Seventh UVic presidential installation to enhance fall convocation ceremony

During the convocation ceremony on Nov. 12 at 10 a.m., University of Victoria President Jamie Cassels, QC, will be sharing the stage with students—several of whom he taught as a professor in UVic's Faculty of Law. Cassels will stand before his students as a locally and nationally recognized legal scholar and teacher, and he will also be publicly and officially recognized as a different kind of leader: UVic's seventh president and vice-chancellor.

Although Cassels took office in July, the installation ceremony is when he will be officially sworn in, formally accepting his presidential duties and responsibilities. In addition to convocation, installation is one of the most formal ceremonies a university can host, and both are rich in academic tradition and rituals.

The installation ceremony—and all fall convocation ceremonies—will be webcast live at www.uvic.ca/convocation.

The President's Oath is one of the most significant parts of the installation ceremony, explains Manager of Convocation and Events Jeanie Gunn. The Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of BC, will administer Cassels' oath of office.

After the oath, two members of the Board of Governors—one staff and one student representative—will robe Cassels in his official academic regalia. There will also be a presentation of greetings from delegates from other universities and institutions, performances by UVic music and theatre students, and a presidential address.

Following the installation rituals, the convocation ceremony will commence, honouring graduating students from the Faculties of Law, Social Sciences and Graduate Studies.

"This ceremony should be a great experience for everyone," explains Gunn. "It's a rare opportunity to experience a presidential installation and a student convocation, which is very special in its own right, as a single event."

Holding the installation ceremony during convocation is significant for Cassels, who is a nationally recognized teacher. He's a recipient of the 3M National Teaching Fellowship—Canada's highest award for university teaching—and this year was awarded the First Year Teaching Award of Excellence from the UVic Law Students' Society for his classroom work in 2012-13. Cassels is also an active scholar, with new editions of two of his books scheduled for publication in the next few months.

Read Cassels' full biography at uvic.ca/president/about/biography/.