Thomas R. Williams
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Thomas R. Williams is a Canadian university professor, academic administrator, and the 19th Principal of Queen's University, in Kingston, Ontario. He became principal and vice-chancellor of Queen's on May 1, 2008, following the in-term resignation of Karen Hitchcock.
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[edit] Education and career
Thomas R. Williams began his post-secondary education at McGill University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1960. He stayed on at McGill to complete two degrees in education, worked at the University of Chicago, and earned his doctorate in education from the University of Michigan. He then went to the staff of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), at the University of Toronto. He arrived at Queen's in 1977, to become the Dean of the Faculty of Education, holding that position until 1986. He served as a professor in the Faculty of Education, and in the School of Policy Studies. He served as Vice-Principal of Operations, and as Vice-Principal of Institutional Relations, during the principalship of David Chadwick Smith (1984-1994). He is a professor emeritus of Education and of Policy Studies, and maintains active research interests in both fields.[1]
[edit] Controversy at Queen's
Queen's principal and vice-chancellor Karen Hitchcock, the first woman and the first American to hold the post, had been expected to serve until her five-year term ended on June 30, 2009, and in January 2008, had applied to be reconsidered for re-appointment for a second five-year term. However, following active dissent from the undergraduate student assembly, which unanimously passed a resolution calling for her not to be granted a second term, [2] and controversy over her leadership, Hitchcock resigned on April 16, 2008, effective April 30, 2008.
[edit] Becomes new Queen's principal
Williams was appointed to fill the vacancy of the principalship's in a vote from the Queen's Board of Trustees on April 25, 2008. He took over the principalship on May 1, 2008, and will serve until June 30, 2009, while Queen's searches for its next principal.[3] In an interview with CKWS-TV on April 25, Williams called the Queen's principalship "the best job in Canada". Known on the campus informally as 'Dr. Tom', Williams served a term as honourary president of the Queen's Alma Mater Society (AMS, the student government whose Assembly voted in March, 2008 against Hitchcock's reappointment), in the late 1990s, and has historically enjoyed an excellent rapport with Queen's students.[4]
[edit] Community involvement
Williams has been an extensive contributor to both the Queen's and Kingston communities. He has served on the board for both the main hospitals in the city, Kingston General Hospital and Hotel Dieu Hospital. He served on the board for the Kingston Community Foundation and for Imagine Kingston. He is currently the chair of the Building Committee for the new Performing Arts Centre at Queen's.[5]
[edit] Dodge becomes new Queen's chancellor
On May 2, 2008, the Queen's Board of Trustees unanimously elected David A. Dodge, former Governor of the Bank of Canada, as well as a Queen's alumnus and former faculty member, to take over as Chancellor, from A. Charles Baillie, on July 1, 2008. Dodge will chair the committee seeking a successor to Williams, and will oversee the fundraising and cost control issues with the Queen's Centre.[6] Dodge had received an honourary Doctor of Laws from Queen's in 2002, and was appointed to its Board of Trustees in 2007.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.post.queensu.ca/~trwe/
- ^ "Students give Principal failing grade", by Elizabeth Church, The Globe and Mail, March 7, 2008.
- ^ Kingston Whig-Standard, April 26, 2008.
- ^ Queen's Alumni Review, issue 2, 2008, p. 9.
- ^ Queen's Alumni Review, issue 2, 2008, p. 9.
- ^ Kingston Whig-Standard, May 3, 2008
- ^ Queen's Alumni Review, issue 2, 2008, p. 9.
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Karen R. Hitchcock |
Principal of Queen's University 2008 – present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
