment and academic faculties, and a professor of economics.
Two other vice-presidents have left the university since September: the vicepresident of finance and the vice-president of communications and community partnerships.
“It’s not unusual when you have a new senior leader at any organization — whether it’s a private corporation, Crown corporation, or government agency — to see a realignment of priorities and some changes at the executive level,” UBC’s managing director of public affairs Susan Danard said in a statement.
For privacy reasons, Danard would not say whether the two vice-presidents quit or were fired from their posts.
Last week, UBC announced a new vicepresident of finance, Andrew Simpson, who will be moving to UBC from the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Danard said a search is about to get underway for a new vice-president to manage communications and external partnerships.
Danard said Farrar will continue to be a member of the university’s leadership team.
“We have much to be thankful for as a result of Dr. Farrar’s eight years of service to our community, and much to look forward to with his ongoing commitment to the university,” Gupta said in the email to faculty, staff and students. “He is a tremendous colleague who embodies the university’s commitment to a respectful environment in which to learn, work, and live; he has been dedicated to ensuring the university becomes an even more inclusive place that values difference.”
The provost at UBC is responsible for the academic mandate of the university, planning, creating policy and managing resources to achieve academic goals. Farrar’s responsibility included the faculties and colleges, as well as academic support units, including the library, information technology, continuing studies, and units with responsibility for supporting teaching, learning and research, Danard said.
“The review of this office will examine all of these functions to determine if the scope and responsibilities of the job are properly aligned with UBC’s mandate to achieve academic excellence in research and student learning,” she said.