Good afternoon MSVU community,
On behalf of the Board of Governors, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Joël Dickinson as Mount Saint Vincent University’s next President and Vice-Chancellor.
About Dr. Dickinson
Dr. Dickinson (biography attached) demonstrates a strong commitment to the mission, vision and values of MSVU, and to our purpose of fostering the education of women and other engaged thinkers, while committing to social justice and to an equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible community. As President, she will lead us through our next chapter while ensuring our continued focus on that core purpose. She is excited by our strategic plan for its clarity of direction and ambition, and for its emphasis on putting people above all else.
Dr. Dickinson is an accomplished academic administrator. She is currently Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Laurentian University and has also held the positions of Acting Associate Vice-President of Teaching and Learning (2020-2021), and Chair of the university’s Department of Psychology. Throughout her career, she has been focused on the impacts of decisions on students, as well as meaningful collaboration with faculty and staff colleagues.
She has held a leadership role with the Laurentian University Sexuality and Gender Diversity Committee, and was a long-standing member of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Status of Women. She also served as an ex officio member of the Laurentian University Native Education Council, through which she has had the honour of learning from the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nations People. She has previously taught at the University of New Brunswick and Mount Allison University. Dr. Dickinson holds a Psychology Honours, Bachelor of Arts, and PhD in Psychology from the University of New Brunswick.
“MSVU is a special institution, unlike any other in the country, and I’m eager to ensure it remains a post-secondary destination of choice,” said Dr. Dickinson. “The opportunity to lead and exemplify all that makes MSVU unique is a privilege that I am delighted to have been afforded. I look forward to working alongside the exceptional students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, supporters and partners who make up the MSVU community.”
We are fortunate to have Dr. Dickinson join MSVU. She will officially begin in her new role on July 1, 2022, however, she hopes to meet with the University community when she is in Halifax in mid May. Work is already underway to ensure her smooth transition and I am deeply grateful for the Interim leadership of Dr. Ramona Lumpkin and Dr. Sheila Brown.
As she leaves the Robinson Huron Treaty Territory in N’Swakomok (Sudbury) to join us on campus in the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, please join me in welcoming Joël.
Sincerely,
Amanda Dean
Chair of the Board of Governors and Presidential Search Committee
Mount Saint Vincent University