Cassels appointed UVic’s next president

Professor Jamie Cassels will serve as the University of Victoria’s seventh president. UVic Board of Governors Chair Susan Mehinagic announced Cassels’ appointment Dec. 20. Cassels, 56, is a legal scholar of international stature, a nationally recognized master teacher, and a talented university administrator noted for outstanding leadership and vision. He was UVic’s vice-president academic and provost from 2001–2010, and, before that, dean of law. His five-year term as president will begin July 1, 2013.

Cassels’ appointment received unanimous approval from the university’s board of governors, after a unanimous recommendation by a 20-member search committee. The search committee was broadly representative of the university community, including members from the board, senate, the faculties, the graduate and undergraduate student societies, staff and the alumni association.

“We interviewed many exceptional candidates, but the committee was unanimous in its assessment that Jamie Cassels is uniquely qualified to lead the University of Victoria as its next president,” says Mehinagic. “He has a track record of outstanding leadership at this university, keen insight into the opportunities and challenges for UVic nationally and internationally, and the integrity, passion and vision to take us to the next level.”

“Jamie has an exceptional reputation as an outstanding scholar and leader with a clear vision of the essential role that universities can and must play in the social, cultural and economic development of society,” says UVic President David Turpin. “He is a visionary who brings an extraordinary mix of passion, dedication, hard work and enthusiasm to every challenge he faces. UVic will be extremely well served by his leadership.”

“I am incredibly excited about this opportunity,” says Cassels. “UVic has an international reputation as one of Canada’s finest research-intensive universities—indeed, among the best in the world. This is due to the efforts of its outstanding faculty, students, staff and leaders, and support from our donors, alumni, and our many public and private sector partners.”

"I’ll be spending my first months as president listening intently to what the university and the broader communities have to say about UVic’s future,” he says. “I expect to have extensive consultations both on and off campus.”

Cassels stresses the importance of building a shared sense of the university’s distinctiveness and strengths within the broad context of UVic’s strategic plan. “A president can’t do anything on his or her own; but when a community has a shared understanding of its goals, that creates the momentum needed to achieve great results.”

Cassels will go into those consultations with a strong sense of his own values and UVic’s strengths. Speaking of his hopes for UVic, Cassels, an avid boater, says, “I know where my compass points. I’d like to further cement our international reputation as a research university and build on our strength in experiential learning, our commitment to civic engagement and the integration of education and research. This means making sure that the educational environment is truly enriched by the strong research culture of the university.”

As vice-president academic and provost, Cassels was the university’s chief academic officer, initiating and leading the university’s integrated planning process that guided overall university direction and budget development. He oversaw the renewal and growth of UVic’s faculty complement, the expansion of undergraduate and graduate student programs and services, and the development of strong programs of Indigenous education and scholarship. More than half of UVic’s current faculty—the next generation of scholars—were hired during his term.

As VPAC, Cassels was involved in post-secondary education at the provincial and national levels and acknowledged as a leader in the university system. At the end of his term in 2010, he was the country’s senior vice-president academic. Over the coming months he hopes to visit universities across Canada and meet with other presidents.

Cassels has received numerous awards for his scholarship and teaching, including a 3M National Teaching Fellowship, Canada's highest award for university teaching, which is awarded to those who both excel in their own discipline and demonstrate an exceptionally high degree of leadership and commitment to the improvement of university teaching across disciplines.

He also received a Canadian Association of Law Teachers Award for Academic Excellence for his exceptional contributions to legal research and education. He is the author of numerous books and articles and is frequently cited in both the academic literature and the courts.

Cassels was named a BC Queen’s Counsel in 2004 for his scholarly and service contributions to the legal profession.

He will succeed David Turpin, who has served as the university’s president since 2000.