The search for a new University of Saskatchewan president is over.
Peter Stoicheff, the school’s current Arts and Science dean, was announced Thursday as the university’s 11th president.
“I feel honoured and privileged to lead this eminent Canadian university which plays such an important role in the province, the nation and indeed the world,” said Stoicheff, whose five-year term will begin Oct. 24.
Stoicheff came to the U of S in 1986 as a faculty member with the English department. He’s been dean of the Arts and Science college since 2011.
“Peter has the rare combination of compelling vision, superb team-building skills and proven administrative experience to lead our university at this pivotal and exciting time in the province’s history,” said Greg Smith, chair of the university’s board of governors.
Smith and 11 other members of the university community —board members, professors, student union representatives, etc. — conducted the search with help from consulting firm Perrett Laver.
“The search for our new president was national and international in scope, with many excellent internal and external candidates,” said Smith.
Stoicheff holds an undergraduate degree in English and history from Queen’s University, and master’s and PhD degrees in English literature from the University of Toronto.
“We have every confidence that under Peter’s leadership the University of Saskatchewan, as a member of the U15 group of top research universities in Canada, will continue to build on its outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs and firm foundation of research excellence in areas of critical importance to society.”
Interim president Gordon Barnhart has been filling the position since Ilene Busch-Vishniac was fired as president last year. Her contract with the university was terminated following public protests over the firing of a tenured professor and over a campus-wide cost-cutting measure known as TransformUS.
Busch-Vishniac has since filed a statement of claim against the university, its board members, Premier Brad Wall and former provincial minister Rob Norris over the firing.
