Ollivier Dyens, vice-provost for teaching and learning, heads to McGill
Concordia Vice-Provost for Teaching and Learning Ollivier Dyens has been appointed deputy provost (student life and learning) at McGill University for a five-year term to begin September 1.
At McGill, Dyens will oversee offices that deliver key services to students to support their intellectual, social, cultural and physical development. He will serve as an advocate for students and their concerns and contribute directly to McGill’s senior administrative decisions involving student life. Dyens will also serve on McGill’s Senate and chair a number of committees.
“At Concordia, Ollivier devoted himself with great enthusiasm to spearheading initiatives that provide the best educational experience for our students and raise our university’s profile,” says Interim Provost Lisa Ostiguy.
“The success of Concordia’s recent e.SCAPE conference on technology-integrated teaching is just one example. He also redesigned our academic program appraisal process. I thank him for his dedication and look forward to collaborating with him on issues that are common to Concordia and McGill.”
Dyens was appointed vice-provost for teaching and learning at Concordia in 2008. In that role, he oversaw all aspects of curriculum development and program appraisal, and the promotion of outstanding teaching and learning at Concordia.
“I am grateful for having had the chance to work with Concordia faculty and serve our students these past five years,” says Dyens. “I think the university is well positioned to keep innovating in how we teach, explore new ideas and engage the wider community.”
A former faculty member in the Département d’études françaises, Dyens is an award-winning author and digital artist, and in 2010 was named to Quebec’s Conseil supérieur de l’éducation.
He has founded websites dedicated to the study of cyberculture and written 11 books. These include include La Condition inhumaine : essai sur l’effroi technologique, published in France by Flammarion, and Metal and Flesh: The Evolution of Man: Technology Takes Over, published by MIT Press. His digital artwork has been exhibited in Brazil, Canada, France, Venezuela, Germany, Argentina and the United States.
A vice-provost, teaching and learning, will be named soon at Concordia. The university community will be informed of developments regarding the position.