New President at the University of Alberta

[bhaskar21]

So, the new President of the UofA will be announced tomorrow at 1030. The announcement will take place at convocation hall in the old arts building, all students and employees are welcome.

This announcement can be viewed live too at ualberta.ca

So this person will take over after the legacy of Samarasekara. It would be interesting to go through this person's qualifications and what he or she plans on changing the third largest academic institution in this country, specially in the backdrop of post secondary cuts and cuts directed at the UofA from the Alberta government.

[EightBitRanger]

I got an email about that this morning. I'd be curious to pop in, but as long as the new prez isn't completely atrocious I guess it doesn't matter one way or the other.

[KC]

I got an email about that this morning. I'd be curious to pop in, but as long as the new prez isn't completely atrocious I guess it doesn't matter one way or the other.

Well let us all hope he can tackle thinking like this.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

New president is David Turpin. Good pick, the University of Victoria really grew under his watch.

[davidnorwoodink]

Link to the news release here:

http://uofa.ualberta.ca/news-and-events/newsarticles/2014/november/david-howard-turpin-named-university-of-albertas-next-president

[Sonic Death Monkey]

University of Victoria president leaves a lasting legacy - See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/univers....33oKJAFJ.dpuf

[IanO]

Research heavy...

[bhaskar21]

I'd say he is a good choice. He really did change UVic to where it is now. I really look forward to seeing what he can do once he takes the office of the president.

[kcantor]

Research heavy...

don't underestimate the importance of this piece though:

"Meanwhile, the university moved to more than double financial assistance for undergrads from $4.5 million a year to $10 million, said Lori Nolt, director of student awards and financial aid. “[Turpin’s] role in reducing financial barriers is a really significant part of his legacy here,” she said.

"“We get to say yes to students more often than we did years ago.” Indigenous students, in particular, have benefited from increase support. Enrolment has grown tenfold from fewer than 100 students when Turpin arrived to more than 960 today.

Taiaiake Alfred, director of the Indigenous Governance Program, said UVic leads the country in the number of indigenous faculty, their prominence and the breadth of what they teach. He also cites the building of the First Peoples House on campus as a major achievement."

from the times colonist typo included.

emphasis added...

[Sonic Death Monkey]

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loca...alberta-campus

Ignore the odd headline. Only the first two paragraphs talk about the proposed new residence, but then most of the rest is about Turpin and his goals for the university.

[kcantor]

I wonder how much "pot" vs "kettle" there is here... David Turpin is one of the best in North America at what he does and he was actively recruited from another insitution. The University of Alberta is currently ranked the 60th highest ranked university in the world. Would Marlin Schmidt rank himself or his ministry or his government as the the 60th highest ranked anything in the world? Marlin Schmidt is happy to criticize and accuse David Turpin of "lining his pockets at the expense of others" based on total lifetime compensation expressed on an annual basis. What Marlin failed to table along with that is how it compares to Marlin Schmidt's total lifetime compensation from Alberta taxpayers expressed on an annual basis once that includes all of his salaries and allowances and per diems and benefits and pensions (particularly now that he is banking a second one).

http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/c...to-be-punished

[Dave]

I don't know if the issue is whether Turpin is good. He is running a high profile public institution and the salary level is an issue. It will be scrutinized and perhaps criticized. Very few public positions pay that much in Alberta. Are there others that could do the same quality job for less? Perhaps. The contract was signed by the previous government. Would the current provincial government have agreed to the same level or even close to it? I think probably not. If administrative budgets are tight and being cut, it may not be unreasonable to expect senior leadership to lead by example, even if it is not legally required.

[kcantor]

I don't know if the issue is whether Turpin is good. He is running a high profile public institution and the salary level is an issue. It will be scrutinized and perhaps criticized. Very few public positions pay that much in Alberta. Are there others that could do the same quality job for less? Perhaps. The contract was signed by the previous government. Would the current provincial government have agreed to the same level or even close to it? I think probably not. If administrative budgets are tight and being cut, it may not be unreasonable to expect senior leadership to lead by example, even if it is not legally required.

i'm assuming you might take a slightly different approach to this issue if it was your boss who got fired and the person who replaced him thought you were overpaid and should take a nice fat salary reduction because "budgets are tight and being cut". it might be a rash assumption on my part but whether it is not legally required or not, i'm pretty sure it wouldn't go over very with you or your spouse or your kids or your banker. turpin's contract isn't any different than their agreements with aupe or the teachers or the nurses...

[Dave]

I don't know if the issue is whether Turpin is good. He is running a high profile public institution and the salary level is an issue. It will be scrutinized and perhaps criticized. Very few public positions pay that much in Alberta. Are there others that could do the same quality job for less? Perhaps. The contract was signed by the previous government. Would the current provincial government have agreed to the same level or even close to it? I think probably not. If administrative budgets are tight and being cut, it may not be unreasonable to expect senior leadership to lead by example, even if it is not legally required.

i'm assuming you might take a slightly different approach to this issue if it was your boss who got fired and the person who replaced him thought you were overpaid and should take a nice fat salary reduction because "budgets are tight and being cut". it might be a rash assumption on my part but whether it is not legally required or not, i'm pretty sure it wouldn't go over very with you or your spouse or your kids or your banker. turpin's contract isn't any different than their agreements with aupe or the teachers or the nurses...

I don't work in the public sector, but I suppose it is one of the hazards of being in the top 1% (or maybe 0.1%) in a high profile public sector job. The University is full of politics and if he doesn't understand that and already know how to deal with it relatively well, then they may have hired the wrong guy. However, from accounts I have read he is doing his job well, so I don't think that is the issue.

I don't know how his spouse and kids or banker would feel about a pay cut, but at that level I doubt they would need to go to the food bank any time soon. They may continue to lead a quite comfortable life and perhaps not even really notice. I'm not at all saying to not respect the contract, but the extra zero's make one heck of a world of difference to the financial situation of a teacher or nurse. I don't know if he lives an extravagant lifestyle or not, but he could live a lifestyle that average Albertans couldn't even imagine on that income.

Its funny how it is often the people at the top seem to prefer the people at the bottom, who would be most financially hurt, should take the brunt of the cuts. Isn't that sort of what is happening in this case? As I said before, it is moral leadership not legal obligation that is more of an issue here. I suppose he can continue to rake in the dough, but if a politician (who had no say in the pay that was set beforehand) wants to criticize it, then he needs to live with that too.

[etownboarder]

I don't know if the issue is whether Turpin is good. He is running a high profile public institution and the salary level is an issue. It will be scrutinized and perhaps criticized. Very few public positions pay that much in Alberta. Are there others that could do the same quality job for less? Perhaps. The contract was signed by the previous government. Would the current provincial government have agreed to the same level or even close to it? I think probably not. If administrative budgets are tight and being cut, it may not be unreasonable to expect senior leadership to lead by example, even if it is not legally required.

The province has nothing to do with hiring a university president or determining their salary. The university’s board of governors is responsible for this.

[Dave]

I don't know if the issue is whether Turpin is good. He is running a high profile public institution and the salary level is an issue. It will be scrutinized and perhaps criticized. Very few public positions pay that much in Alberta. Are there others that could do the same quality job for less? Perhaps. The contract was signed by the previous government. Would the current provincial government have agreed to the same level or even close to it? I think probably not. If administrative budgets are tight and being cut, it may not be unreasonable to expect senior leadership to lead by example, even if it is not legally required.

The province has nothing to do with hiring a university president or determining their salary. The university’s board of governors is responsible for this.

The province provides a huge amount of funding for the University, so they have an interest in.

[etownboarder]

The province does not get a say in hiring a president. They can provide an opinion but that’s about as much say as they get and it doesn’t count for a whole lot. The board hires a president based on what is best for the university, and being on good terms with government is a big part of that job.