Leo Groarke

Strategic Priority Fund supports 10 academic appointments

More than $1,000,000 in Strategic Priority Fund expenditures will go to create 10 new academic positions across the University, provost Leo Groarke announced Friday.

“The need for new positions is great: one wishes that the university budget allowed for more,” he said. “We have made some progress in building a more sustainable budget model. While there are still challenges, we hope it will enable us to build a budget that will allow for more positions in the future.”

The adjudication committee approved the following positions:

Provost names acting dean for Faculty of Education

Professor Karen Roland will begin a one-year term as acting dean of the Faculty of Education on January 1.

A four-time UWindsor grad (BA 1993, B.Ed. 1994, M.Ed. 2000, PhD 2009), Dr. Roland has worked at the University since 1994, first in the equity office and currently as an experiential learning specialist. Her ongoing research interests are restorative justice, equity and peer education.

Provost Leo Groarke invited faculty and staff to welcome Roland to her new role.

Strategic Priority Fund offers $1.1 million for academic appointments in 2013/14

A change in the Strategic Priority Fund to consider base funding for academic appointments is intended to provide enough faculty to meet growing demand for programs and prepare for greater capacity at the graduate level, says provost Leo Groarke.

“Budget realignments over the last five years have strained some of the academic programs that are the core of what we do,” he says. “We are hopeful that these funds can provide some relief to those programs—new and old—that are struggling with these pressures.”

Information Technology Services to welcome new executive director in January

Provost Leo Groarke has announced the appointment of Bala Kathiresan as executive director of Information Technology Services, effective January 2.

“He brings to the University a wealth of experience gained in the management of information systems in the public and private sector,” Dr. Groarke says, noting his service as executive vice-president and chief operating officer, corporate services, for Ontario’s largest multisite community teaching hospital, comprising seven sites, serving 434,000 residents across 12 municipalities in Niagara.

Video records campus community barbecue

The campus community barbecue is an example of how the university wants to serve students, says provost Leo Groarke.

He was one of the campus celebrities who put on aprons to hand out a free lunch at the event September 20, an experience he said he looks forward to.

“Today the emphasis is on the food for the body, but the rest of the time, the emphasis is on food for the mind,” Dr. Groarke said.

Faculty member sought to serve as environmental advocate

Provost Leo Groarke is seeking a tenured faculty member to take on a new role as the University’s environmental advocate.

A key figure in the establishment and growth of environmentally conscious initiatives on campus, the environmental advocate will advise the provost and the vice-president, planning and administration, on environmental issues, and facilitate projects which improve campus energy efficiency, reduce waste, enhance the physical campus, promote environmental sustainability, enhance student learning opportunities, and strengthen partnerships with the local community.

Associate dean of education to take reins of faculty

Professor Clinton Beckford will begin a five-year term as dean of the Faculty of Education on July 1, provost Leo Groarke announced Tuesday.

“Over the course of his career, Dr. Beckford has gained significant experience with external partnerships, advocacy, and program and curriculum development,” Dr. Groarke said. “His strengths in team building, community collaboration, and international education will be an asset as the Faculty of Education embarks on its future course.”