Concordia launches Centre for Academic Leadership
Concordia’s new Centre for Academic Leadership will provide faculty members with professional development to better prepare and support them in assuming leadership roles at the university.
“The centre will be a vital component of our efforts to improve career development and training opportunities for our faculty members,” explains Concordia University Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs David Graham.
“For example, the role of a department chair is central to the academic operations of the university; however, I am well aware that many feel underprepared when they take on their new role,” he adds. “Now, we will be able to provide them with the kind of training, mentoring and professional development support to make it easier for our faculty to function in leadership positions.”
The idea for the centre was championed by Rama Bhat, who recently completed his term as Vice-Provost, Academic Relations. “Rama reached the conclusion that the best way to promote faculty development was by creating a centre dedicated to support for academic leadership development,” says Graham.
During the past year, Bhat and Graham have been working to secure funding to make the centre a reality, culminating in the appointment of Dominic Peltier-Rivest as the centre’s first executive director, effective August 1, 2011.
“Under Dominic’s leadership, the centre will promote best practices in academic leadership, which is one of the supporting strategies of Concordia’s Strategic Framework,” says Graham. “I believe Dominic will do a stellar job in supporting our department chairs and faculty while indirectly supporting the deans and associate deans.”
Graham also notes that the centre will be very well placed to help Concordia address recommendations from the External Governance Review Committee, which called for substantial professional development programs for all members of the Senate and the Board of Governors.
As executive director, Peltier-Rivest will work closely with the Human Resources Department to develop and implement programs for department chairs, undergraduate and graduate program directors. Some of these will include an orientation program for new faculty, and a series of workshops on the principles of leadership and management in a university setting.
“Part of my role will be to listen,” says Peltier-Rivest. “While we have identified the need to offer workshops in management skills and academic leadership, it will be important to offer programs that respond to people’s needs.”
Peltier-Rivest received his master’s degree in Accounting (MAcc) from Florida State University in 1993. He earned his PhD in Accounting and Finance from the same university in December 1996. He worked as assistant and then associate professor of Accounting at the Université du Québec à Montréal. He also served as director of the bachelor’s degree program in Management Accounting at the same institution. At Concordia's John Molson School of Business, in addition to being an associate professor, he was Associate Dean, Academic Relations for almost two years and served as chair of the department of Accountancy for nearly six years. He obtained the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) professional designation in 2005.
Related link:
• Faculty Career Development