Centre supported academic leaders through workshops and peer-mentoring
After close to one and a half years in operation, the Centre for Academic Leadership is closing its doors but its programs and workshops will continue under the leadership of the Office of the Provost.
“During the budget process, I advised the academic sector that I would be carefully reviewing the programs and priorities within the Office of the Provost,” explains Lisa Ostiguy, interim provost and vice-president, academic affairs. “This was part of our contribution to examining how we could be more efficient and streamline the academic sector.”
As a result of a careful review of priorities, the decision was made to close the centre. Ostiguy stressed that the programs, including professional development workshops and peer-mentoring, will continue to be offered under the Office of the Provost.
“I am grateful for the considerable support received from the academic leaders who participated in our workshops and presentations, as well as those who served on the centre’s advisory committee,” says Dominic Peltier-Rivest, the centre’s executive director and professor of fraud prevention and detection with the John Molson School of Business.
The centre developed and offered 12 workshops and presentations, including orientation sessions as well as workshops that explored labour relations and collective bargaining, and leadership skills. On average, 25 academic leaders participated in each event; seven workshops were rated as “always useful” or “mostly useful” by 100 per cent of the participants.
Peltier-Rivest also points to the peer-mentoring program as one of the centre’s crowning achievements. “Through this program, eight new department chairs were matched with mentors who supported them in making the transition to their new leadership role,” he says.
The centre also created the Concordia Academic Leadership Awards to recognize exceptional academic leadership and administrative accomplishments at the university. The 2012 recipients were Michael Kenneally, Robert D. Kilgour, William E. Lynch and Danielle Morin. The 2013 recipients will be announced on May 30 during Concordia's A Celebration of Excellence.
“I would like to thank Dominic for his leadership and hard work in developing this centre and its programs. We will be building on this work in new and different ways as we continue to support our academic leaders,” says Ostiguy. She also thanked Silvana Novembre for her contribution as the centre’s administrative assistant.
Related link:
• “Award recognizes academic leadership of four Concordians” – NOW, June 12, 2012