Acadia’s 15th President and Vice-Chancellor chooses to end his second term early

Wolfville, NS, February 5, 2016 – Acadia University’s 15th President and Vice-Chancellor Ray Ivany will end his second term on June 30, 2017, two years earlier than planned. Ivany made the announcement at today’s meeting of the University’s Board of Governors.

“This was one of the most difficult decisions of my life,” said Ivany. “I came to Acadia in 2009 because I respected the Institution’s history, the faculty and staff who had established its reputation, its alumni who care deeply about the University, and its students who, year after year, earn awards and recognition for their work. In my time here, I have discovered the same Acadia magic that attracts students from around the world. Acadia’s faculty and staff have built a unique environment that touches both the head and the heart in a way that challenges you to be your very best. This is an incredibly powerful educational model and Acadia deserves its reputation as one of Canada’s best universities. Leaving Acadia won’t be easy. However, my recent health issues have caused me to reflect deeply on how I need to shape my life in the years to come and I feel that accelerating my retirement date is an appropriate first step. It has been an honour to serve Acadia’s faculty, staff, students and alumni during the past seven years and I am looking forward to continuing to work on our agenda over the next 17 months.”

“It’s hard for our Board to put into words the gratitude we feel toward Ray for the extraordinary contribution he has made to Acadia,” said Paul Jewer, Chair of Acadia’s Board of Governors. “Since his arrival in April of 2009, Ray has been at the forefront of leading change both on our campus and within our province. He joined at a time in our University’s history when we needed his leadership, his commitment to students, and his vision for what Acadia should and can contribute to the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, and Canada’s post-secondary sector. While Ray’s term will be ending somewhat earlier than our Board expected, he will be leaving us in a strong position and we have the next 17 months to use his expertise to position Acadia for future success.”

Since his appointment in 2009, Ivany’s contributions to Acadia and Canadian post-secondary education have been significant. Acadia’s full-time undergraduate enrolment has grown by 25 per cent after reaching a 20-year low in 2008. Financial support for Acadia has increased by almost 200 per cent since 2012, reaching an all-time one-year high of more than $8 million in 2014. He chaired the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents between 2012 and 2014, Atlantic University Sport between 2011 and 2015 and the Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust between 2012 and 2014. He served as a Director of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada between 2010 and 2014 and is currently a Council Member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

In 2012, Ivany was asked by the Province of Nova Scotia to chair the Nova Scotia Commission on Building our New Economy. The Commission’s report, Now or Never: An Urgent Call to Action for Nova Scotians, has become the blueprint for the Province’s economic development plans and priorities. In June 2015, Ivany was named the Halifax Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year and Canada’s Public Policy Forum will also honour Ivany at their upcoming Atlantic awards in March.

Acadia’s Board of Governors will begin preparing for the search for Ivany’s successor and will release details of that process in the near future.

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