LU’s new boss

For a university president, the first 100 days on the job are about listening to people and learning the issues that concern the community, said Lakehead University’s new president and vice-chancellor.

Brian Stevenson said his first day in the position formerly held by Fred Gilbert for 12 years will be busy meeting people, hearing what’s transpired and where they want to go from here.

"I think the best way to get to know people is to walk around campus and talk to people and listen to them," he said, adding that’s the best way to get to know the students when they start arriving a month from now.

"I think connecting to the students in an informal way is most important," he said.

While stepping in to the shoes of Gilbert, Stevenson said it’s always daunting taking over after somebody’s accomplished so much, but he’s got 10 years of senior university management work under his belt.

His previous job was as the provost and vice-president of academic at the University of Winnipeg and has also worked in Washington D.C. and at the University of Alberta as the vice-provost and associate vice-president.

"I feel very comfortable in the position," said Stevenson. "I feel comfortable bringing in my own style, my own approach and my own experiences to the job."

The first order of business is to implement the two-and-a-half year strategic plan passed by the university board and senate and then prepare for the institution’s next five-year plan. Stevenson said there are five areas he plans to focus on.

The first is academic excellence and ensuring they’re promoting excellence in teaching and research and promote new graduate programs.

His second priority is sustainability.

"How do you manage a university as best you can in terms of the finances?" he said. "How can we proceed and advance in such a way we have the best costing we can for the university so the students are getting the best value? That’s very important."

Stevenson said there is also great potential at Lakehead to internationalize the school more and expose the young people of Northern Ontario to the world by bringing more international students to the campus, sending students abroad and developing partnerships with other countries.

"So we can begin to get a reputation around the world for the great work we do," he said.

Also in his sights are promoting the Orillia campus more in order to connect with the GTA and southern Ontario and it’s equally important to reach out to the communities surrounding Thunder Bay, particularly the First Nations.

Stevenson said they need to continue to increase the number of Aboriginal students at Lakehead by reaching out more and developing more scholarships and programs.