MONTREAL – Concordia University made the appointment of its new president and vice-chancellor official on Friday.
Alan Shepard will begin a five-year term effective Aug. 1, the Montreal university announced in a news release issued after the hiring was approved by its board of governors.
Shepard had been provost, vice-president (academic) and chief operating officer at Ryerson University in Toronto since 2007.
“Alan Shepard has left his mark on the academic and administrative leadership at Ryerson, where I know he will be missed,” Peter Kruyt, chairman of Concordia’s board, said in the statement:
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“We were impressed by his strong commitment to building and sustaining academic excellence, and leading initiatives to improve student services, support research and forge partnerships with other institutions.”
Shepard’s other administrative experience includes terms as a department chairman and school director in the United States and Canada, and as associate vice-president (academic) of the University of Guelph.
He is currently chairman of the Ontario Council of Academic Vice Presidents and is a public member of the strategic planning group of Public Health Ontario.
Shepard said he is looking forward to connecting with the Concordia community and immersing himself and his family in Quebec’s thriving culture:
“Concordia is a strong institution now, and it has extraordinary opportunities to become a national and international leader in higher education, to refashion the intellectual and physical geography of learning.
“I want us to make our own path,” he added, “to work together to create the best experience we can for students and researchers, to build a great university for learning, teaching, research and creative activity, while connecting with the larger community that supports us.”
Concordia’s administration has come under fire in recent years; two presidents have departed the university since 2007.
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