To all members of the University of Windsor community:

I wanted to say an official hello to everyone as I begin my role as interim President and Vice-Chancellor.

Let me start by introducing the team.

Jeff Berryman has moved across the hall to become Acting Provost and Vice-President, Academic, and Cheryl Collier has stepped in as Acting Associate Vice-President, Academic. Anna Kirby has assumed the role of Acting Vice-President, Planning and Administration, and both Rita LaCivita and Michael Siu continue in their respective roles as Vice-President, Human Resources and Vice-President, Research and Innovation.

I want to thank both new and continuing colleagues for their collaborative leadership as we prepare for a fresh academic year.

Other team members reporting through the President’s Office continue as diligently as before:

• Jane Boyd, Executive Assistant;
• Laura Lewis, Executive Secretary;
• Renée Wintermute, University Secretary;
• John Coleman, Director of Public Affairs & Communications;
• Kaye Johnson, Executive Director, Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility;
• Patti Lauzon, Director of Alumni Affairs and Donor Communications;
• Susan Maxwell, Managing Director of the University Campaign; and
• Mary-Ann Rennie, Special Events Manager.

Sandra Aversa moves into her new role as Special Advisor, Capital Projects. I know that I’ll be depending on all these colleagues for their institutional knowledge and administrative know-how in the days ahead.

There will be much to report on when the campus comes to life again in September — not least, what new directions for postsecondary education in Ontario the recently elected government will be charting, and the implications for all of us.

In the meantime (which is what the Latin interim literally means), I wish everyone — students, staff, faculty, and community partners — a satisfying shore leave at some point this summer. They say a change is as good as a vacation, so one way or another we’ll all have either the real thing or a reasonable facsimile.

Here we go! For more information about the Office of the President, please visit my website here, and feel free to contact me at president@uwindsor.ca.

Sincerely,

— Douglas