To members of the Mount Saint Vincent University Community:
On behalf of the Board of Governors, I would like to thank President Mary Bluechardt for her leadership over the past four years, and for her work advancing the university’s mission. She played a central role in establishing our new strategic plan, Strength Through Community, which will guide and direct the work of the university for the next several years.
President Bluechardt recently announced that she would not stand for renewal for a second term. In light of this, the Board and Dr. Bluechardt have agreed that she will leave the University before the end of her term to permit the Board to move forward on the search process and for Dr. Bluechardt to pursue other opportunities, including her focus on national and provincial board work. Her last day is today, March 12th.
I would like to thank Dr. Bluechardt for ensuring the university was positioned to respond to the challenges of the past year, and for her leadership in advancing many important equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives – which are at the heart of our strategic plan and central to our values.
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Ramona Lumpkin, CM will be returning as Interim President. Having served as President and Vice-Chancellor for seven years, Dr. Lumpkin will provide stability and continuity in leadership until a new president is recruited. She is a distinguished feminist scholar and university administrator, and in 2019, she was named President Emerita.
The Board will soon begin the process to plan for a new presidential search, a process that will include opportunities for input from a wide range of representatives from MSVU. I look forward to keeping you updated as we undertake the search process.
Sincerely,
Anne McGuire, Chair
MSVU Board of Governors