Dal’s Dean of Arts and Social Sciences to be new SMU president

Saint Mary’s University will have a new president as of July 1, it was announced last Wednesday.

Dalhousie’s Robert Summerby-Murray, who served as Dean of Arts and Social Sciences for four years, will be taking over from Colin Dodds, who has been president at SMU for nearly 15 years.

Summerby-Murray was presented to the students and faculty of SMU at a “Town Hall to meet the preferred candidate for the president of Saint Mary’s University.”

However, controversy has arisen over SMU eschewing the traditional open-selection process ending with three potential candidates in favour of the selection of a single preferred candidate.

Marc Lamoureux, the president of the Saint Mary’s Faculty Union was quoted in the Chronicle Herald, saying, “I think they are willingly and knowingly violating the collective agreement. […] They just want to have their way.”

Saint Mary’s faculty members have described Summerby-Murray’s appointment as a “state secret” and a “coronation,” since they were not presented with different candidates for the university’s presidency. Since Wednesday’s announcement, Summerby-Murray himself has not commented publicly on the controversy at SMU. Instead, he has focused upon his plans for the university and reflected upon his time at Dal.

In an email sent by Dal president Richard Florizone to the Dalhousie community, the president included Summerby-Murray’s reminiscences upon his years spent as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

“My years at Dalhousie have been professionally and personally rewarding, and as I look forward to the new leadership opportunity that is ahead of me I am grateful for the things I’ve learned and the friendships I’ve made here,” wrote Florizone.