Reflecting on the selection of a new president: Editorial

Reflecting on the recently announced departure of Santa Ono from the University of British Columbia, Gordon McIntyre writes about the “exciting, but challenging process” of selecting a new president. McIntyre speaks to former University of Windsor president Ross Paul about the process. “One of the joys of the job is you’re dealing with so many interesting, diverse and talented people,” explains Ross. “One of the challenges of the job is you’re dealing with diverse and talented people.” Drawing on recent research, Paul explains that almost 90% of studied Canadian university presidents came to their job from outside the institution, with 85% coming from a senior administrative position from another Canadian university. McIntyre further discusses how ads for presidents have shifted from a call for “respected scholars” to “charismatic heroes.” The article concludes by touching on the importance of fit when selecting a president. Vancouver Sun Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.